torque rod bushings

[HN6]

I replaced all my torque rod bushings 2 years ago. I drive my truck pretty dang hard off road. Most of my busing are pretty toast. I tested the play with a crow bar today and lots of rubber separation and movement.

Question 1: Is it worth buying the steel press in ball joint looking ones and do ya'll think they will hold up?


Question 2: Keep the ones I got and just weld keepers on the end and roll with it. ( all ready welded 2 of them for well being). I figured it might not track as straight when they are torn up but not sure.

Getting truck fixed up for hunting this fall. Gonna be traveling back country for 35 miles no roads and 10 hrs on hwy to trail head. Longest trip to date so trying to do my best and daughter is going with me.

 

[simp5782]

Weld the keepers

 

[HN6]

Weld the keepers

Perfect. Saves me lot of money and time. I will weld them all up.

 

[rustystud]

Perfect. Saves me lot of money and time. I will weld them all up.

I don't know about that. I bought mine four years ago. Still fine. I grease mine on a regular basis though.

 

[davidb56]

w

I replaced all my torque rod bushings 2 years ago. I drive my truck pretty dang hard off road. Most of my busing are pretty toast. I tested the play with a crow bar today and lots of rubber separation and movement.

Question 1: Is it worth buying the steel press in ball joint looking ones and do ya'll think they will hold up?


Question 2: Keep the ones I got and just weld keepers on the end and roll with it. ( all ready welded 2 of them for well being). I figured it might not track as straight when they are torn up but not sure.

Getting truck fixed up for hunting this fall. Gonna be traveling back country for 35 miles no roads and 10 hrs on hwy to trail head. Longest trip to date so trying to do my best and daughter is going with me.

wouldnt hurt to throw a couple mountain bikes in the back when going that deep into the woods.

 

[HN6]

I don't know about that. I bought mine four years ago. Still fine. I grease mine on a regular basis though.

for know I will go with he welded keeper

w

wouldnt hurt to throw a couple mountain bikes in the back when going that deep into the woods.

Taking 2 trucks. Walking is way better no way I could ride a bike and 2 decent river crossings.

 

[rustystud]

w

wouldnt hurt to throw a couple mountain bikes in the back when going that deep into the woods.

Take a nice Quadrunner. That way you could play along the way home !

 

[ToddJK]

Hunting season a while off yet and what game? If you have a few months left, might be better off replacing your bushings. Maybe have a spare with parts on hand to weld one if needed. Welds can break, especially if there are any micro cracks in it, which could lead to a problem in a bad place, either on the way there or the way back. If you weld them, then perhaps have a new bushing or two with the tools on hand to repair one of one did break. From the sounds of where you're going, you aren't gonna be able to call road side assistance! Lol

 

[HN6]

Hunting season a while off yet and what game? If you have a few months left, might be better off replacing your bushings. Maybe have a spare with parts on hand to weld one if needed. Welds can break, especially if there are any micro cracks in it, which could lead to a problem in a bad place, either on the way there or the way back. If you weld them, then perhaps have a new bushing or two with the tools on hand to repair one of one did break. From the sounds of where you're going, you aren't gonna be able to call road side assistance! Lol

Moose hunting Sept 1. Not to far away. I figured I would just take 110 stick welder and generator with me. if one happened to break out I could just weld it back on. Maybe I will take a spare bone in the parts box.

 

[HN6]

Take a nice Quadrunner. That way you could play along the way home !

ATV's can/t get past the 2 rivers. There will probably be other hunters back there as well if a real dire situation happened or call a plane to pick me up. Get expensive fast.

 

[ToddJK]

Moose hunting Sept 1. Not to far away. I figured I would just take 110 stick welder and generator with me. if one happened to break out I could just weld it back on. Maybe I will take a spare bone in the parts box.

Dude that's awesome! Hunting Moose is definitely a bucket list item I'd like to cross off the list before my time here on earth expires!

 

[gimpyrobb]

Moose hunting Sept 1. Not to far away. I figured I would just take 110 stick welder and generator with me. if one happened to break out I could just weld it back on. Maybe I will take a spare bone in the parts box.

