Trailing Arms & Bolts Question.

[DMCVegas@xxxx]

Ok, with all this talk about the bolts on the rear trailing arms, 
I've decided to take a look at everything. Hopefully my car hasn't 
beaten me to the punch. As I pulled out of the gas station, I heard a 
loud, hollow knocking sound. The only way I could describe the sound 
would be like if you tapped the chassis with a hammer. The car 
doesn't handle any differant, but the rear end clunk seems to have 
gotten a bit worse. Once it cools off, I'll drive the car onto ramps 
to inspect the bolts.

The back issues and the FAQ in the Technical Library give a good 
amount of info about inspection of the bolts, but are not as detailed 
as I would like about the replacement of the bolts. So, I have a 
couple of questions. When I service this area of my car, I want to be 
in and out, and not have to go back. If it helps, my car is a 5-speed.

1. Aside from the bolts, nuts, and spacers, what else should be 
replaced? ie: bushings, washers, etc...

2. What is the exact replacement procedure? I know that you're 
supposed to torque the bolts with the wieght of the car on the 
ground. But, am I supposed to lift the car to remove/install the 
bolts? It doesn't look like it, but I'm a little fuzzy about this 
area...

3. Since I'm back here anyways, what other parts of my rear 
suspension should I inspect? I understand the the bolts for the 
trailing arms are under a heavy load, but what should I be cautious 
of when inspecting the Pivot Bolts? (I can obviously tell that I 
don't want to remove these bolts by themselves unless I want to punch 
a hole in my concrete garage floor!)

-Robert
vin 6585