rangerenthiusiast
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2016
- Messages
- 553
- Reaction score
- 2
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Hudson Valley, NY
- Vehicle Year
- 1992
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 4.0
- Transmission
- Automatic
Hey, everyone.
Taking one last crack at making my own retainers (sleeves) for my body mount hardware before coughing up another $240.00 to LMC for them (I’ve already dumped well over a grand into tools over the last few weeks, trying to save this old lemon, which I only got to drive for a few months before taking her off the road).
So here’s where I’m at. I have new Prothane body mount bushings. I cut the rot out of the tops of the body mounts (which are otherwise solid) and will be welding patches in place. I’m planning to replace a lot of the rotted busing hardware (bolts, washers, spacers, etc) with grade 8 hardware from Tractor Supply. The problem is the d@*n retainers (sleeves) that Ford used directly inside the bushings. On mine, the hardware on all but one mount had completely disintegrated. The one that “survived” is solid enough to give me an idea of how to fabricate new ones from steel tubing welded to large washers, but not solid enough to provide all of the dimensions. Here’s what I have:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bO7nlINXGfmVMwcLc3-Tn3Eqatn4yeqp/view?usp=sharing
As you can see, the bottom sleeve is relatively complete (along with “mushrooming”) and measures .71 in diameter on the mic (not sure if it would be 11/16” or 3/4”):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i0-AcGTus54Huku-b7vEUPFbXFrSSM1U/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18Gnr0AOsflPnFXP_E3G_nQOKuPXwB0_I/view?usp=sharing
The top retainer is a different story. Toward the bottom, it has a taper, then disappears into rot, preventing me from knowing how long it should be:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CFU-gohAA1Phj6PQKeF0AEEcCLDK82II/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-eok70CLJ_vVJopmbXVrBxqtHf0gdE4Z/view?usp=sharing
The top of the sleeve measures .91 on the mic, which I’m assuming must include some swelling, since it doesn’t slide into the new busing without a fight:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sc78L1egZ-0dRdbF47JP55PfIZnu8HPH/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tDPDLub_E2OnC8-moi_XZFn_BEd1nUW9/view?usp=sharing
Where it tapers down (at least what’s left of it in that area), shows as .88 on the mic:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17-Rk_vJM_xPcGV5LgMgFkgQ9AlQulttl/view?usp=sharing
For their part, Prothane included the following diagram, indicating how the sleeve/hardware/busing set-up is supposed to work:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y1aziTUC6UUmLOoANf23XJcmjJ92neuF/view?usp=sharing
I know from other threads that some of you guys out there have made these retainers/sleeves (I’m looking at you, @AdirondackRanger). For anyone who’s done is successfully, can you please tell me the following?
1. What sizes of tubing did you use? Did they have to be any particular strength/wall thickness? All I can seem to find is conduit, which seems too flimsy...
2. How long should the top sleeve be?
3. How did you accomplish the taper in the top sleeve (I don’t own a lathe or torch to shrink the tubing).
4. When you were done, did you get a nice press fit like the factory, or did you have to live with a bunch of slop and redo the job a few years later?
Thanks so much for any insights. I’m pretty desperate over here...
PS - So sorry that I can’t embed photos in the thread. It really sucks, I know.
Taking one last crack at making my own retainers (sleeves) for my body mount hardware before coughing up another $240.00 to LMC for them (I’ve already dumped well over a grand into tools over the last few weeks, trying to save this old lemon, which I only got to drive for a few months before taking her off the road).
So here’s where I’m at. I have new Prothane body mount bushings. I cut the rot out of the tops of the body mounts (which are otherwise solid) and will be welding patches in place. I’m planning to replace a lot of the rotted busing hardware (bolts, washers, spacers, etc) with grade 8 hardware from Tractor Supply. The problem is the d@*n retainers (sleeves) that Ford used directly inside the bushings. On mine, the hardware on all but one mount had completely disintegrated. The one that “survived” is solid enough to give me an idea of how to fabricate new ones from steel tubing welded to large washers, but not solid enough to provide all of the dimensions. Here’s what I have:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bO7nlINXGfmVMwcLc3-Tn3Eqatn4yeqp/view?usp=sharing
As you can see, the bottom sleeve is relatively complete (along with “mushrooming”) and measures .71 in diameter on the mic (not sure if it would be 11/16” or 3/4”):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i0-AcGTus54Huku-b7vEUPFbXFrSSM1U/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18Gnr0AOsflPnFXP_E3G_nQOKuPXwB0_I/view?usp=sharing
The top retainer is a different story. Toward the bottom, it has a taper, then disappears into rot, preventing me from knowing how long it should be:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CFU-gohAA1Phj6PQKeF0AEEcCLDK82II/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-eok70CLJ_vVJopmbXVrBxqtHf0gdE4Z/view?usp=sharing
The top of the sleeve measures .91 on the mic, which I’m assuming must include some swelling, since it doesn’t slide into the new busing without a fight:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sc78L1egZ-0dRdbF47JP55PfIZnu8HPH/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tDPDLub_E2OnC8-moi_XZFn_BEd1nUW9/view?usp=sharing
Where it tapers down (at least what’s left of it in that area), shows as .88 on the mic:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17-Rk_vJM_xPcGV5LgMgFkgQ9AlQulttl/view?usp=sharing
For their part, Prothane included the following diagram, indicating how the sleeve/hardware/busing set-up is supposed to work:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y1aziTUC6UUmLOoANf23XJcmjJ92neuF/view?usp=sharing
I know from other threads that some of you guys out there have made these retainers/sleeves (I’m looking at you, @AdirondackRanger). For anyone who’s done is successfully, can you please tell me the following?
1. What sizes of tubing did you use? Did they have to be any particular strength/wall thickness? All I can seem to find is conduit, which seems too flimsy...
2. How long should the top sleeve be?
3. How did you accomplish the taper in the top sleeve (I don’t own a lathe or torch to shrink the tubing).
4. When you were done, did you get a nice press fit like the factory, or did you have to live with a bunch of slop and redo the job a few years later?
Thanks so much for any insights. I’m pretty desperate over here...
PS - So sorry that I can’t embed photos in the thread. It really sucks, I know.
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