1/2 solid front bushings?

[BottleFed]

Not to sure if this is a good idea something i was thinking about the last couple days. The bushings are worn out in the front long arms on my pulling truck (98 dodge) and i will be replacing them soon before our next pull. A friend of mine is a machienest and could easily make me a solid bushing to put in place of the nylon ones. My thoughts are possibly doing the top or ends that are bolted the the frame solid and putting nylon in the lower axle end of the long arms. Just wondering if anyone has ever tried this or if it is just a bad idea all around? Still learning about setting up a pulling truck so any advice is appreciated.

 

[RedPuller]

That was going to be another upgrade that was in the works, some machined aluminum bushings up by the frame and leaving the nylon ones on the axle side like you mentioned. I tried getting replacement bushings from Extreme Suspensions, the place that sells those DC long arms, but they wanted over $100 for a set, so I was in the works to get a set of aluminum ones made up but that was just another item on the list of winter upgrades I never got around to. I say go for it and maybe have an extra set of the aluminum bushings made up in case those good nylon ones don't hold up.

Joe

 

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

That was going to be another upgrade that was in the works, some machined aluminum bushings up by the frame and leaving the nylon ones on the axle side like you mentioned. I tried getting replacement bushings from Extreme Suspensions, the place that sells those DC long arms, but they wanted over $100 for a set, so I was in the works to get a set of aluminum ones made up but that was just another item on the list of winter upgrades I never got around to. I say go for it and maybe have an extra set of the aluminum bushings made up in case those good nylon ones don't hold up.

Joe

You still running your long arms from the days of yore...I remember when you first put those narrow boggers on the truck back in the day...

 

[BottleFed]

Thanks Joe i was just getting ready to send you an e-mail to see what your thoughts were on that. I kicked around going solid on bolth ends but i just wonder if that might be a little to much. A small amount of "flex" for lack of a better word in the front end is not a bad thing. Then again maybe in pulling it is? I tell you what if it wasnt for Comp D's search button and help from you and other members i would be lost. Just found out we have another pull 30 miles from Billings so thats 9 pulls at two hooks each so far for this summer cant wait! Sucked the first one got rained out but they moved it forward to August so it worked out. One last question Joe what brand of weights were those in your pictures and did they meet the 60" rule from centerline of the axle? I put a johndeer weight up to the bumper and its a few inches past 60" that dang bumper hangs a mile out there! I have a coupld of pins from some kind of very large equipment that weigh 250lbs a piece im going to fab something up today to hold them. Three of them should put me right close to weight after adding the rear brakes.

 

[RedPuller]

You still running your long arms from the days of yore...I remember when you first put those narrow boggers on the truck back in the day...

Hell yeah, those arms are the shizznit for a suspension upgrade. They served me very well for my needs over about 8 years.

Joe

 

[RedPuller]

One last question Joe what brand of weights were those in your pictures and did they meet the 60" rule from centerline of the axle? I put a johndeer weight up to the bumper and its a few inches past 60" that dang bumper hangs a mile out there! I have a coupld of pins from some kind of very large equipment that weigh 250lbs a piece im going to fab something up today to hold them. Three of them should put me right close to weight after adding the rear brakes.

Those weights were New Holland 90lb hanging on a 150lb hanger block. They were always right at 60", never had any issues, those JD weights must have been huge. I was just gonna build another reciever hitch in the other fog light hole and make a hanger across the front or just fab up a weight box out of the bumper by cutting out a hole in the top and welding up a box around the bottom.
I still can't get over that rear brake rule, that is the stupiest rule ever for a Mod class up there. Shoulda just put the drums over them and called it good unless they are so anal that they make you remove the real wheels right there at the scales to prove you got rear, working brakes. Before your next pull you should download a copy of the NADM rules, print it out and take it to the event/series promoter and show him what real world pulling rules are.

Joe

 

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

hang the weights sideways instead of front to back...

 

[BottleFed]

Well i made a bracket today for these pins that i have. Gotta get it all cleaned up today. They are some kind of pin out of a huge piece of equipment. They are about 22" long 7" around and weigh 250lbs. With three of those pluss the 50lbs in the bracket i built for them that will put me 100lbs under weight. I figure thats a safe place to be i know some scales weigh diff than others. As far as the brakes go it is dumb but they are on and ready to go. Kinda sucks added almost 200lbs to the back of the truck that i now cant hang off the front. Oh well though his sled his rules and he has been very easy to work with on everything else so i suppose its not that big of a deal. This winter im going to take the front bumper off and build a weight box that has a resivor built into it for and air to water intercooler. Im going to put the pump, air/water intercooler, and ice and water all out front in the weight box. I figure with it also in the water your not only pumping water through the intercooler its also on the outside plus it makes more room under the hood for the compound turbos Hanging weight sideways is a good idea lol i never thought of that. Its funny how you get your mind set one something and sometimes dont see the whole picture. That would actually prob be better more weight that much farther out.