Stupid Question
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 47
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From: Beaufort South Carolina
Stupid Question
Its to late for me now but I bought some dissassembled trailing arms and I have everything to put them together once I get the old spindles out of the car. I have not started the project yet and was wondering if I needed special tools or was I going to be able to do this with a regular press and normal tools?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,135
Likes: 3,939
From: Connecticut, USA
First you have to be sure the arms you bought are good to use. No rust,dents,banged out of alignment? If so you'll want to paint them or sand blast and paint them. Install a new front bushing-need tool for that.
Removing the old spindle from an arm already out of the car requires a press, VERY large slide hammer, or the hammer tool you can see in the catalogs.The spindle bearings are on there very tight so a 20 ton or larger press is normally used.
There is a lot of info on this procedure in the archives so do a search then ask some more questions.
Gary
Removing the old spindle from an arm already out of the car requires a press, VERY large slide hammer, or the hammer tool you can see in the catalogs.The spindle bearings are on there very tight so a 20 ton or larger press is normally used.
There is a lot of info on this procedure in the archives so do a search then ask some more questions.
Gary
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: Beaufort South Carolina
Thanks it gives me some hope 
. They are brand new trailing arms and are powder coated so that I am not worried about. I was worried because I saw the specialty tools on ecklers for the bearings to be installed.
. They are brand new trailing arms and are powder coated so that I am not worried about. I was worried because I saw the specialty tools on ecklers for the bearings to be installed.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 2,897
Likes: 0
From: Moon Township PA
While I have rebuilt many, if not most, items on a car, I have not attempted the trailing arms because of the cost of the tools and the precision necessary to set the bearings. I don't know of many folks who have have undertaken this task without "adult supervision". I watched a fellow rebuild them but he had the tools, the know-how, and lots of background with TA's.
As a minimum, you should buy the GM Service Manual and Chassis Manual for your car. I would send it out, personally.
Gary
As a minimum, you should buy the GM Service Manual and Chassis Manual for your car. I would send it out, personally.
Gary
