UCRed

Has anyone rebuilt their trailing arms and rear bearing assembly? Is it worth it or just pay the $? If you have how difficult was it and what speciality items are necessary? I am in the process of a frame off resto so they are already off the car. Any info at all would be great.

gkull

I don't have the press or the specialty tools to do the bearings. So I find it easier to take it down to the shop. Also years ago I switched from stock to HD trailing arms

78Vette-SA

I did all the work except the bearings. I sent the wheel assembly, with rotors, to Van Steel (www.vansteel.com). Others have used Baers (sp?).

I have never heard a complaint from anyone who used either shop.

This is the result of my Van Steel job.





[Modified by 78Vette-SA, 5:33 PM 9/26/2002]

GTR1999

As stated, if you have a press and SOME of the specialty tools listed in catalogs and have experience with close tolerences they're not bad to do. I like doing them in fact :crazy: If you're only going to do them on one car then I would send them out. I prefer Bairs but there's nothing wrong with Van Steel. The only one to be wary of is a guy in FL,not Van Steel. I dont remember his name but his prices are lower then the average and few members here have had problems. Hopefully others will chime in on who this is?
Gary


[Modified by gtr1999, 5:42 PM 9/26/2002]

C3 Shark Tank

Add another more than happy Van Steel customer, great to deal with, honest and top notch work.

I know the Florida company gtr1999 is talking about but the name escapes me, they have changed names too a while back. Plenty of people are unhappy with them to put it politely.

UCRed

I get the impression that the right thing to do is to send the bearing assembly out. I have the poly bushings for the trailing arms. How hard is it to remove the old one. Do you need it pressed out?

Big Fish

Those bushings are a sob to get out. Heard peolple say they would take them outside and burn the rubber out with a torch, then cut and pry the inserts out. Did my trailing arms myself, but I am cheap and also have the tools needed to do it. I'd suggest you get the set-up tool to get the shims right, much easier to go back and forth with the tool rather than pressing those spindles in and out several times. Suggest you think about replacing your parking brakes and hardware while you have it all apart. :D

GTR1999

One of the hardest things is the removal of the T arm bolt. Once that is out a lot of the hard work is over! The bushing is held in by a sleeve that's flared over. The flare rest against a washer/bushing/ T- Arm/bushing,washer/ opposite flare. You have to drill the flare out to remove the sleeve then the bushing.
Gary

Ybnormal

gtr1999
Great post. I'm in the process of sawzalling my t arm bolts out as we speak. I'm hoping to have them out this weekend and the new bushing should be here today. Can you tell me how to flair the sleeve on the new bushings when you install them?

YBNormal...drive a vette :confused:

GTR1999

Well you could spend the $$ and buy a flare tool form one of the catalogs or make one. There are several types out there. I used 2 pieces of 5/8" steel plate and tapped a 3/4" hole in the center. I used a 3/4" cap screw and turned a 45* taper on it and turned the end down to fit the ID of the sleeve. I made 2 of these so that the fleared seat is support as you flare the other end. I drilled and tapped the plates so they can be bolted flat against the bushing.
Another way would be to use a lug nut with the tapered side to seat the sleeve. You have to make up a support so you can draw down the lug nut evenly.
The next type is the hammer style. You use the 2 plates as above but instead of a tapped hole use a through hole. Then you'll need a long punch with a 45* radius on it to hammer the flare in. I suppose you could use a press if you have one to do the same thing.
Gary

noskillz

I peened them over with the rounded end of a large ballpeen hammer. Once you get the flair started it goes quick.

honaker

I would recommend starting at the local corvette club or hot rod club. I would be willing to bet that someone there has all the special tools and would be willing to put your t arms together for you, if you took them all apart. That's how i did it. I took them all the way down, cleaned them up, had them powder coated then dropped them off at my friends house with the new bearings and seals. He put them all together in about an hour with a perfect run out. I would also have them packed with synsethic grease. The bearings will last a lot longer.

dtvett

It's worth it to do the trailing arms yourself, but to seperate the bearing assembly and send it off to Van Steel. If you dont get the tolerances right you will be doing it over again and most likely ruin the spindle. The trailing arm bushing can be purchased at Vette Brakes/Products in Florida. They have a poly-bushing kit with a flairing tool that is very easy to install. I removed the bushings by drilling into the metal from the side. Just used and oversized drill bit.

Big Fish

You know the bushings that require flaring are the factory correct way and is probably the way you should go if you are planning to show the car. The polyurethane and polygraphite bushings do not require flaring however, and will out-perform the factory style. I suppose it's all a matter of what you want and expect to get when you're finished. :cool:

Ybnormal

Well I finally got the trailing arm off and have removed all the front bushing but the shells. Any thoughts on how to get the shells out of the arm?
:confused:

YBNormal...drive a vette

Frank75

Can't remember for sure, but you might be able to reuse the shells if you buy poly bushings. You can use a press to remove the shells, or probably hacksaw through one side and then use a chisel? (it's been awhile since I did mine).

Rogue Wave

Another word of praise for Van Steel

I sent them my old trailing arms and had them rebuild the bearings and install them on new offset trailing arms. While I was at it, I sent them my differential.

To me, it was well worth the $$$. :cheers:



[Modified by gb4622, 7:59 AM 9/28/2002]

ROD NOCK

Just depends how willing you are to get involved with it. Some previous posts explain how myself and others here delt with the tools and procedures. I definitely saved $$ doing it myself. And that $$ went towards new offset T-arms, and forged spindles.
I too had thoughts of sending them out, but knowing that I would tear them down to inspect them when done at another shop just convinced me to just do it myself. Now I know they're done right, and that will be a comforting feeling when the speedo hits 3 digits in the future! :D
Good Luck -Rod :chevy

Big Fish

The shells need to come out. Think I kinda worked them out with a chisel by folding them in towards center. The shells should not be confused with the largest diameter pieces that are rolled over on both sides of the t-arms. Those need to stay whether you use poly or factory style bushings. If all you have removed so far is rubber and the inside flare pieces there is certainly shells left that need to be removed.

vett70

That guy in Florida mention a few post up wouldn't be "Florida Caliper Manufacturers, Inc" would it? I bought T-Arm assemblies complete from them 3 years ago and just getting around to installing. They seemed to know what they were talking about at the time.