essmaker Posted April 27 Share Posted April 27 well crap happens! and it happens quick! after my own screw up yesterday, I'm refreshed as a safety officer haha. after getting myself sorted out and venting. I told my wife that she can expect to find the garage door locked a bit more often and to not be offended, just that I cannot handle interruptions. especially while building a transmission. that is precisely why I do transmissions as homework and engines at the shop. When I just did mine, I slipped the front bushings on, then slipped the bracket on the shaft. Between turning the steering wheel and having a jack under the axle...I was able to get the bracket to the frame with the normal bolts. At least enough to get them started and then draw it all together. Once the bracket was secured I put on the rear bushings and nut on the shift. I may have used a short pry bar to help line up holes, but one handed...so not a stuggle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDLong Posted April 27 Author Share Posted April 27 When I just did mine, I slipped the front bushings on, then slipped the bracket on the shaft. Between turning the steering wheel and having a jack under the axle...I was able to get the bracket to the frame with the normal bolts. At least enough to get them started and then draw it all together. Once the bracket was secured I put on the rear bushings and nut on the shift. I may have used a short pry bar to help line up holes, but one handed...so not a stuggle. Thanks a million, I'll try your advise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDLong Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 maybe I'm missing something. but I'm sorry to say that the real benefit of removing the bracket was to slip it onto the end of the arm first then bolt it to the frame. I have not had the issues you are having and not being right there I cannot see what you are fighting. two things to try. I can see that you have it pulled far enough forward. the strap pulling to the offside will do better as close to the end of the arm as possible to get the best leverage. then with it loaded, back off the come-along a link. as it moves rearward it should also turn in. Matt was correct, it took two comealongs. I also used axle straps from Harbor Freight. Had I thought of it, I would have used a turn buckle to adjust the radius arm up & down instead of a ratchet strap. Ended up using the floor jack, but it got in the way. My concern now is it appears the new bushing is going to ride against the outside of the bracket. That may be why the plastic spacer broke in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat in tn Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 maybe I'm missing something. but I'm sorry to say that the real benefit of removing the bracket was to slip it onto the end of the arm first then bolt it to the frame. I have not had the issues you are having and not being right there I cannot see what you are fighting. two things to try. I can see that you have it pulled far enough forward. the strap pulling to the offside will do better as close to the end of the arm as possible to get the best leverage. then with it loaded, back off the come-along a link. as it moves rearward it should also turn in. Matt was correct, it took two comealongs. I also used axle straps from Harbor Freight. Had I thought of it, I would have used a turn buckle to adjust the radius arm up & down instead of a ratchet strap. Ended up using the floor jack, but it got in the way. My concern now is it appears the new bushing is going to ride against the outside of the bracket. That may be why the plastic spacer broke in the first place. you might not want to stress about this just yet. get both sides in and get the truck sitting back on its own feet with the bushings loose. drive the truck forward about ten feet while holding the brakes a little then torque the radius arm nuts. doing this helps settle them in position first. silicone spray or even armor all can help a lot too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDLong Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 you might not want to stress about this just yet. get both sides in and get the truck sitting back on its own feet with the bushings loose. drive the truck forward about ten feet while holding the brakes a little then torque the radius arm nuts. doing this helps settle them in position first. silicone spray or even armor all can help a lot too. Thanks Matt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essmaker Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 Thanks Matt! I wonder if mine went easier because I did one side at a time with the other wheel on the ground to keep things more square? Just surprised and feel bad for your struggle with this. Mine, aside from the cleaning and paining was maybe 45 minutes each side (not having rivet removal of course). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDLong Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 I wonder if mine went easier because I did one side at a time with the other wheel on the ground to keep things more square? Just surprised and feel bad for your struggle with this. Mine, aside from the cleaning and paining was maybe 45 minutes each side (not having rivet removal of course). That very well could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDLong Posted May 27 Author Share Posted May 27 That very well could be. Driver;s side has been completed. Used a come along to pull the axle rearward while prying radius arm over with a crowbar to aline the bushing. Anti-seized threads and tightened nut until threads were even with the nut. Decided I wasn't fighting the passenger's side, so I decided to grind the 3 rivets off. 4 1/2 inch grinder wouldn't fit to grind the bottom two rivets, so I used a Dremel tool. Made several cuts with Dremel cutting wheels and tried a cold chisel. That didn't work. Used Dremel grinding wheels. They did the job. Last rivet was a real PITA. Wouldn't budge. Drilled a small hole to center a punch on a 4-ton hydraulic jack. Still wouldn't budge. Drilled a hole into the rivet but not completely thru. Kept enlarging the hole and heating the frame until the little boogie finally came out. Frame has been painted. Rainin' now so I'm on hold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Driver;s side has been completed. Used a come along to pull the axle rearward while prying radius arm over with a crowbar to aline the bushing. Anti-seized threads and tightened nut until threads were even with the nut. Decided I wasn't fighting the passenger's side, so I decided to grind the 3 rivets off. 4 1/2 inch grinder wouldn't fit to grind the bottom two rivets, so I used a Dremel tool. Made several cuts with Dremel cutting wheels and tried a cold chisel. That didn't work. Used Dremel grinding wheels. They did the job. Last rivet was a real PITA. Wouldn't budge. Drilled a small hole to center a punch on a 4-ton hydraulic jack. Still wouldn't budge. Drilled a hole into the rivet but not completely thru. Kept enlarging the hole and heating the frame until the little boogie finally came out. Frame has been painted. Rainin' now so I'm on hold. Glad you got it done! But that last rivet is exactly what I found on all my rivets - wouldn't come out w/o a hole drilled in them to relieve the side pressure against the frame. So I used a 1/4" bit to drill about the depth of the frame and was able to punch them out - but not easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat in tn Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 Driver;s side has been completed. Used a come along to pull the axle rearward while prying radius arm over with a crowbar to aline the bushing. Anti-seized threads and tightened nut until threads were even with the nut. Decided I wasn't fighting the passenger's side, so I decided to grind the 3 rivets off. 4 1/2 inch grinder wouldn't fit to grind the bottom two rivets, so I used a Dremel tool. Made several cuts with Dremel cutting wheels and tried a cold chisel. That didn't work. Used Dremel grinding wheels. They did the job. Last rivet was a real PITA. Wouldn't budge. Drilled a small hole to center a punch on a 4-ton hydraulic jack. Still wouldn't budge. Drilled a hole into the rivet but not completely thru. Kept enlarging the hole and heating the frame until the little boogie finally came out. Frame has been painted. Rainin' now so I'm on hold. very good. I'm glad that you were able to complete the task that you began. I do think that you took the long way around, but a success is a success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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