Trailing arm bolts.
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Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 54
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Trailing arm bolts.
After spending a couple hours cutting one bolt, I found these Bosch Sawzall blades that made the next cut two to three minutes. Bosch RM618 bi-metal from Amazon.
After cutting 1 1/2 bolts the blade was still like new.
After cutting 1 1/2 bolts the blade was still like new.
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From: New Or-leens Loo-z-anna
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2017
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From: Virginia
I burned through several bi-metal blades trying to get half-way through one of those bolts. Plenty of oil was used. It didn't help that the shims were in place, and I had to cut through the bushing before I even got to the bolt (not to mention the rusted sleeve).
I bought a single Diablo carbide blade, and blasted through 3 1/2 more cuts. That blade is still in service, with no paint left on it, and the teeth are still sharp.
I don't waste time with bi-metal blades anymore.
I bought a single Diablo carbide blade, and blasted through 3 1/2 more cuts. That blade is still in service, with no paint left on it, and the teeth are still sharp.
I don't waste time with bi-metal blades anymore.
Instructor
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 127
Likes: 28
I went through at least 4 blades and what felt like hours removing my trailing arms. Pretty sure everything was original and the shims had rusted/welded to the bolt as well. It was a nightmare and at one point I was wondering if it would ever end.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
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From: North of Toronto - Ontario
Blades are cheaper than time. Change them once they start to get dull.
Only good thing about it was I could cut the front half off and still had the back 1/3 ~ 1/2 of the blade that was virtually new
M
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From: Redondo Beach, California
The last time I bought repro trailing arm bolts, the threaded portion of the repro bolt was about 1.06 inches long. On an original trailing arm bolt, the threaded portion of the bolt was about 0.8 inches long. The problem, as I saw it, was that the threaded portion of the repro bolt "bit" into the frame. Seems like the threads would cut away at the frame. I didn't want to install repro bolts because of this. I was surprised to find that the factory trailing arm bolts were also used to attach torque control bracket that's attached to the nose of the differential case.....the bracket that's right under the pinion input shaft. I used those for the trailing arms and used the repro bolts for the diff bracket. This is my experience with my 68.
Interesting.....at a drag strip, all the force used to accelerate the entire vehicle, is transmitted through the shafts of the two trailing arm attachment bolts. The bolts function as pins with the shafts taking all the accelerating forces.
Interesting.....at a drag strip, all the force used to accelerate the entire vehicle, is transmitted through the shafts of the two trailing arm attachment bolts. The bolts function as pins with the shafts taking all the accelerating forces.