Dad's Truck Build

[FuzzFace2]

Ok guys, thanks a bunch.

Cory - Your description fits some of the things I have, but somehow I'm one short.

Dave - See if yours have #'s on them. Some of mine have #'s or lettering. One pair is obviously the ones for the front of the radius arm bushing as they say Front on one side and To The Rubber on the other. But I may have the wrong cupped washer to the rear of the radius arm bushing.

Steve - Thanks. I'll amend my MPC with the right torque values. And your pics look a bunch like some of the cupped washers I have. As said, I may be using the right ones in the wrong places.

I want to say the lower spring retainer washer and the radius arm washers are 2 different OD's?

I will go out in a bit to see if I can find the washers, hope they are still on the arms & beams, and see if I can get pictures of them.

Dave ----

[FuzzFace2]

Ok guys, thanks a bunch.

Cory - Your description fits some of the things I have, but somehow I'm one short.

Dave - See if yours have #'s on them. Some of mine have #'s or lettering. One pair is obviously the ones for the front of the radius arm bushing as they say Front on one side and To The Rubber on the other. But I may have the wrong cupped washer to the rear of the radius arm bushing.

Steve - Thanks. I'll amend my MPC with the right torque values. And your pics look a bunch like some of the cupped washers I have. As said, I may be using the right ones in the wrong places.

I want to say the lower spring retainer washer and the radius arm washers are 2 different OD's?

I will go out in a bit to see if I can find the washers, hope they are still on the arms & beams, and see if I can get pictures of them.

Dave ----

Well I was off a little and here is what I found.

Back ground: from 81 F100 4x2 truck don't know if they were factory or after market?

The OD's of both washers were the same (did not measure)

The ID's were different (did not measure). The lower spring washer had a smaller ID than the radius arm washer and would not fit over the threads of the radius arm.

The only radius arm washer that was cupped was the one closest to the axle / beam (first thing installed on the radius arm) the other was flat.

I did see the lower spring washer has a deeper cup by about a 1/4" (not measured)

In short: lower spring washer has smaller ID hole and a deeper cup than the radius arm washer.

No pictures as it would be hard to show the above.

Dave ---

edit: I used a wire brush on the washers. With the rust pitting I did not see any numbers or "front" on them.

[Gary Lewis]

Ok guys, thanks a bunch.

Cory - Your description fits some of the things I have, but somehow I'm one short.

Dave - See if yours have #'s on them. Some of mine have #'s or lettering. One pair is obviously the ones for the front of the radius arm bushing as they say Front on one side and To The Rubber on the other. But I may have the wrong cupped washer to the rear of the radius arm bushing.

Steve - Thanks. I'll amend my MPC with the right torque values. And your pics look a bunch like some of the cupped washers I have. As said, I may be using the right ones in the wrong places.

I want to say the lower spring retainer washer and the radius arm washers are 2 different OD's?

I will go out in a bit to see if I can find the washers, hope they are still on the arms & beams, and see if I can get pictures of them.

Dave ----

Well I was off a little and here is what I found.

Back ground: from 81 F100 4x2 truck don't know if they were factory or after market?

The OD's of both washers were the same (did not measure)

The ID's were different (did not measure). The lower spring washer had a smaller ID than the radius arm washer and would not fit over the threads of the radius arm.

The only radius arm washer that was cupped was the one closest to the axle / beam (first thing installed on the radius arm) the other was flat.

I did see the lower spring washer has a deeper cup by about a 1/4" (not measured)

In short: lower spring washer has smaller ID hole and a deeper cup than the radius arm washer.

No pictures as it would be hard to show the above.

Dave ---

edit: I used a wire brush on the washers. With the rust pitting I did not see any numbers or "front" on them.

Thanks! I'll take some pics and post in a bit to show what I find. (I'm still working on my first cup of java.)

[FuzzFace2]

Thanks! I'll take some pics and post in a bit to show what I find. (I'm still working on my first cup of java.)

LOL I am going to start my 3rd cup of tea with breakfast here in a bit.

I did fire up the heater and hope it is a little warmer in there than the 40* when I walked out.

It is drizzling, fogy, cold that just goes thru you.

Dave ----

[85lebaront2]

LOL I am going to start my 3rd cup of tea with breakfast here in a bit.

I did fire up the heater and hope it is a little warmer in there than the 40* when I walked out.

It is drizzling, fogy, cold that just goes thru you.

Dave ----

Gary, I can't completely help on the F150 TTB springs, but when I replaced the lower rubbers (some guy in OK sent some good used ones to me) and installed the anti-roll bar end brackets I do have a picture of the pieces when I had everything apart.

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, I can't completely help on the F150 TTB springs, but when I replaced the lower rubbers (some guy in OK sent some good used ones to me) and installed the anti-roll bar end brackets I do have a picture of the pieces when I had everything apart.

Dave - It is 37 here today and headed to 50, with bright sunshine but with a breeze. Not bad at all compared to the misty, drizzly 30's we had a few days ago. Yes, that goes right through you, and at my age it takes quite a while to go away.

