Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 4
From: Springfield MA
Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms
I've emailed this to a couple of people that I know have installed the offset trailing arms to see if they have any idea if there are any differences between the offset and stock arms.
Basically, I can’t get the leaf spring bolts into the leaf spring. The trailing arms are bolted to the frame, temporary shims are in and the t-arm pivots up and down. The problem is that even with the t-arm on jack stands to bring it parallel to the ground and the spring end jacked up to nearly flat, the hole in the spring is about an inch behind the bolt coming through the t-arm.
I know that there is supposed to be a slight angle back with the bolt, but I can’t even force the bolt through and I have the 8” bolts. I’ve loosened the crossmember bolts, the spring to diff cover bolts etc… but nothing helps.
Do you think that this is just because of the new bushings on the bolts making the angle tougher to make, or is there a possibility that I screwed up somewhere or even (god forbid) that the trailing arms are slightly shorter than the stock ones?
I’m sure that it’s either something that I did, didn’t do or need to force, but I figured that you were a good person to ask.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks :)
Basically, I can’t get the leaf spring bolts into the leaf spring. The trailing arms are bolted to the frame, temporary shims are in and the t-arm pivots up and down. The problem is that even with the t-arm on jack stands to bring it parallel to the ground and the spring end jacked up to nearly flat, the hole in the spring is about an inch behind the bolt coming through the t-arm.
I know that there is supposed to be a slight angle back with the bolt, but I can’t even force the bolt through and I have the 8” bolts. I’ve loosened the crossmember bolts, the spring to diff cover bolts etc… but nothing helps.
Do you think that this is just because of the new bushings on the bolts making the angle tougher to make, or is there a possibility that I screwed up somewhere or even (god forbid) that the trailing arms are slightly shorter than the stock ones?
I’m sure that it’s either something that I did, didn’t do or need to force, but I figured that you were a good person to ask.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks :)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 8,339
Likes: 24
From: I can walk to MA
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (phoenix)
I had the same issue when I did the rear suspension rebuild in my 75.
Mine was a steel 9 leaf spring, with a replacement HD cover. The HD cover
is made for the newer 2.5" springs, not the older 2.25" springs. Thus, there
are GM shims to use that take up the gap fore and aft of the spring. I thought
that this might have been the cause for my issues. After reading many posts
in the CF, I feel that I was having a 'normal' corvette experience.
Here is what I did to get it all together.
With everything in the approximately correct place, the spring still wanted
to be about 1" more forward to line up with the bolt. I tied a large (thick)
piece of rope near the end of the spring. Then, I wrapped the rope around the
(I think) bottom of the shock. Pulling on the rope, I managed to get the end
of the spring forward enough to get the bolt through. Wrapping the rope
around the shock gave enough resistance that I could hold it there while
fiddling with the bolt. It would be MUCH easier with help. Fiberglass springs
may not behave the same way, so this may or may not help.
All said and done - weight on spring - torque everything down - and they
seemed to be lined up fine.
Good luck (you have a few months left)
:seeya
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 29,745
Likes: 3
From: Exiled to Richmond, VA - Finally sold my house in Murfreesboro, TN ?? Corner of "Bumf*&k and 'You've got a purdy mouth'."
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
CI-VIII Burnout Champ
St. Jude Donor '06-'10, '13
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (Ed T)
Cant help much re: offset t arms. Here is what the angle will look like on a stock T arm to f/g spring.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 4
From: Springfield MA
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (BSeery)
Thanks guys,
I think that I will give it another go tomorrow and just try to force it. I think that the bushings (since they are new) are much harder and try to keep the bolt from going to the angle necessary to mount the spring.
More force needed I guess. :)
I think that I will give it another go tomorrow and just try to force it. I think that the bushings (since they are new) are much harder and try to keep the bolt from going to the angle necessary to mount the spring.
More force needed I guess. :)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,000
Likes: 22
From: Boulder Creek California
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (Ed T)
Just a little note of obviousness.... be careful pushing things with all your weight while that thing's on jackstands!! I just got a picture of someone laying under the car to push the spring with their foot and kicking the car off the stands!
:cheers:
Chris
:cheers:
Chris
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,160
Likes: 3,965
From: Connecticut, USA
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (phoenix)
Mike,
Please be careful under the car while working on the rear spring. I had the car pop up in the air one time trying to load the spring. I now use a 10'piece of blk pipe to leverage the spring up while a helper lines up the bolt.
I haven't used offset arms, but it sounds like the geometry is way off. Maybe the arms are not welded/offset correctly? I used a HD cover too and aftermarket 9 leaf last year. The bolts lined up but the spring was too wide. It wasn't the wrong spring. I think a lot of aftermarket parts need tweeking to fit, maybe your arms are the in the same boat?
Good luck but stop if you really have to muscle it together.
Gary
[Modified by gtr1999, 9:30 AM 1/25/2003]
Please be careful under the car while working on the rear spring. I had the car pop up in the air one time trying to load the spring. I now use a 10'piece of blk pipe to leverage the spring up while a helper lines up the bolt.
I haven't used offset arms, but it sounds like the geometry is way off. Maybe the arms are not welded/offset correctly? I used a HD cover too and aftermarket 9 leaf last year. The bolts lined up but the spring was too wide. It wasn't the wrong spring. I think a lot of aftermarket parts need tweeking to fit, maybe your arms are the in the same boat?
