[cryptonik420]

I'm having some pretty weird issues with my TTB under my '87 F150. I bought the truck off of some ******* who apparently jumped it and then wanted to sell it. Me, being an idiot, bought it anyway because I was hoping for a good project to work on. I got more than I bargained for!

I noticed that the lift kit that was put under it is a custom fabricated job. A job that wasn't done thoroughly and properly. The drop radius arm brackets are fabricated through some rectangular stock that's 3" wide and about 5" tall. One bracket seems to be level with the frame and the other is crooked. The guy that installed the lift welded the brackets to the frame and used what looks like grade 8 hardware as well. The pivot arm brackets are done in the same fashion (welded and bolted).

I am hearing a clunking/popping noise when the truck hits a quick bump (i.e. a dirt road washout or pulling the front end off of a curb). Normal driving doesn't make the popping noises. I've checked all of the rivets that hold the bracketry to the frame and none seem to be loose. I also jacked up the front of the truck and dropped it numerous amounts of times to see if I could get the popping noise to happen. No go there, no movement in any of the brackets or anything like that. I'm wondering if any of you Ford guru's on this site have any insight to this problem.

I have replaced the upper and lower balljoints (about 500 miles on them now), replaced the top-hat style hubs with a conversion to the rotor-styled ones. I've replaced the radius arm bushings. I've replaced the pivot arm bushings (man is that a bitch!).

I don't have the cash flow to perform a SAS, and I'd like to think that this is a fixable issue. Any of you know what to check next?

 

[sickfab]

The money you throw at this piece of shit is money wasted. I'd wait and try to hold out for the sas.

 

[OverThrottle]

You might try having a buddy jump up and down on the front bumber while you look at the suspension to see if you can see the source.

 

[animator]

What about the coils? They bolted down tight? How old are the shocks? Do they show signs of leakage? What's the possibility of someting loose inside the engine compartment hitting something causing the noise?

 

[4x4junkie]

Makes sure the bolts attaching the radius arms to the axlebeams are tight.

 

[Jrod-13]

The money you throw at this piece of shit is money wasted. I'd wait and try to hold out for the sas.

exactly my thought.

For the money you spend putting in ball joints, and converting back to real hubs, you could have done a sas..

 

[44Runner]

wheel bearings perhaps

 

[optiwizard]

SAS end the tire horror.

 

[jaluhn]

Check the bushings where the radius arms connect to the frame, and at the ends of the ttb arms themselves. My truck has shot bushings on the radius arms, and it makes a nice clunk on bumps. Also likes to dance a wee bit on certain roads, which I think is from the radius arms moving and changing the chamber on me. Surprisingly enough, with each arm over 1/2" off from it's proper location, the truck still steers quite nicely.
-John

 

[tanman2003]

id cut off all the work that guy did and do a real lift kit, or do an sas, that way THE drop brackets he made wont affect anything. good luck.

 

[cryptonik420]

Thanks for the positive reinforcement!

For the cost of the hub conversion i spent a whopping $100 for all the parts from the spindle out to the hub. Was a great deal from Jamie down at Knox Auto Parts.

I'm hoping that the way the radius arms are mounted that there is just slack in the way the bushings are sitting in there from the idiot lift (what i like to call it anyway). I'd love to do an SAS on that truck as I know it will fix any problems with the clunking and popping.

Thanx again guys. I'll check out everything that you all suggested! Merry fucking Christmas to all!

 

[cryptonik420]

Well, I did some testing up at Royal Blue this past weekend. The way the Radius Arms are mounted and setup there is MAJOR amounts of play in them (do you consider over 3" of bushing movement ok?). When the suspension is forced in one direction or the other the radius arm will shift considerably and then when the force is taken off it almost 'pops' back into place causing the noise and the clunk under the foot of the driver and passenger.

So, looks like I'm sick and tired of this F O R D and am going to sell the bitch and pick me up a real wheeler project: an early 'Yota that already has the SFA. Surely I can get enough cash from the sale of the Ford to get me a 'Yota!

 

[SilverZuk]

I know you said you already replaced them, but it sounds exactly like a redius arm bushing. Scratch that.

Wait, I had an 82 that was doing the same thing. It turned out the front body mount bushings were bad and the popping was them getting sucked through the frame mount. I put new bushings on and the whole on the frame mount was wallowed out and the new bushing was going to do the same thing. So I had to place washers and sandwich the frame mount to keep the bushing from popping through. I hope this is the problem, it’s an easy fix.

EDIT: read your last post so diregard the previous.

 

[cryptonik420]

Thanx SilverZuk, I'll check that too, who knows, maybe that's something else that's wrong with it. More than likely the case.

 

[animator]

since the radius arm bushings are bad, be sure to check the spacers too. Sometimes they can crack or come off completely, which would allow the bushings to move freely back and forth.

 

[SilverZuk]

I have seen the radius arm bushing mount go bad, like I described the body bushing going bad.

People run bad bushings and get metal to metal contact. It wallows out the hole for the radius arm. New bushings still have a lot of slack.

New mounts from the dealer are relatively cheap, or you can go after market and eliminate some of the ghetto fab lift if your not comfortable with it.

 

[tanman2003]

if im not mistaken isnt it really cheaper or easier to go ifs for a toyota and then swap a d44 under it (or go toyota if you got one)? i mean if you got a solid axle truck, you have to move you spring mounts (to go hard core), then get an ifs steering box, make it fit, then get crossover steering anyway. then you already have the wide rear axle, i mean a dana 44 has a better turning radius right ? im not saying solid axle trucks arnt the way to go, but they are also getting harder to find, and when you look at it, ifs trucks arnt a bad way to start off.:flipoff2:

 

[cryptonik420]

if im not mistaken isnt it really cheaper or easier to go ifs for a toyota and then swap a d44 under it (or go toyota if you got one)? i mean if you got a solid axle truck, you have to move you spring mounts (to go hard core), then get an ifs steering box, make it fit, then get crossover steering anyway. then you already have the wide rear axle, i mean a dana 44 has a better turning radius right ? im not saying solid axle trucks arnt the way to go, but they are also getting harder to find, and when you look at it, ifs trucks arnt a bad way to start off.:flipoff2:

Is that why you bought the '85 4Runner? I thought those were solid axle trucks....:flipoff2:

 

[tanman2003]

i got lucky only paid $1900 for it, saw it on the side of the road. wasnt looking for it, i haggled the guy, and now i have it. and im pissed about my push pull steering, my narrow axles, and my solid rotors and my small drums. im savin up to do it all right. all im sayin is dont pass up a good deal just becuase its IFS, sometimes they end up cheaper in the long run.:flipoff2:

 

[sickfab]

i got lucky only paid $1900 for it, saw it on the side of the road. wasnt looking for it, i haggled the guy, and now i have it. and im pissed about my push pull steering, my narrow axles, and my solid rotors and my small drums. im savin up to do it all right. all im sayin is dont pass up a good deal just becuase its IFS, sometimes they end up cheaper in the long run.:flipoff2:

Dont be too pissed dude! throw some spacers, or more offset wheels at it, add an ifs steering box, make your own cross over, and you'll be dialed!