re-fitting radius arms

New brackets welded to the axle. They were from YRM and I am confident they are in the same locations as the last ones (professionally welded up, not by me)! I also put in new bushes.

I installed the rear of the radius arms first, but not too tight. Then one of the axle bolts should be ok, the other needs a giggle and poke.

rear went in, the second went in a treat.....but hours of shouting and swearing later, I cannot get things to align for the last bolt on each side. I've tried lifting the axle, the radius arms...both!

Any tips?

I am also considering a slight misalignment with the brackets. I assume widening a hole in the bracket is out of the question?

It is almost there. With a podger I can get it moved over, but is springs back before I can get a bolt in!

jack diff nose down,lever under panhard rod bracket and push arm down and so twisting the axle case

Reading the workshop manual again, it seems I got mixed up. It states to put both bolts in the axle end, then the chassis bolt. So I tried this instead - got the axle bolts in ok, but now I cannot lift the radius arms up to get them into the chassis!

If I lift the axle with my jack, the threaded bar is too far back to slot in. I tried pulling the axle back (ratchet off the bumper) and then jacking, but still no luck.

Whats the trick? Do I need two jacks so I can work both sides at once (to save the axle twist)?

Rorie said:

Reading the workshop manual again, it seems I got mixed up. It states to put both bolts in the axle end, then the chassis bolt. So I tried this instead - got the axle bolts in ok, but now I cannot lift the radius arms up to get them into the chassis!

If I lift the axle with my jack, the threaded bar is too far back to slot in. I tried pulling the axle back (ratchet off the bumper) and then jacking, but still no luck.

Whats the trick? Do I need two jacks so I can work both sides at once (to save the axle twist)?

Click to expand...

When I polybushed my front axle, I had a pig of a job to get the radius arms back in. We done them one side at a time, but it was on a slope (not sure if this helped or hindered), but in the end we resorted to grinding the old bolt into a “point” and smashing that in, then using the new bolt to “knock” the old one back out.

mick 1986 said:

When I polybushed my front axle, I had a pig of a job to get the radius arms back in. We done them one side at a time, but it was on a slope (not sure if this helped or hindered), but in the end we resorted to grinding the old bolt into a “point” and smashing that in, then using the new bolt to “knock” the old one back out.

Click to expand...

Yes, that's how I did it. Get the chassis end in loosely, get the holes for the bolts at the axle end in the neighbourhood and then use a pointed drift (in my case the tail of a pry) bar) which you can then knock out with the new bolt as it goes in.

I can't remember having any real problems putting my back in BUT I refitted the panhard rod after.
Maybe removing the phr first then fitting the arms will help?

I didn't undo my Panhard rod, because I had re-bushed it a week or two prior. Similarly, the springs were still in situ. There seemed to be enough room for manoeuvre to get it in, though you need to get the anti roll bar and the track rod out of the way.

I think the manual assumes you've got the whole axle off the car, in which case it probably does make sense to put the radius arms on the axle and then back it under the car until the threaded parts go in their holes.

Found this .....

Let us know how you magaged it coz I’m doing mine when weather gets better .