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tension rod question


bigred07
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since i got my 89 there has been this squeeking noise coming from the suspension system of the front drivers side area. recently having people look at to posibly replace the shock we have found something interesting. where the tension rod is mounted to the car, where the rod goes through metal and there are bushings on either side, the whole where the rod passes through the metal mount looks really big, about the size of the bushings, and maybe wearing out. i don't have another one to compare this or anything and iwas wonder if anybody has had a similar problem or can tell me whats going on and how to fix it. one mechanic said posibly welding on another metal plate over it and drilling the right size whole in it. i

 

if anybody can help me out with this it would be very apreciated. i also am not much of a mechanic myself so i will be needing somebody else to do the repairs.

 

thanks.

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Unfortunately, this happens when the bushing has worn into garbage. The plate trick would probably work. Are the bushing cups still attached? People have welded on bearing races if not.

 

Perhaps I can find some picts that you can reference/pass along.

 

B

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if you get the plate welded, try to weld it to the backside. this sounds like the hardway but welding to the front will increase your castor angle. also IF you want to rplace those bushing cups with something sturdy let me know, you can weld a a bearing cup in place; I have the p/n and supplier for the one that most closelsy fits the oiginal rubber bushing shape. they run like $5 ea, you'll want 4 (front/back both sides). this mod should end all ROD ISSUEs

 

EDIT:

I just checked the invoice $8.29ea

McGuire Bearing PN

A-S M84510

 

If anybody needs me to pick some up I can.

Edited by MY1PATH
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Have a plate welded on or a cup or something.

 

Here's what mine looked like:

11-26-08_1334.jpg

 

 

yeah mine looks pretty similar but in the opposite/down dirtection, you can see the whole underneath the bushings instead of above. thanks.

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another things is the mount seems to have moved or whatever and is really close to the tension rod. i have a picture but don't know how to make it fit into these messages...

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  • 2 months later...
if you get the plate welded, try to weld it to the backside. this sounds like the hardway but welding to the front will increase your castor angle. also IF you want to rplace those bushing cups with something sturdy let me know, you can weld a a bearing cup in place; I have the p/n and supplier for the one that most closelsy fits the oiginal rubber bushing shape. they run like $5 ea, you'll want 4 (front/back both sides). this mod should end all ROD ISSUEs

Would the bearing cup you are reffering to fit a '91 4wd. I noticed the welding on one of my bushing cups is coming loose. Maybe thats what is causing my steering issues.

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How big is that hole supposed to be? Should it be a snug fit or is there supposed to be some room for movement?

 

The hole that passes through the frame? About 3/4 of an inch.

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3/4 is about right, but i'm going by the width because mine are a but oval. P.O never changed 'em. the busshing not being welded should really affect anything. i used some 3/4 fender washers as replacement cup and torqued it to the max. in the range(108lbs i think). i haven't had any troubles more than some minor sqeakyness under very light stress. and i drive it like a race car. let me know if you have any trouble getting the rods back in tho. mine took about 3hrs a piece to put back.

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me again. i took a look at the ics farther up and that hole looks way too big. if you have it all apart try to get the old spacer off and take a look at the rod. the sqeaky you had/have is the rod rubbing on the frame it looks like. that was my issue.

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Did you crank down the torsion bars before you started?

 

 

i have no idea i didn't do the fix. basically there are long metal "skirt" pieces that go over the rod and basically fit between the rod and the frame, both left and right had been eaten through the right one was fused the rod itself somehow so i had to get a new rod. they welded metal the upper part of the whole and sanded it to size and then put the new parts on, no squeek now. but there is a whole in the main cv boot so i got boots but i guess they require some more labour becaue they are backwards from other cars... ?

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i have no idea i didn't do the fix. basically there are long metal "skirt" pieces that go over the rod and basically fit between the rod and the frame, both left and right had been eaten through the right one was fused the rod itself somehow so i had to get a new rod. they welded metal the upper part of the whole and sanded it to size and then put the new parts on, no squeek now. but there is a whole in the main cv boot so i got boots but i guess they require some more labour becaue they are backwards from other cars... ?

Ok I got hung-up over the same line as Simon, but I realised LittleRed was the person that I quoted so I guess it dosen't matter.

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if you get the plate welded, try to weld it to the backside. this sounds like the hardway but welding to the front will increase your castor angle. also IF you want to rplace those bushing cups with something sturdy let me know, you can weld a a bearing cup in place; I have the p/n and supplier for the one that most closelsy fits the oiginal rubber bushing shape. they run like $5 ea, you'll want 4 (front/back both sides). this mod should end all ROD ISSUEs

 

could I have that p/n and supplier info please?

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could I have that p/n and supplier info please?

 

 

i don't have the parts number, but for the bushings i got at a local store and another one had bushing with the sleeve so you should be able to get them at a parts store, or my local dealer had them and the rod for not to much, i just had to pay extra for the stupid shiping. the dealer was the only place i found the rod however.

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uuuum......I was asking MY1PATH, whom I quoted, for the p/n and supplier info for the bearing cups to replace the rsuted/broken bushing cups on the frame side mount of the tension rod.

But thanks anyway.

I already have a new set of bushings, pretty blue ones from MOOG, w/sleeves even. Both factory cups are tooled from the PO never doing these bushings, just like yours.

As with a great many other things, welding will be required. So I see a cheap welder in my future, as paying someone to fix both sides would cost me the same money as a low end flux/mig set-up and I have other things that will need welding (fixing oval'd holes on the t-bar crossmember, replacing the radiator support) to accomplish.

Being able to fabricate a few things would be nice as well.

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So I see a cheap welder in my future,

I'm sorry to say that a cheap welder will not cut it here. yes, Mig welders are a good choice but its going to take allot of amps to get good heat penetration on the bearing cup other wise you welds will catipillar and their strength may be questionable.

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well, by "cheap" I meant under $500 bucks, which is about what most quality mig units of sufficient amperage to be useful for more than sheetmetal work go for. I'd really like a Miller like my buddy has, but he paid about $700 for it, not counting the bottle.

 

I am hoping to find something used of decent quality/amperage locally, or within a cpl hours drive, for short money. My preference would be 140 or so amps, from Miller, Lincoln, Thermal Arc, or hobart, not in that particular order.

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  • 4 years later...

you should get that fixed...

 

Have a plate welded on or a cup or something.

Here's what mine looked like:
11-26-08_1334.jpg

 

 

if you get the plate welded, try to weld it to the backside. this sounds like the hardway but welding to the front will increase your castor angle. also IF you want to rplace those bushing cups with something sturdy let me know, you can weld a a bearing cup in place; I have the p/n and supplier for the one that most closelsy fits the oiginal rubber bushing shape. they run like $5 ea, you'll want 4 (front/back both sides). this mod should end all ROD ISSUEs

EDIT:
I just checked the invoice $8.29ea
McGuire Bearing PN
A-S M84510

If anybody needs me to pick some up I can.

you should get that fixed...

Edited by MY1PATH
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When i had my hardbody and the tension rod holes were oblonged, I had a machine shop make me 4 plates to fit over the area where the hole is, they used a punch to make new holes, than I had a friend weld them on for me. I didn't use any cups for the bushings to sit in and never had a problem.

 

Per the FSM it shows the tension rod hole as 27mm

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