Have an annoying problem

SickLL7Crenshaw

SickLL7Crenshaw

Billy The Kid
Mar 10, 2013
1,088
34
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Mexico
Ok guys long story short, most of you know I ranch and beat the piss out of ranch Duramaxs out here. Anyways I been using a 02 ecsb 4wd for a feed pickup. Every other day in the winter and spring I load 2500lbs plus 800lbs of feed and mineral on the ass end of this truck to run my feed route. Its severe harsh country I go over all day long. No typical 2 track roads but going across pastures with all that weight is tough on suspension ( I have to replace the entire front end of these feed pickups after every feed season warranting our Moog parts while using molly high temp grease all year) The problem I have is about 2 months ago I wore out the pass side torsion bar mount bushing and the front left body mount broke. Well replaced them both and ever done they BOTH will be shot after 2 weeks of feeding (700 miles). I've replaced the bushing 3 times with oem parts. First thought maybe bent or broke frame causing the issue but I can not see anything out of the ordinary. The body mount doesn't bother me as bad as the torsion bar bushing. Been beating on this pickup since 2012 and never came accords this issue and haven't ran into this problem on the 4 other feed pickups we have. Any suggestions guys? Anyone ever came across a problem like this before?
 
Chevy1925

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
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Look at all the cab and core support mounts. They maybe shot and causing the new one to wear out quickly.

Ditch the soft rubber mount for the torsion bar mount and put a derlin bushing in there. Also make sure the Lowe control arm bushings are good. If the arm moves forward and back it will push the bars back and forth and kill the bushing in the mount.
 
SickLL7Crenshaw

SickLL7Crenshaw

Billy The Kid
Mar 10, 2013
1,088
34
48
31
Mexico
Chevy1925 said:
Look at all the cab and core support mounts. They maybe shot and causing the new one to wear out quickly.

Ditch the soft rubber mount for the torsion bar mount and put a derlin bushing in there. Also make sure the Lowe control arm bushings are good. If the arm moves forward and back it will push the bars back and forth and kill the bushing in the mount.
Click to expand...

All other cab and core mounts are cherry so not sure what's happening there. I can live with it as that thing has been breaking for the last two years but the torsion bar bushing on the other hand.... pisses me off.

I may do a little more checking on those bushings in the LCA and I will definitely look into that derlin bushing. Thanks James I was hoping you'd chime in.
 
SickLL7Crenshaw

SickLL7Crenshaw

Billy The Kid
Mar 10, 2013
1,088
34
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31
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LCA bushings were good, went ahead and replaced them though while I had it tore down that far.. Old ones didn't have any play or front to back movement. Looking to find the correct Derlin bushing for the mount now. Besides that, found another problem on this poor bastard of a truck. We run air bags on these things and they mount and ride on the flat saddle that's welded to the axle tube where the bump stops could previously hit against the top of the axle, well on both sides I noticed I've got 75w-90 running down the tube. Sure enough I guess 5 years of carrying ~3500-4000lbs and that part of the axle taking a beating it cracked the axle tubes where the saddles are welded :( too much downward stress from the airbags on that point I suppose. Guess I'll be pulling the axle to make sure it's not bent and I can further inspect it before something bad happens out in the pasture. I'll get some pictures here shortly. Maybe it's time to retire the ole girl lol
 
SickLL7Crenshaw

SickLL7Crenshaw

Billy The Kid
Mar 10, 2013
1,088
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Been abused

Axle leaks, drivers side, i cleaned it up and found a crack at the weld.

Pass side, just scrapped dirt off it, this one was actually dripping on the floor.
 
Chevy1925

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
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Wow that some abuse alright. You need the dodge axle under that thing (thick wall and bigger tube).

Least the body ain't beat to hell
 
SickLL7Crenshaw

SickLL7Crenshaw

Billy The Kid
Mar 10, 2013
1,088
34
48
31
Mexico
Chevy1925 said:
Wow that some abuse alright. You need the dodge axle under that thing (thick wall and bigger tube).

Least the body ain't beat to hell
Click to expand...
Ya I was thinking the same, ya it's got a few dents but we try to take care of our rigs the best we can while working them hard but gonna get a cow or bull run into you every once in awhile. It's typical for our feed pickups to have a 5-8 year life span depending on if we get rain and we don't have to continue to feed into the spring.
Chevy1925 said:
Btw, are you still running the front sway bar?
Click to expand...

Yes sir, new bushings and links on them as of last year also.
 
SickLL7Crenshaw

SickLL7Crenshaw

Billy The Kid
Mar 10, 2013
1,088
34
48
31
Mexico
Two weeks old, ~500 miles

James would you know where to get a derlin bushing or do you have the part number or specs handy? I'm not sure I can find one before Monday. Feed days are MWF so I may just have to throw another stock one back in until I find one because.

We have a spare zf6 sc/lb with a trip hopper feeder on it but i need to get it in here and replace a few things on it before o it hits a route.

 
Chevy1925

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
21,681
5,835
113
Phoenix Az
SickLL7Crenshaw said:
Two weeks old, ~500 miles

James would you know where to get a derlin bushing or do you have the part number or specs handy? I'm not sure I can find one before Monday. Feed days are MWF so I may just have to throw another stock one back in until I find one because.

We have a spare zf6 sc/lb with a trip hopper feeder on it but i need to get it in here and replace a few things on it before o it hits a route.

Click to expand...



I don't know of any that will drop in place. You will have to get the ID of the housing and the width, then possibly get a stick of derlin and make some. Lift kits usually use a derlin setup with their own tube. May see if a fabtech or other lift has some replacement pieces

As for the sway bar, if you ain't doing any medium/high speed asphalt runs, pull it. Suspension will flex more and won't put it to the frame/body. May let the body mount live longer and will give a smoother ride off road
 
N

N2BRK

Well-known member
Dec 31, 2009
2,054
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It's called Delrin; not being a dictionary dick, but it might help you in your search. You could probably buy a hank from a place like McMaster. Then get a local with a lathe to whittle you off a few.
 
SickLL7Crenshaw

SickLL7Crenshaw

Billy The Kid
Mar 10, 2013
1,088
34
48
31
Mexico
Frame is bent, 3-4" starting from the pass side behind cab going downhill torwards the back. Just the pass side. Axle wasn't hurt other then cracked, welded it up and found a Polly bushing to throw in the TB mount. Just loaded 4K of feed on it and gonna run it till the wheels fall off. Bent so bad to level the load up I have 80psi in the pass bag, 25psi in the drivers. As little as this LB7 is actually worth it's worth a lot to us for what it does here at the ranch. Money maker
 
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SickLL7Crenshaw

SickLL7Crenshaw

Billy The Kid
Mar 10, 2013
1,088
34
48
31
Mexico
Both my front factory bed mounts are broke off right at the frame where they are riveted.. it goes through hell on my route. I'll get some pics of the lean and broken mounts tomorrow. We've tried fords back in the early 2000s, they didn't hold up worth a shit and we ran 80 model 1 tons for feed pickups and they were tough rigs, 6.2l wasn't any fun but they got the job done and you couldn't talk bosses into owning a dodge for a ranch pickup and we all know why.
 
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