Removing Trailing Arms

[Dr K]

The Bentley manual description of removing trailing arms seems to be for separating them from everything else (as in replacing them). I need to get them off just to change the bushings. So far I've removed the spring plates, brake lines, brake calipers, brake rotors, backing plates, and parking brake cable. I can see the bolts through the bushings, but what about the axle/CV joints coming in to the back of the wheel? The Bentley manual shows removing the CV from the transmission first, and states "drive out rear wheel hub using Porsche special tool P 297 or similar drift" - that's where they lose me, but do I need to do that? They also suggest taking off the wheel (using a huge wrench on the huge nut). I'd like to get the trailing arms off tomorrow. If somebody wants to come by for a few minutes and walk me through it, I'd be very appreciative. I happen to be on call this weekend, but promise that any gratitude I show will be in the form of liquid refreshment and/or edible solids, and NOTHING related to my line of work...

Thanks in advance.

PS: I asked Ben to help. He's always been reluctant to get at all involved in car work, but he ended up doing one whole side himself! Wow!

Peter

[Noah]

To change out bushings, you don't need to completely remove the trailing arms from the car. You're making work for yourself.

All you need to do is separate it from the spring plate (and maybe a couple of other things) sufficient that you can remove the bolt, pull the mount point down, and change the bushings. It's been a couple of years since I put monoballs in my trailing arms, but I didn't remove them from my car to do it -- not even close.

[smdubovsky]

I'll argue against Noah here. Its a royal PITA to put monoballs in the rear w/ the arms still attached to the car. Been there done that. Getting that metal sleeve out and pressing in the monoballs is best done on a bench. You can take either end of the CV off. The bentley might say the tranny side because the later carreras CV joints dont come off at the stub axle...

IIRC: Remove caliper and hang out of way, Take off rotor and disconnect ebrake cable (though this might be simpler to disconnect inside the car and keep the cable attached to the arm - but I've never tried it that way), Unbolt CV, unbolt spring plate, unbolt inner bolt near tranny.

[Dr K]

You guys are way ahead of me.

Noah, did you use a lift? I'm on jack stands, so there isn't much room under the car. I "helped" (held the part) Chris remove his bushings the other night (see his post on "tools") and even using heat, it would not have been easy doing what he did under a car.

Stephen, you say "Unbolt CV, unbolt spring plate, unbolt inner bolt near tranny." To unbolt CV, does that mean remove cover (and how to do that?) and there will be a simple bolt under there to remove? Do I need to drive out the rear wheel hub?

I don't think (yet) that I'm in over my head because everything so far has gone well, but I don't want to make extra work for myself.

Peter

[Rick V]

Peter, if you have the little allen bolts on the outside CV joint just remove them, leave the axle stub in the hub assy. and hang the axle in the car. Make damn sure to keep the cv loint clean. Saran wrap is your friend. I agree, it is easier on the bench, more work on the car end but less on the bushing.
I might.............might be in your neck of the woods today. I'll PM you my number.

[Noah]

Getting that metal sleeve out and pressing in the monoballs is best done on a bench.

It's not that hard with the arms hanging from the car. You just need a helper to hold them. Removing the metal sleeves is definitely the biggest PITA of the whole job. The best way to do it is to use a punch and hammer to collapse one of the sleeves in on itself. Then use vice grips and such to pull it out. Then use a correct-sized socket as a drift to pound out the other one.

Installing the monoballs is a piece of cake. Use some sandpaper to smooth out the trailing arm bore -- make sure it's perfectly smooth, no nicks or imperfections. Then heat the end of the arm with a torch so that it expands a little bit, take the monoball out of the freezer, and drop it right in. If necessary use a socket that fits around the monoball's perimeter to tap it in a little. Done deal.

In my experience, the extra labor involved in installing the monoballs in this manner is more than made up for by the labor saved in not removing the trailing arms from the car. YMMV.

[Dr K]

They're off, and the bushings are removed. Here's the story:
Rick V suggested I leave the half-axles on, just removing them from the transmission (later style not so easy to remove from the trailing arms...). He also told me I shouldn't need impact on them - he was correct.
Dave Riley gave suggestions on keeping the differential from spinning - I ended up using my giant screwdriver to lock the wheel lugs.
OldTee was almost apologetic that he was busy to come over - WOW - he spent a day with me getting this all started and wouldn't even let me feed him (and he has no way of knowing yet that my cooking is dangerous).
Ben (my son) has turned into a Dorki and not only did half the work, but made the wonderful suggestion of using the jack on the breaker bar to get off the recalcitrant bolt from the bottom of one of my rear shocks.
Then tonight, Ben and I brought the trailing arms over to Jazz's home and removed the bushings with the tools he talked about on that other post.

Can't leave out Matt De Maria, who although not directly involved in the trailing arm adventure, has been instrumental in the suspension refresh by helping with my other bushings (parts brought to him), tons of advice, and especially in fixing my starting problem, so I am so excited about the car now I can't wait to get it back on the road. Interesting how an intermittent problem (sometimes a problem only once/month or so, other times every day for 3 days in a row) can sour you on a car.

Kind of like Hillary says: it takes a Dorki village! Thanks to all of you. Now if I can just get all this put back on in time for track inspection. What do others think about approximating the alignment and driving s-l-o-w-l-y to Curry's? The alternative is to have Matt D do the inspection when it is aligned.

Peter

[Parenn911]

Nice seeing you and Ben today. Jazz's got the skills and the tools now. :mrgreen:

[Rick V]

Hey Peter, you need to turn the bolts to the right to put them back. :)
Told Ya you could do it. Just do a quickie alignment with a tape measure and haul it off to the alignment facility.

[Dr K]

Nice seeing you and Ben today. Jazz's got the skills and the tools now. You got that right. What he doesn't have is his Elephant Racing weather-sealed monoball trailing arm bushings!! But I ordered a new set for him which should arrive Thursday. :D

It was good seeing you, too. And I'm looking forward to seeing more of you on the track.

Peter