How to get camber bushings out

[ISPKI]

Hey guys, I replaced my front springs, hangars, brackets, etc on my 94 f250 4x4 7.3idi. Camber on the pass side is out to lunch by almost 3.5 degrees and its chewing my tire up on the outside edge pretty fast. I took a look and it looks to have a camber adjustment bushing installed for positive camber. I compared it to some new 2 degree camber bushings and estimated that the on my truck are probably around 1 degree. I am in the process of removing the ones in the truck to replace with my 2 degree offset bushings (should get it real close to 0) but I am having a helluva time getting the old bushings out.

Do you guys usually use a pickle fork to get them out or do I have to remove the whole piece and press it out? I have access to a torch as well but am trying to avoid dismantling the entire knuckle assembly to get this adjusted.

 

[Slicknik]

Pickle fork And trying to remove evenly worked best (not just one side) , I also soaked mine with PB blaster for 30 minutes and then Started to remove , also if you have a big sledgehammer , this also helps to loosen up the camber nut bushing by hitting the knuckle/housing that the bushing sit in.

 

[ISPKI]

Awesome, My buddy is bringing over a pickle fork and pitman arm puller. I have been soaking it in PB blaster for 3 days now. Got plenty of big hammers so I will try loosening it up and report back when I have some results.

 

[compressionignitionrules]

loosen the lower BJ nut . pop it loose and let the spindle/knuckle drop a little. then lube up the adjusters . there is some give there without taking the entire spindle/knuckle apart. I've never had any luck with a pickle fork on those adjusters. air chisel can work, or big hammer and a chisel. torches are a bad idea , those beams are stamped steel with a boss for the adjustsers/balljoints welded on.

penetrating fluid doesn't get through rust scale and dirt...............

California isn't known for its rust

 

[ISPKI]

Hey guys, thanks for the suggestions. I was able to pop the bushing up using the pickle fork and my 6lb forging hammer. Actually came out really easily.

Upon closer examination, whoever installed the negative camber bushing also coated everything in nickel anti-seize! Anyone who has doubted how important that stuff is should take note.

I will post up some pictures this evening, just have to install my new camber bushings, should bring my alignment back to within factory spec.

 

[compressionignitionrules]

Excellent: anti-seize can save a lot of time in future, toast a cold one to the last guy that worked on the BJs . anti-seize does dry up eventually but it still helps.

 

[ISPKI]

At least it prevents rust even if it does dry up! That is extremely important for life in the rust belt! (CT)

 

[compressionignitionrules]

At least it prevents rust even if it does dry up! That is extremely important for life in the rust belt! (CT)

oh yeah, I've taken these apart and can't identify the BJ from the adjuster from the knuckle even after hot high pressure wash with the build up of rust scale until you wack it a few times with a big hammer and the seams show up, they literally rust together. this is something hard to comprehend when you live in the south, but it makes us appreciate southern vehicles!

 

[ISPKI]

Well boys, that didnt work out the way I expected. It seems that the bushing that had been installed was already an offset camber bushing for some reason. I have the new bushing in on the passenger side and the camber is still positive as hell.

I am a little confused as to how it got pushed out as far as it did and I am trying to figure out what could be causing it. I had installed new leaf springs because my factory ones were blown out and I was sitting on the bump stops most of the time.

New spring stack is a bit heavier (has an extra leaf in it) to handle the plow frame that I also installed last winter but I would not have expected that to lift the truck so much to throw the camber out this bad. Other thing is that it is only out really bad on the passenger side which leads me to believe there is something wrong with the front end.

I am looking at very shallow drop brackets but they all seem to be for several inches of lift and I dont really know which one I need.

 

[Thewespaul]

How are your pivot bushings?

 

[ISPKI]

How are your pivot bushings?

Not sure, most likely shot but I havent checked yet. Truck had 140k miles of little to no maintenance on it before I got it so alot of things have been neglected.

 

[franklin2]

You can't lift these trucks at all without messing the alignment up. It sounds like you lifted it a lot, and now you will not be able to get it back in. You could buy some lift kit drop down brackets for the center pivot and that will lower the center pivot point, bringing it back in. If you have raised it over 1.5 inches you will never get it back in with just the bushings.

P.S. And remember, the bushings don't just adjust the camber, they also do the caster as well, all in one shot.

 

[ISPKI]

Yeah which is very frustrating because all I added was a new set of springs with an added leaf, all for an F250 from the same era. Not sure why that lifted it so much past the factory point and only on the passenger side it seems. I thought, to adjust caster, you have to get the 2 piece combination bushings? Mine are solid 2 direction bushings.

I am looking at short drop brackets right now, looks like summit has some for a 1.5-3in lift for 157$. I could make my own by I dont have any measurements or patterns or anything to measure from except for whats on my truck and I really need the thing on the road ASAP.

 

[renjaminfrankln]

My pivot bushings weren't terrible at around 200k miles. Replaced them anyway.

I put new springs on my truck for the same reason as you - stock ones were sacked out. I used replacements that must have been for a crew cab or something. They lifted my front end about 1.5" over stock. This resulted in 1.75 degrees of positive camber. The manual actually gives between 0-2 degrees of positive camber as the acceptable range. However I can tell the outside of my tires is going to wear faster. I am going to have some 1.25 degree offsets installed. I think my springs will sag over time so if I set it up at .5 degrees camber that should decrease tire wear and also leave room to keep it in spec as the springs age.

 

[renjaminfrankln]

Yeah which is very frustrating because all I added was a new set of springs with an added leaf, all for an F250 from the same era. Not sure why that lifted it so much past the factory point and only on the passenger side it seems. I thought, to adjust caster, you have to get the 2 piece combination bushings? Mine are solid 2 direction bushings.

I am looking at short drop brackets right now, looks like summit has some for a 1.5-3in lift for 157$. I could make my own by I dont have any measurements or patterns or anything to measure from except for whats on my truck and I really need the thing on the road ASAP.

I ordered husky spring #43498 on rock auto for about $125 each. Shipping was not terrible.

They brought the front end of the truck in my signature up level with the rear. With the added weight of your winch etc... they would probably sit at the stock ride height.