Hello everyone! New member here, after owning my 2002 Sport Trac 4x4 for 8+ years now. Should have found this forum years ago, lol. Getting ready to change out rotted body mount bushings with prothane 6116 bushings. Already ordered new bolts & nuts for front end "A" position from fastenal. I don't need to get it apart and not be able to put back together! lol Truck makes a few clucks here and there, when on bumpy roads, or if I step on running board sometimes I hear it clunk from other side. Hoping new bushings cure it. Otherwise, truck is very tight and solid. Anyway, glad to share a common interest with you all. Love my sport Trac, and hope to keep runing it for years to come. Mike
Hello from Kennebunk Maine!
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Duncan Kimbro
Active Member
Welcome and good luck with the body bushings!
Thank You, Duncan! I have air tools, hoping to make job a bit easier, though often there are times when they are too big or bulky to get into where you need to go. May possibly start this weekend. It's been nice weather lately in Maine, but I know we aren't out of the woods yet as far as snow goes. Hopefully, I can get it done though, and will report back. Appreciate the warm reply, Mike
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Duncan Kimbro
Active Member
I traded my 2003 before doing the body bushings, but there are several YouTube videos on it and @swshawaii posted this a while back.
What I’ve read is that a torch is probably required to release the factory loctite on the bolts.
What I’ve read is that a torch is probably required to release the factory loctite on the bolts.
Duncan Kimbro
Active Member
p.s. love that part of MaIne! Beautiful country around there.
Yes, I've watched multiple Youtube videos on it. I will use torch on the bolts underneath to soften loctite, and air tools on the top of bolt to remove. I will crank a set of vice grips on the bottom washer assembly to stop from turning. I'm thinking the hard part will be the two bolts in the front "A" position, but they may not be an issue. You never know until it's time to remove them. I will be picking up two new bolts and nuts from Fastenal tomorrow. Better to have new hardware, regardless if old ones come right out or not. I will look at the link you sent above, now. As for Southern Maine, it is starting to get a little warmer, almost no snow left. Temps can still be chilly. If I tackle this job Saturday morning, temps are supposed to get up to 50 degrees. If I don't finish Saturday, Sunday will be upper 30's, both days sunny. At least my driveway has sun all day, and is paved, it gets very warm for crawling around on it to get at underneath of truck. I have a 2 car garage, but I have the 2nd bay filled with summer toys, i.e. My Jeep and motorcycle. I generally don't leave them outside overnight. I suppose the weather will be ok enough to put them out for just one night, assuming I need two days to do job. I think I will just try to break to "A" position bolts free outside, and then decide where to finish job, based on those, as they may be the hardest part...
EddieS'04
In Memoriam 1950-2022
Welcome.
..
I had my body man do my bushing a few years ago. The only ones I needed were B, C, and D location. A, was a better material, than what was under the cab.
My body man couldn't believe what the cab oem was.
..I had my body man do my bushing a few years ago. The only ones I needed were B, C, and D location. A, was a better material, than what was under the cab.
My body man couldn't believe what the cab oem was.
Welcome.
I had my body man do my bushing a few years ago. The only ones I needed were B, C, and D location. A, was a better material, than what was under the cab.
My body man couldn't believe what the cab oem was.
Hi Eddie - Thanks reply! I just came inside, after spending 2 1\2 hrs cutting the "A" position bolts out with an air cutoff wheel. What a pain in the a$$! lol Even after cutting the heads of the bolts off, from underneath, thr drivers side took some major torque to get turning so I could pull bolt up through top. I had an impact gun, which turned out to be useless, for this set of bolts. Hopefully the rest won't be so bad, since they are mostly interior area, out of elements. The "A" bolts were all corroded, and I have new ones. For today, since it's windy and pretty cold, I am just going to put in the new bolts and washers, with old rubber mount(Bottom half) back in until weather is nicer, maybe next weekend. That way I can drive it, and the bolts will zip right out again because they are brand new. Like I said, hopefully the other positions will come out easier. I think they will. Mike
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The A bolts have 2 nuts on them.... One on the bottom and 1 in between the frame bracket and the rad support.... its such a crappy design.
Yes, Todd - It was surely a pain, but now both bolts are brand new, and if I can get to it next weekend, those bolts will come right out. I'm glad I had gotten new ones before starting project. I did have to thread the bolt from the bottom to go up, so yes, there is some sore of sleeve, bolt, or upper bushing threaded insert. Then the nut went on top, after putting on a new washer. Once I pull all of the other bolts out of body, I will find out what the bolt is threaded into when I change upper "A" bushing. I'm thinking the other bolts will be simpler than the "A" position, since the are primarily inside cab.
Yeah, so the drivers "b" bolt was a PITA. Took about 3.5 hrs and acetylene to get the upper and lower bushing sleeve to separate. Does anyone know the bolt sizes for position b-c-d ? I know their grade 8, the one I pulled is junk. Right now driving without b position under drivers side but rides fine temporarily.
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Thanks swshawaii -I also went on a hunt for the bolts for positions "B" and "C". I had the sleeves with me, and the new prothane bushings. I went to Ace Hardware, and the had the grade 10 12M-1.75 for those positions in 2.5 inches, but not ~3"(72mm). I looked at the threads in the inner(bottom) sleeve, and there is maybe 3/8" thread inside, at the top, meaning all the extra bolt that goes further, like the 1" that goes past the sleeve, and out the bottom is useless thread. Maybe this can help someone. Mike
