I want too keep the stock ends on the ford radius arms due too budget issues. Already geared and locked but I had to go back to school and do not have enough money to buy joints. I have already wristed the passenger so I am not worried about flex if you are going to tell me to just buy joints. Anyways, I do not have the stock radius arm mounts and I don't really want to go try and find some. I want to fab new ones because it would just be easier in the end. I could do it with rubber bushings on both sides correct? The only thing I am not sure about is how big the hole should be for the end of the rad arm too go through. If its too small it will bind up when the axle droops and if it is too big the axle will twist under acceleration. Is there any simple answer here?:confused: pictures would be awesome.

buy johnny joints haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I would agree, modifying your arms for joints would have a better end result. The stock bushings bind under flex as they were meant for highway driving, not off-roading. The joints would free the arm to move where it pleased. I went with Cage off-road arms and they work well, now the coils dont move enough so i am going with a lighter spring rate.

A. You need to be precise with your fabbed brackets. They bolt to the frame, trans crossmember and the ra bracket.

B. Since you need bushings anyway, why don't you buy them first, and the od of the reccess will be what the id of your bracket should be. The arm is 3/4" dia.; I'd say the hole is going to be 1" to 1-1/8", but get the bushings first and measure them to be sure.

C. You should be able to find a truck in your area, even if its a junkyard, to see what you need. It seems to me buying some would be way better than making some with all the detail needed, especially if you want stock.

A. You need to be precise with your fabbed brackets. They bolt to the frame, trans crossmember and the ra bracket.

B. Since you need bushings anyway, why don't you buy them first, and the od of the reccess will be what the id of your bracket should be. The arm is 3/4" dia.; I'd say the hole is going to be 1" to 1-1/8", but get the bushings first and measure them to be sure.

C. You should be able to find a truck in your area, even if its a junkyard, to see what you need. It seems to me buying some would be way better than making some with all the detail needed, especially if you want stock.


X2

You would be much better off trying to find the stock brackets instead of building them.

And if you are determined to go thru the work of building brackets, why not just put a johnny joint on the end of the radius arm? It would be less work in the long run and you would be happier with the end result.

X2

And if you are determined to go thru the work of building brackets, why not just put a johnny joint on the end of the radius arm? It would be less work in the long run and you would be happier with the end result.

X2 on that

That should have been D, but I didn't want to pile on about the joints. If I were going to the trouble of fabbing a bracket, it would only make sense to do the Johnny joints.

what vehicle are you putting these on?
your post is too vague to give good answers.
I am guessing its a swap of some kind or you would have the stock brackets already

something like these:confused: http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Radius_arm_brackets/Radius_Arms

Sorry guys it is a full width swap on a explorer. In the end after considering your advice I am just going to go with Johnny Joints. I've gone this far, would be dumb to cheap out now. To the above poster for that price i can just buy johnny joints.

THanks for the help.

Smart move.... you'll be much happier.

In the end after considering your advice I am just going to go with Johnny Joints. I've gone this far, would be dumb to cheap out now.

:eek: Did somebody turn the lights on in here, it just got brighter all of a sudden!! :shocked::goofball:

You don't need Johnny Joints or heims on the end of the radius arm. They will not gain you any additional flex over the bushing / stud style. JJ's and heims transmit more vibration and noise into the frame, and considering you have a 36"+ long link, the amount of travel vs. amount of bushing deflection will still allow the use of a bushing. I still run them on my EB, and they give me no problems in flex.

This site should have the brackets:
www.broncograveyard.com

I wasn't as concerned about the flex as I was the service life of the bushings compared to the service life of the joints if they are getting flexed hard or beat on. I would just use the stock bracket and bushings, but IF I were to go to the trouble of making a custom bracket, it would be for joints. The stock brackets should still be readily available.

what gets eaten is the trac bar bushings, the rad arm bushings seem to survive a lot of abuse

I never really liked the style of the rad arm bushings. Here is what i did...
Just an idea. works good and have beat on them and never had any problems. Only thing I will say is be careful when you weld the jonny joints to the arm not to get the joint housing too hot, mine warped a little. not bad but just enough so the joints where tight going in.

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l376/thinkenbig/S-10/PICT1.jpg

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l376/thinkenbig/S-10/PICT2.jpg

that will break

that will break

Guaranteed to break. One option to reinforce would be to wrap flat stock all the way around the end. Like a big U.

that will break

weird thats what I say everytime I see your extended arms pics :)

Sorry to disapoint you guys but I have been wheeling on this set up for 4 years and had this thing in the air and had the whole weight of the truck on thes mounts and they are rock solid.
You guys have to remember that there isnt really that much weight on these things.

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l376/thinkenbig/S-10/truckjump-2.jpg

weird thats what I say everytime I see your extended arms pics :)

my old arms were legit, they were plated/ sleeved/ all with 2" 1/4 wall DOM, currie johnny joints, weld in bungs. mschwing82 now has my old arms and did what i wanted to do and added a truss to the top of them. do you even have a rig mj? the reason i say that will break is first off its not properly welded, looks like he used a huge c pattern with the welder, if you want a huge weld multiple pass it. id wrap a pieces of 1/4 strip around the johnny joint that goes down the top and bottom of the arm, and plate the sides of the arm.

Rhino, A continuas weld is alway better than starting and stoping and welding on top of welds...
This was actualy the only thing under my rig that I didnt weld myself. I wasnt sure about welding to the cast arm so i had a very reputable fab shop weld them on for me. Also, why would you need to plate the Rad arm when they hold up fine under a full size bronco and now its under a rig that weighs quite a bit less.
Anyway, as you can see above they have taken quite a bit of stress and still work great.

i guarantee a multiple pass is stronger than that. what ever dude hope it works out

i guarantee a multiple pass is stronger than that. what ever dude hope it works out

sounds like it did work out