My 1984 F150 2wd Flareside Project "Blue Mule"

[Rembrant]

...give the impression that there's something other than 3.08 open gears in there.

HEY!!! Easy on the open 3.08s! I've done most of my wheeling & long-distance travelling with them.

The Explorer/Mountaineer IRS cover is a good one, but it's hard to extract in the JY.

https://supermotors.net/getfile/932346/thumbnail/diffcover.jpg

...the paint is nice and dry this morning.

I'm really leery of painting assembled leaf packs. The chance of the leaves becoming laminated is too high - they need to slip relative to each other. I'd separate them (it's easy to make a replacement center bolt if the original is destroyed) and apply graphite paint to their internal surfaces. The truck will ride MUCH better.

Haha...I'm quite happy with my 3.08's Steve! I like the fancier diff covers, but it's one of those things that low on the priority list at the moment.

As for the leaf pack, understood. I plan to lube them well. The center bolt is in good condition. I've had it out of both packs. The plastic slip pads are still good too...this truck really has no miles on it to speak of.

[Rembrant]

Haha...I'm quite happy with my 3.08's Steve! I like the fancier diff covers, but it's one of those things that low on the priority list at the moment.

As for the leaf pack, understood. I plan to lube them well. The center bolt is in good condition. I've had it out of both packs. The plastic slip pads are still good too...this truck really has no miles on it to speak of.

Got the rear end and springs back under the frame this morning. I can finally move the truck again...if not under it's own power, at least by pushing it.

My little experiment with ordering the 1986 mount and shackle kit didn't quite work out as I planned. The common bushings are loose in the spring eyes that had the factory plastic bushings. I don't know if this is because the main leaf is actually different, or if it is because of the metal that was removed from the leaf eye (there was a lot of rust in there that I had sand blasted out). Anyway, not a big deal really...just means I have to buy new main leafs. I tried tightening up the eye in the hydraulic press, but it didn't work. I could try a set of the replacement plastic bushings, but I don't really want to waste any more money on stuff that may not work (and I don't really want anyway).

On another topic, and this may very well be a dumb question, but there were dished washers on each of the two rear upper shock mounts. Were these something that were included with some previous shocks that were installed, or were they actual Ford parts?

[Steve83]

...there were dished washers on each of the two rear upper shock mounts. Were these something that were included with some previous shocks that were installed, or were they actual Ford parts?

AFAIK, they should be flat washers. But if they look original, make sure they're dished AWAY from the shocks (concave toward nut).

[Gary Lewis]

Got the rear end and springs back under the frame this morning. I can finally move the truck again...if not under it's own power, at least by pushing it.

My little experiment with ordering the 1986 mount and shackle kit didn't quite work out as I planned. The common bushings are loose in the spring eyes that had the factory plastic bushings. I don't know if this is because the main leaf is actually different, or if it is because of the metal that was removed from the leaf eye (there was a lot of rust in there that I had sand blasted out). Anyway, not a big deal really...just means I have to buy new main leafs. I tried tightening up the eye in the hydraulic press, but it didn't work. I could try a set of the replacement plastic bushings, but I don't really want to waste any more money on stuff that may not work (and I don't really want anyway).

On another topic, and this may very well be a dumb question, but there were dished washers on each of the two rear upper shock mounts. Were these something that were included with some previous shocks that were installed, or were they actual Ford parts?

Cory - Is it possible that you were either sent the wrong bushings? Or that you don't have the original springs? It is hard to believe that you took enough material out to substantially change the dimensions of the eye.

To get to the bottom of this I've added the rear springs listing to the website here: Suspension & Steering/Rear Suspension/Rear Springs. Note that it includes the shackle and bushing info at the bottom of the page, and it appears that the 1980/81 trucks take bushing E0TZ 5781-E, but the 1982/85 trucks take bushing E2TZ 5781-A. The table shows the size of the first one, but not the second. Can you measure what you have and see what it is? The bushings are available separately.

As for the washers, when I've purchased shocks they've come with cupped washers. And the catalog appears to show that the washers aren't truly flat. In fact, the factory shop manual says "NOTE: Install concave surface to nut" - just like Steve said.

As for where to get those washers, I don't know. The illustration side of the 1980 - 89 catalog says that the generic part number is 18040, but that number doesn't appear in the parts listing/text section of the catalog. In fact, that doesn't show in Ford's Standard & Utility catalog. However, it does appear in the 1973-79 MPC, and it shows the part # to be 51A-18040. But, I cannot find that on that internet.

