Trailing Arm Bolt change procedure
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Trailing Arm Bolt change procedure
- From: Martin Gutkowski <webmaster@xxxx>
- Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 00:10:22 +0100
Hi All
I thought I'd better write up instructions for changing the TABs as I've
sold several pairs of the new Inconel bolts lately. Dave and I would be
happy to take on the task in Stevenage if you want the job done. We will
have another 10 pairs of bolts available in a week or so.
1) You will need to manipulate the weight placed on the back wheels so
the best method involves either a 4-post ramp or ramps you can drive the
rear wheels on to. Halfords sell pairs of ramps for £25 ish.
2) with the rear on the ramps and the front wheels chocked, set about
removing the dust cowlings that mount to the trailing arms and the
underbody via three M6 studs which SHOULD be bonded into the fibreglass
but more often than not, come loose and spin when you try to undo the
nuts. These can be gripped with narrow-nosed pliers in the bottom of the
compartments behind the seats. This means removal of the battery and the
carpet in the cubby hole, and you will need an assistant.
3) Pick one side and locate the trailing arm bolt. If you're unsure
which it is, there's a pic here
The bolt should be an M12 with 19mm hex-head, and corresponding nut. The
factory originally installed these with a single nylock nut however
common practice in the US has been to replace with double nuts. Note the
positioning of all the washers and alignment shims. Make sure they get
replaced in the same order. You may well have different numbers of
alignment shims on both sides, this is normal. Loosen the nut a couple
of turns. Make sure the bolt is free to turn.
4) Using a ratchet on the head of the bolt, start turning it. This
serves two purposes. Firstly if you watch the trailing arm while turning
it, you'll get an idea if and how much the bolt is bent by seeing how
much the trailing arm moves. Secondly by gradually jacking the back of
the car up, turning the bolt continuously, you should find a "sweet
spot" where the position of the trailing arm offloads any tension on the
bolt, allowing it to turn freely. The sweet spot should be when the rear
wheel is ALMOST off the ramp.
5) Once you've found this sweet spot, you can remove the nut(s) and tap
the bolt out. There're no hard and fast rules here, but you should have
an idea of how bent the bolt is by now and IF you have to cut it out, do
so using either an angle grinder or air-hacksaw if you have access to
one. If using the latter, you are liable to go through several blades as
the original bolts were hardened. If the bolt is bent, the "kink" will
be between the arm and the chassis, though to get enough clearance to
cut, you will not be making the first cut in the middle of the bend and
this means you'll end up making 2 or 3 cuts to remove the bolt. Do NOT
try and remove a bent bolt by forcing it out through the bushing, you
may damage the steel sleeve.
6) On fitting the new bolt, coat the entire bolt, shank and threads with
copper grease. Ensure all shims are fitted correctly. With the weight of
the car back down on the back wheels (pre-loading the trailing arm
bushes) torque the first nut to 60 ft-lbs. Use the second nut (the
nylock) to lock the first one.
NOTES: The above instructions are pertinent to Manual transmission cars.
Automatic transmissions make it a lot tighter in the area of the bolt
head. Actually removing the bolt on an automatic transmission car
involves removing the trailing arm from the rear hub carrier (you can
gently let it hang and avoid having to disconnect the brake hoses) and
removing the bush mounting the TAB to the chassis.
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