68bigblock

I'm assembling my trailing arm on my 68 and the spindle housing is not sitting flat against the trailing arm. I just finished with the wheel bearing and I'm trying to assemble the unit. I have about a 1/4 inch gapn between the trailing arm and the spindle bearing housing. I have yet to apply pressure. It seems like the yoke around the spindle bearing housing is larger than the diameter of the trailing arm. Is this correct or does it need to pressed in?

Thanks in advance!

doorgunner

Here are some pics of my trailing arm as I disassembled them....I think after I cleaned/rebuilt/painted them I had to fit the two pieces together tapping lightly with a hammer.

Are the "ribbed" mounting bolts causing the problem?

68bigblock

I can not tell from your photo. Do you have a picture of it assmbled with standing up, so that I can see the outer side where the wheel attaches?

DUB

QUESTION:

If you just did the rear wheel bearings....I assume that you do not have the spindle installed yet. Am I correct???

The second photo in post #2 is showing that that is the side of the spindle support that would contact your trailing arm. Meaning the side of the bearing housing where you can see his thumb..is the side that would touch your trailing arm...

If you have a 1/4" of gap...it may not yet begun to seat itself into the trailing arm center hole as designed. I often times need to help them by using a my brass bar and a hammer and tap on it to get it started and seated....then I attach the caliper bracket and then the dist shield...then I press the spindle into the previously set up bearings that were set to the correct bearing run-out.

DUB

doorgunner

68bigblock

I still cannot tell from the photo. I will try to take a picture of my setup today and sho you the gap I'm referring too.

Wee

I did mine last fall....I'll post a couple of pics here that may help...If not try the links below...I have a tons of pics from my build on my website.

TA rebuild--1

TA rebuild--2










Brian

Mr D.

I'm going to assume that when you said "I just finished with the wheel bearing" you were referring to the bearing setup to ensure you have the correct shim stack.

The spindle housing and trailing arm should mate up with no gap unless its dirty or there is a bur holding it back. I would re-clean everything and see what you have.

BTW, make sure you don't install the hubs on the wrong side because there is a L&R hub.

68bigblock

How do you tell the difference in the hubs?

Wee

One of the holes where the shock mount goes thru is “D” shaped…..So the LH and RH are mirror images of each other.

Brian

Mr D.

Are you saying there are interchangeable ?

Wee

No they are not....Only one of the holes is "D" shaped....When the arms are installed on the car the "D" shaped side would go towards the rear.

Brian

Mr D.

I didn't have one to look at but that was the point I was trying to get across.

68bigblock

I'm confused, can you elaborate or show a picture?

68bigblock

So, you can not go by the numbers? Both have the same numbers but one side ends with the letter "N" the other side the letters "NF"

68bigblock

From these two pictures, you can see the gap between the housing and the arm. Does it need to pressed in?

edk136

Hard to tell in the pics but are the mounting studs perpendicular to the mounting surface? They appear to be at an angle.

Eric

Wee

That gap has to close up....I didn't have to press mine in just a couple of taps with a rubber hammer....You may have to much paint on the inside surface of the trailing arm where the spindle housing is trying to fit into.

To tell which housing goes on which side look at them both at the same time....Look at the holes where the shock mount goes....Only one side has the flat area....See pic below with red arrow pointing at the "D" shaped hole, this one is for the passenger side.




Brian

68bigblock

What is the part next to the spindle that is painted silver? It is the round part? I think I maybe missing that part. It does not look familiar!

Mr D.

That is a spacer inside the hub on the spindle that is used with shims for setting up your bearing clearance.

Did you use spindle setup tool to set your bearing end play?