Re: trailing arm bolts

[srubano@xxxx]

Jake,
The trailing arm bolts are in the rear of the car and attach the 
trailing arms to the chassis (not the wheel side of the arm). You 
will need to remove the two (one on each side) deflector shields from 
under the car in order to see them. Be carefull removing the three 
bolts that hold each shield in, they can be rusty and snap off...if 
they do...don't fret you can buy a new and improved stainless 
replacment studs from PJ Grady. 
The things you want to look for are the following:
1. Make sure the trailing arm bolts did not "walk out" and that they 
are not bent. This is caused by the single nut on the bolt lossening 
up. If it has, than more than likely you are missing some, if not 
all, the shims.
2. See if the Trailing arm bolts are double nutted (this will prevent 
the trailing arm bolt from "walking out" as described in 1.)
3. Inspect the rubber bushings and make sure there are no signs of 
cracks in the rubber, that the steel bushing in the center of the 
rubber has not seperated from the rubber and that the two bolts that 
hold the bushing assembly to the chassis has a nut installed on them
(you can see it through the hole in the frame on the engine side). 
The two bolts on the bushing assembly thread into the chassis, a nut 
was added to it to keep it there.

Hope this helps,

Steve

--- In dmcnews@xxxx, jake@xxxx wrote:
> 
> I'm curious if i need to replace the trailing arm bolts in my car 
> 10676 (manufactured dec 1981 - considered an 82). I'm not entirely 
> sure where they are located, or even what to look for when i find 
> them.
> 
> jake