Re: Trailing Arm Bolt Replacement.

["Toby Peterson <tobyp@xxxx>" <tobyp@xxxx>]

Robert - Here it is, Saturday evening, and I just saw your message 
about doing your TAB's this morning. I hope that it went well. 
I'll run through your questions, just in case you put it off for a 
day, or perhaps you want to check your work. The book says to 
torque the TAB's to 55 ft-lbs. I believe they are assuming that the 
nut is torqued, rather than the head of the bolt. Most people wind 
up torqueing the bolt, so you should increase the torque value 10% 
to account for friction, etc. However, if you apply grease or 
antiseize compound to the bolt, including the threads, you should 
reduce it somewhere around 10% - 15%. I normally apply antiseize 
compound to the entire bolt, and torque the bolt to 55 ft-lbs and 
call it good. The bolts that attach the bushings should be torqued 
to 16 ft-lbs. The shims that are used for alignment should be put 
back in exactly as they were found to preserve the original 
alignment. I normally flip all of the big flat washers over to 
provide a fresh face for the joint. These large washers need to be 
placed correctly for the joint to function as intended. Most people 
find that the washers are worn where they contacted the sleeves, 
etc. I use ramps to give me room under the car, and then a jack to 
lift the car on the side I am working on to allow the wheel to be 
manipulated during installation of the new TAB's. This helps align 
all of the sleeves, etc. so you can get the bolt in .. which can be 
a challenge sometimes. I supply smaller flat washers with the kit 
so that you can adjust the "grip length" of the TAB's based on how 
many shims are used. At least one should be used under the self-
locking nuts. Also, please let us know what the condition of your 
old bolts were. Inquiring minds want to know. Please feel free to 
contact me offlist at tobyp(AT)katewwdb.com if you have any 
questions or concerns.

(Moderator - Feel free to snip as you see fit)

Toby Peterson VIN 2248
Winged1


--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "therealdmcvegas <DMCVegas@xxxx>" 
<DMCVegas@xxxx> wrote:
> Saturday morning, I plan on replacing the Trailing Arm Bolts on my 
car, along 
> with the rubber bushings as well. Does anyone have any tips before 
I start in 
> on this job? BTW, it's a 5-Speed.
> 
> Also, what specificly should I torque the TABs to? So far, I've 
seen 50-55, and 
> have even heard 60lbs. Which one is correct? And what should I 
torque the 
> bolts to hold the bushings in place to? And of course, are there 
any nuts or 
> bolts that I should consider replacing as well? I have a set of 
Toby-TABs that 
> I'm just now getting around to installing, and they came with new 
nuts, and 2 
> washers each.
> 
> I have read that I should count the washers, and reinstall to keep 
the 
> alignment correct, and that I should grease the bolts where 
they'll make 
> contact with the steel sleeves in the rubber bushings too.
> 
> Since I don't have a lift to place the car on, will ramps for the 
rear wheels 
> work? And if not, what should I use? Gut feeling tells me that the 
job needs to 
> be done, and soon. Rear clunking is getting worse along with 
traction. 
> Especially after I turned a corner and hit a VERY nasty pothole. 
It sounded 
> worse than it felt, but was enough to trip my inertia switch!
> 
> Thanks in advance!
> 
> -Robert
> vin 6585 "X"