I had my rod ends go bad while off-road at Haspin one year, it was a PITA to get them lined up and back on. When I pressed out and pressed in the new ones, I drilled and tapped the ends so I could bolt on a quarter-inch plate. leave some space so it can flax around, I learned that by snapping a grade 8 bolt. They need some slop but will still retain the rod. Its much easier to do at home than in the field!

 

[7bdiver]

I've read/watched quite a few people's techniques on getting the rod joints out. So far, I havent seen anyone use a traditional style fork separator. Do they just get bent all to hell and not work? If turning the nut against some janky stacks of plates works, I don't see why not.

Kind of wondering if I should go through the trouble of machining myself a big screw-style separator. I've got some pretty big diameter steel bar stock that would work.

I'm buying the ones with the integrated keepers and will be doing some of them soon enough.

 

[HN6]

I've read/watched quite a few people's techniques on getting the rod joints out. So far, I havent seen anyone use a traditional style fork separator. Do they just get bent all to hell and not work? If turning the nut against some janky stacks of plates works, I don't see why not.

Kind of wondering if I should go through the trouble of machining myself a big screw-style separator. I've got some pretty big diameter steel bar stock that would work.

I'm buying the ones with the integrated keepers and will be doing some of them soon enough.

I used a steel wedge cut out of 3/4' steel. beat it in to seperate from frame. worked good.

 

[rustystud]

I've read/watched quite a few people's techniques on getting the rod joints out. So far, I havent seen anyone use a traditional style fork separator. Do they just get bent all to hell and not work? If turning the nut against some janky stacks of plates works, I don't see why not.

Kind of wondering if I should go through the trouble of machining myself a big screw-style separator. I've got some pretty big diameter steel bar stock that would work.

I'm buying the ones with the integrated keepers and will be doing some of them soon enough.

They don't make a "pickle fork" that big. Also you run the risk of just tearing up the rubber and not removing the bolt. Since I was a mechanic when I bought my first Deuce, I did try and force off the torque rods that way with a metal wedge. After all it works on medium trucks drag links and tie-rod ends. A couple worked great, but the last ones just ripped the rubber apart and left the bolt still in. Ended up using a torch and sledgehammer to get them out.

 

[V8srfun]

Are there many documented failures of the ball joint style ends. I kinda thought they were accepted as the superior replacement.

 

[Gypsyman]

I've seen reports of high wear and rapid failure on the new style ends. Other than what is listed in this thread I have no way to verify that though.

 

[rustystud]

Are there many documented failures of the ball joint style ends. I kinda thought they were accepted as the superior replacement.

I know some have mentioned problems with them, but I haven't had any. Like I mentioned earlier, I lube them on a regular basis just like any joint in the suspension system. I think some people treat them like the old torque rods. Install them and forget them since there is nothing to lube. These are completely different though. They are a large "Heim" joint and need lube.

 

[HN6]

I busted one of my welded on keepers off my torque rod bushings on my last backcountry trips and rod came completely off. couple chain falls and sledge got it back on the welded plate back on. Luckily I Brough the welder and generator and caught the problem before I ventured further off road. Planning on replace all my bushings again and then weld the keeper on before installation. How much do you think the heat will ruin the rubber from welding? Do you think the weld on keeper will make original bushing last a lot longer since it will not have ability to flex so far and tear? Definitely need a full weld to hold the keeper in place while it is getting torqued against in flex. I could hear it bust off the keeper and so now I know what is to little amount of weld.

 

[Mullaney]

I busted one of my welded on keepers off my torque rod bushings on my last backcountry trips and rod came completely off. couple chain falls and sledge got it back on the welded plate back on. Luckily I Brough the welder and generator and caught the problem before I ventured further off road. Planning on replace all my bushings again and then weld the keeper on before installation. How much do you think the heat will ruin the rubber from welding? Do you think the weld on keeper will make original bushing last a lot longer since it will not have ability to flex so far and tear? Definitely need a full weld to hold the keeper in place while it is getting torqued against in flex. I could hear it bust off the keeper and so now I know what is to little amount of weld.

.
Along with the weld on the edges of your plate, a 3/4 inch hole drilled in the center and plug welding that - your metal "keepers" should stay in place. Need to have a 5 gallon bucket of water to cool the metal before the rubber is smoked.