Anyway, your frame looks good!

 

[Rembrant]

Cory - Is it possible that you were either sent the wrong bushings? Or that you don't have the original springs? It is hard to believe that you took enough material out to substantially change the dimensions of the eye.

Hi Gary, yes the springs are original, and yes the bushings are the correct size. Because of the plastic bushings, the rust scale IN the eye was quite thick. You'd be surprised how much metal can be removed when it is scaled up badly. This doesn't appear to have been an issue with the common sleeved bushings...just the plastic ones. What a terrible design that was.

I'm going to check with the local spring shop and see if they have any bushings that will fit better, and if not I'll be buying new main leafs. NBD.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Cory - Is it possible that you were either sent the wrong bushings? Or that you don't have the original springs? It is hard to believe that you took enough material out to substantially change the dimensions of the eye.

Hi Gary, yes the springs are original, and yes the bushings are the correct size. Because of the plastic bushings, the rust scale IN the eye was quite thick. You'd be surprised how much metal can be removed when it is scaled up badly. This doesn't appear to have been an issue with the common sleeved bushings...just the plastic ones. What a terrible design that was.

I'm going to check with the local spring shop and see if they have any bushings that will fit better, and if not I'll be buying new main leafs. NBD.

I think the local spring shop idea is a good one. Good luck!

[FuzzFace2]

I think the local spring shop idea is a good one. Good luck!

It's to bad we have to cover up the frame with the cab & bed after we do all that work to make it look great.

What bushing did you go with rubber, plastic or poly and is there a metal shell used with what came out and going in?

I kind of got lost in the posts of what you started with (plastic I think?) and ended up with.

Up front on mine I went poly and you have to reuse the outer metal sleeve. Depending on what you are using maybe you need the outer sleeve?

Dave ----

[Rembrant]

What bushing did you go with rubber, plastic or poly and is there a metal shell used with what came out and going in?

I kind of got lost in the posts of what you started with (plastic I think?) and ended up with.

Dave,

Picture below kind of explains it. Look at the rear shackle. Items #21 and #25 (Plastic 2pc bushings) were used on the 1982-1985 2wd half ton trucks (maybe not all, but some?). Apparently 1980-1981, and then 1986-1996 all used the regular old steel sleeved metal bushings. Not sure if there was ever a TSB on them, but for some reason or another, in 1986 Ford switched back to the old original style bushings and kept using them for many years. The bushings are the same OD, so I assume the main leafs were the same. Problem with the plastic is that they allowed the spring eyes to rust badly, and when I had it all blasted out, it opened up the OD and I lost the bushing fit.

 

[FuzzFace2]

What bushing did you go with rubber, plastic or poly and is there a metal shell used with what came out and going in?

I kind of got lost in the posts of what you started with (plastic I think?) and ended up with.

Dave,

Picture below kind of explains it. Look at the rear shackle. Items #21 and #25 (Plastic 2pc bushings) were used on the 1982-1985 2wd half ton trucks (maybe not all, but some?). Apparently 1980-1981, and then 1986-1996 all used the regular old steel sleeved metal bushings. Not sure if there was ever a TSB on them, but for some reason or another, in 1986 Ford switched back to the old original style bushings and kept using them for many years. The bushings are the same OD, so I assume the main leafs were the same. Problem with the plastic is that they allowed the spring eyes to rust badly, and when I had it all blasted out, it opened up the OD and I lost the bushing fit.

Ok got it now.

Is #20 an inner sleeve that the bolt goes thru?

Being on the back side of the spring it is not too big a deal like if on the front.

Could you use shim stock to take up the spring / bushing gap?

Maybe thin sheet metal used a shim stock if you did not want to buy brass shim stock but sheet metal only comes in gauge thickness where shim stock comes in many.

Could be cheaper than new springs if that is the only thing wrong with them.

Another option I think of is poly bushings.

If you can find them in the right ID for the bolt and a little larger for the OD to fit the spring eye and as wide as you need. If too large of an OD you could put a bolt thru it and chuck in a drill press and "sand or file" down the out side to fit.

For the ID you might be able to drill it out?

Dave ----

[Rembrant]

Ok got it now.

Is #20 an inner sleeve that the bolt goes thru?

#20 is the standard "common" bushing with rubber and metal sleeve. I don't think the leafs are all that expensive for this thing. I'll check on them this week and let you guys know how it plays out;). Just another layer of the onion as Gary would say!