Good luck but stop if you really have to muscle it together.
Gary
[Modified by gtr1999, 9:30 AM 1/25/2003]
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 922
Likes: 0
From: Maine
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (gtr1999)
I used a come-along hooked into the frame somewhere forward of the rear end. Sort of strange that you have to do this, but it worked fine.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 252
Likes: 0
From: wellington N Zealand
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (Frank75)
I have just done mine and although all stock it fitted together no problems at all. :jester:
I cleaned and painted the spring, put new mounting bushings in and even though the bushings were new there was heaps of leeway in fitting the bolt into the spring.
I jacked the trailing arm up so it was parallel with the ground and also jacked the spring up quite a bit as well. :smash:
The bolts just slid in real sweet.:thumbs:
I certainly dont like the idea of some of the posts suggesting using ropes and forcing it to fit. :nono: :nono:
There is a lot of strain on those components and the last thing you want is for the bolt to snap when you are travelling down the road. :eek:
:cool: :cool: :cool:
I cleaned and painted the spring, put new mounting bushings in and even though the bushings were new there was heaps of leeway in fitting the bolt into the spring.
I jacked the trailing arm up so it was parallel with the ground and also jacked the spring up quite a bit as well. :smash:
The bolts just slid in real sweet.:thumbs:
I certainly dont like the idea of some of the posts suggesting using ropes and forcing it to fit. :nono: :nono:
There is a lot of strain on those components and the last thing you want is for the bolt to snap when you are travelling down the road. :eek:
:cool: :cool: :cool:
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Team Owner
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 26,679
Likes: 17
From: This vette goes to 11 Milford MA
St. Jude Donor '03-'05
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (tippi58)
That's a little odd. When I swapped my rear spring in, I did it in the driveway in about 20 minutes with no problems.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 502
Likes: 1
From: Georgia
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (tippi58)
A 4 X 4 across the leafspring (almost as long as the spring, just inside the bushing retainers on each end) with a floor jack under the center, which puts the spring in a loaded position is helpful also. It can also be done with a couple of pieces of 2 X 4 stacked in the same way. Just don't lift the rear of the car with the spring to the point that the jackstands aren't safely supporting it.
[Modified by Solidlifters, 11:02 PM 1/25/2003]
[Modified by Solidlifters, 11:02 PM 1/25/2003]
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 4
From: Springfield MA
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (Solidlifters)
I'll have to take a couple of pics to show how far off I am. If I remove the new rubber bushing in the trailing arm, or even if it were just softer, there would be less of an issue.
Thanks... I'm not going to try to muscle it if it takes too much force.
:)
Thanks... I'm not going to try to muscle it if it takes too much force.
:)
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco, CA
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (phoenix)
You may have already tried this but I was thinking back to when I did mine with stock trailing arms. If you jack/lift up the trailing arm as it hangs free with the bolt hanging from it, the downward angle of the bolt will change. You might try putting a jack under the arm and adjust that angle (not lift the car of course) as you put the bolt through the spring. Good luck :cheers:
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 4
From: Springfield MA
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (R. Bruno)
R. Bruno, thanks. I've got the T-arms up on jack stands as high as they will go, the problem seems to be that the bolt itself won't angle back much at all because of the bushing. I took the bushing out just to see and there is much more play in the bolt angle.
I think that If I just push it enough to get the bolt in at all, the pressure may compress the bushing and solve my problem. Darn hard rubber. :mad
I think that If I just push it enough to get the bolt in at all, the pressure may compress the bushing and solve my problem. Darn hard rubber. :mad
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco, CA
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (phoenix)
Sounds like you have it under control. Just think how nice and tight that rear suspension will be once you get it back together :D
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: rices landing Pa.
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (phoenix)
I did mine awhile back with the mono spring and had the same problem. It was the right rear, used the original trailing arms. Ended up using a small port-a-power, a bottle jack the right length would work, and got it even .
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 4
From: Springfield MA
Re: Problem aligning leaf spring with new trailing arms (phoenix)
I finally got the spring on.
Basically, the new bushings were so firm that the bolt head could not fit under the lip on the trailing arm, thus limiting the angle that the bolt could reach back. After pulling down (with all of my extraordinary might ;) ) I was able to get the head of the bolt under the lip and get it onto the spring. The angle is pretty steep, but the trailing arm isn't up in the normal postition yet.
Now my problem is that the offset trailing arm actually cut my driver's side brake line. The former owner must have bent the rear distribution block metal tab so the brake line hits the traling arm. The new arms are I beam and sharp....
Maybe I should switch to SS? I'm trying to bend the tab back, but it doesn't move since the hard line is attached to it from the front.
I'll figure it out. Either way, I now need 1 new brake line. :(
Basically, the new bushings were so firm that the bolt head could not fit under the lip on the trailing arm, thus limiting the angle that the bolt could reach back. After pulling down (with all of my extraordinary might ;) ) I was able to get the head of the bolt under the lip and get it onto the spring. The angle is pretty steep, but the trailing arm isn't up in the normal postition yet.
Now my problem is that the offset trailing arm actually cut my driver's side brake line. The former owner must have bent the rear distribution block metal tab so the brake line hits the traling arm. The new arms are I beam and sharp....
Maybe I should switch to SS? I'm trying to bend the tab back, but it doesn't move since the hard line is attached to it from the front.
I'll figure it out. Either way, I now need 1 new brake line. :(
