79 rear trailing arm alignment
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,417
Likes: 336
From: Texas
79 rear trailing arm alignment
i'm doing the home alignment on the rear, i have it tracking the same both sides,, now i'm doing the toe, i have it at 1/8" toe out on both sides right now, so i need to go in some more, but the passenger side trailing arm has no shims out on the inside, and i cant move it in any more. does this mean my trailing arm is bent!
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,934
Likes: 962
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Sounds reasonable. Another item: Check the position and dimensions of the trailing arm pivot pocket. Chevrolet wasn't terribly concerned with dimensional accuracy with a lot of their products in the sixties and seventies. If the pocket is offset or a slightly smaller size, it will limit your room to move the front of the trailing arm.
Last edited by 69427; Feb 16, 2007 at 12:58 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 53,648
Likes: 878
From: Southern Cal Ca
St. Jude Donor '22
i'm doing the home alignment on the rear, i have it tracking the same both sides,, now i'm doing the toe, i have it at 1/8" toe out on both sides right now, so i need to go in some more, but the passenger side trailing arm has no shims out on the inside, and i cant move it in any more. does this mean my trailing arm is bent!
Did you change bushings?
Was it tracking wrong?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,417
Likes: 336
From: Texas
oh yeah, i replaced trailing arm bushings and shims, (rust pile). had to cut out trailing arm bolts, etc.
, so thats why i am trying to realign, i am also the one that found spacers between the spindle flange and half shafts. put in by some alignment shop trying to it halfway. since the shims were rusted in place. 
, so thats why i am trying to realign, i am also the one that found spacers between the spindle flange and half shafts. put in by some alignment shop trying to it halfway. since the shims were rusted in place.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 53,648
Likes: 878
From: Southern Cal Ca
St. Jude Donor '22
Sounds like a visit to the frame shop might be good.
I guess you took the spacers from the 1/2 shafts?
I doubt the rusted shims caused the "spacers"(more work)
Either way, get the frame checked...................
I guess you took the spacers from the 1/2 shafts?
I doubt the rusted shims caused the "spacers"(more work)
Either way, get the frame checked...................
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,057
Likes: 4
From: Concord Calif
i'm doing the home alignment on the rear, i have it tracking the same both sides,, now i'm doing the toe, i have it at 1/8" toe out on both sides right now, so i need to go in some more, but the passenger side trailing arm has no shims out on the inside, and i cant move it in any more. does this mean my trailing arm is bent!
One item here is, how are you checking the toe in? Should be each side to the center of the car, not between the two wheels as you do for the front. If this is how you have been doing it you could have toe out or in to each other but not to the car. This would have the rear of the car going side ways and still have a toe measurement. Hope all that makes sense to you. Look and see if you have a lot of shims on the inside on the drivers side, a sure indicator you are doing it wrong. Most of the time both sides will use about the same shims. But it is still possiable to have something bent, but probaly not. Manuel
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,417
Likes: 336
From: Texas
i set my track first off of the front hubs, using an lazer level turned
vertical, attached to an aluminum level with risers that touch the back rims front and rear. this shot a line on a ruler off of the front hubs , i shimmed each side until the track on the ruler was the same each side. but it was about 1 1/2" toe out. then i started removing equal amount of shims on the inside of each trailing arm checking the the track each time i made an adjustment. i have 2 4' straight edges against each rear tire on 4 x 4 blocks and measure front & rear for the toe. but i have all the shims removed on the inside of the pass. side and i still need to go in an 1/8" more. and yes i removed those spacers between the half shafts. but i see now what they were trying to correct for a BENT trailing arm.
vertical, attached to an aluminum level with risers that touch the back rims front and rear. this shot a line on a ruler off of the front hubs , i shimmed each side until the track on the ruler was the same each side. but it was about 1 1/2" toe out. then i started removing equal amount of shims on the inside of each trailing arm checking the the track each time i made an adjustment. i have 2 4' straight edges against each rear tire on 4 x 4 blocks and measure front & rear for the toe. but i have all the shims removed on the inside of the pass. side and i still need to go in an 1/8" more. and yes i removed those spacers between the half shafts. but i see now what they were trying to correct for a BENT trailing arm.
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