As for warming up, I'm sipping my second "cuppa" as the Brits would say, and I'll see the furnace kick on in the shop in a few minutes and it'll be at 65 when I go out. And today I'll probably leave it at 65. Lately with all the computer work I've been doing I've been jacking it up to 69. But yesterday that was way too much with all the activity involved with installing parts, torquing things to 200 ft-lb, etc.

Bill - Apparently the people in Oklahoma are helpful. Friendly even.

And thanks for the pic. That helps and I hope to post some myself here in a bit.

[Gary Lewis]

Dave - It is 37 here today and headed to 50, with bright sunshine but with a breeze. Not bad at all compared to the misty, drizzly 30's we had a few days ago. Yes, that goes right through you, and at my age it takes quite a while to go away.

As for warming up, I'm sipping my second "cuppa" as the Brits would say, and I'll see the furnace kick on in the shop in a few minutes and it'll be at 65 when I go out. And today I'll probably leave it at 65. Lately with all the computer work I've been doing I've been jacking it up to 69. But yesterday that was way too much with all the activity involved with installing parts, torquing things to 200 ft-lb, etc.

Bill - Apparently the people in Oklahoma are helpful. Friendly even.

And thanks for the pic. That helps and I hope to post some myself here in a bit.

Ok, I think I got to the bottom of it. And the bottom line is that I had too many parts, surely from two different trucks, and I was looking at the wrong illustration.

First, here's a snippet of the illustration I was using, which is labeled Front Suspension & Steering Linkage - Dual Shock - 4W/D. And, since Dad's truck is a 4wd with dual shocks it should be the right one - right? And, notice that I've circled 389227-S2, as it is the issue here.

But, here's a snippet of the illustration labeled Front Stabilizer Bar & Related Parts - 1980 On F250/350 2/W/D and F-U 4WD. Note that there is no 389117.

Here is the illustration for the radius arm and bushings applicable to Dad's truck. I've added the dimensions for the front cupped washer (3B186) and the rear flat washer (379572). How can I be sure? Because one of my cupped washers says it is 3B186, and because the MPC has the dimensions of 379572.

So, you can probably see where this is going - I used the flat washer (379572) between the spring seat and the stabilizer bar's mount. And, I then used 5B300, which are cupped washers, in place of the flat washers. But they are supposed to retain the springs.

And now I'm trying to figure out how to document this for those who dare to follow in my footsteps. Any suggestions?

And, of course, several things have to come apart.

[Gary Lewis]

Ok, I think I got to the bottom of it. And the bottom line is that I had too many parts, surely from two different trucks, and I was looking at the wrong illustration.

First, here's a snippet of the illustration I was using, which is labeled Front Suspension & Steering Linkage - Dual Shock - 4W/D. And, since Dad's truck is a 4wd with dual shocks it should be the right one - right? And, notice that I've circled 389227-S2, as it is the issue here.

But, here's a snippet of the illustration labeled Front Stabilizer Bar & Related Parts - 1980 On F250/350 2/W/D and F-U 4WD. Note that there is no 389117.

Here is the illustration for the radius arm and bushings applicable to Dad's truck. I've added the dimensions for the front cupped washer (3B186) and the rear flat washer (379572). How can I be sure? Because one of my cupped washers says it is 3B186, and because the MPC has the dimensions of 379572.

So, you can probably see where this is going - I used the flat washer (379572) between the spring seat and the stabilizer bar's mount. And, I then used 5B300, which are cupped washers, in place of the flat washers. But they are supposed to retain the springs.

And now I'm trying to figure out how to document this for those who dare to follow in my footsteps. Any suggestions?

And, of course, several things have to come apart.

To help those following in my steps, I added a "Retainers" tab to this page: Suspension/Front Suspension. Please take a look and let me know how it can be improved. And, if you happen to have a 389117 laying around I'd like to have the dimensions off of it.

Oddly enough, the dimensions I think are wrong are the same in both the MPC as well as Ford's Standard & Utility Parts Catalog.

[Rembrant]

But, here's a snippet of the illustration labeled Front Stabilizer Bar & Related Parts - 1980 On F250/350 2/W/D and F-U 4WD. Note that there is no 389117.

While the drawing may correctly reflect the parts for the sway bar assembly on both 4x2 and 4x4 trucks, the illustration is of a 4x2 assembly...which is why there is no 389117. That part doesn't exist on the 2wd.

 

[Gary Lewis]

But, here's a snippet of the illustration labeled Front Stabilizer Bar & Related Parts - 1980 On F250/350 2/W/D and F-U 4WD. Note that there is no 389117.

While the drawing may correctly reflect the parts for the sway bar assembly on both 4x2 and 4x4 trucks, the illustration is of a 4x2 assembly...which is why there is no 389117. That part doesn't exist on the 2wd.

Hadn't thought of that. But there's no need for 389117 when you put the sway bar bracket in there. It is roughly as thick and, therefore, will spread the load as well as a washer.

You don't happen to have a 389117 laying around that you could measure and photograph?