NOOB question: Trailing Arms?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
NOOB question: Trailing Arms?
Please forgive my incredible ignorance, but I'm very wet behind the ears when it comes to all cars and have a few burning questions.
1. What exactly do trailing arms do?
2. How do you know when they're bad and need to be replaced?
3. If they need repair/replacement and I'm not interested in originality, am I better off buying new ones? Saw some on Wilcox for less than $200/each.
4. Is this something a noob with a 68 convertible, 2 jack stands, a floor jack, and a good set of tools can handle, or should I take it to the shop?
1. What exactly do trailing arms do?
2. How do you know when they're bad and need to be replaced?
3. If they need repair/replacement and I'm not interested in originality, am I better off buying new ones? Saw some on Wilcox for less than $200/each.
4. Is this something a noob with a 68 convertible, 2 jack stands, a floor jack, and a good set of tools can handle, or should I take it to the shop?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
you will need
a sawzall...with some good metal blades
pentetrating oil
some duct tape.... after you bust up your knuckles a few times...
are you just getting new t-arms with bushing or also wheel bearings too
a sawzall...with some good metal blades
pentetrating oil
some duct tape.... after you bust up your knuckles a few times...
are you just getting new t-arms with bushing or also wheel bearings too
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,268
Likes: 2
From: Minnesota in the summer, Las Vegas in the winter
I'll jump in on some of this..............
starting with #4:
Depending on your level of mechanical expertise, yes, you can take these off with the equipment you listed. I refurbished/ rebuilt everything last year from the driveshaft back. My 72 had about 75000 actual miles on it so I just had the differential inspected by a pro. They changed the seals while they were in there. I had to buy one trailing arm, but the other one was fine. Again, I had a machine shop disassemble and rebuild the arms. But I did all the rest myself: new u-joints, brakes, emergency brakes (installed by the shop), calipers, spring, struts, shocks, etc. I removed the arms and reinstalled them by myself. They came off easily and went back on without too much trouble. Then I had alignment done.
Trailing arms are a moving part of the framework. They connect the halfshafts coming from the differential to the wheels. Supported by the arms are the brakes, emergency brakes, shocks, rear spring and wheels.
I spent around $1000 and took almost 6 weeks doing this project.
starting with #4:
Depending on your level of mechanical expertise, yes, you can take these off with the equipment you listed. I refurbished/ rebuilt everything last year from the driveshaft back. My 72 had about 75000 actual miles on it so I just had the differential inspected by a pro. They changed the seals while they were in there. I had to buy one trailing arm, but the other one was fine. Again, I had a machine shop disassemble and rebuild the arms. But I did all the rest myself: new u-joints, brakes, emergency brakes (installed by the shop), calipers, spring, struts, shocks, etc. I removed the arms and reinstalled them by myself. They came off easily and went back on without too much trouble. Then I had alignment done.
Trailing arms are a moving part of the framework. They connect the halfshafts coming from the differential to the wheels. Supported by the arms are the brakes, emergency brakes, shocks, rear spring and wheels.
I spent around $1000 and took almost 6 weeks doing this project.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 1
From: Port Clinton Ohio
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
This is the trailing arm.
This is what they look like laying on the floor.
Please remember that it takes a lot of work to get them from their original position, to the floor. I used a can of PB blaster and an air hammer. Other guys have used a saws all to cut the bolts holding them in. Either way, it's not an easy task. Then it takes some special tools to pull them apart and rebuild them. I don't have the tools so I took them somewhere and had them done.
Good luck.
This is what they look like laying on the floor.
Please remember that it takes a lot of work to get them from their original position, to the floor. I used a can of PB blaster and an air hammer. Other guys have used a saws all to cut the bolts holding them in. Either way, it's not an easy task. Then it takes some special tools to pull them apart and rebuild them. I don't have the tools so I took them somewhere and had them done.
Good luck.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,889
Likes: 23
From: Kansas
Hey you guys, I just bought a beautiful set, with rotors and all, from Jacobs Corvette's in Coraopolis, PA. Mr. Harvey does a out of site job. I know that there a lot of good people rebuilding them. Look at his work, been in business for 30 years. Doctorgene
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
Thanks for all the advice and pics, guys!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
Drifting
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,491
Likes: 2
From: North Royaton Ohio
