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Trailing Arm bushing question.....

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TR6BILL

Luke Skywalker
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So I have everything out in the rear of my car except the trailing arms. One moves up and down with ease, the other is quite tight and requires pressure to move. Both bushes are rubber and in good condition. Should I loosen the tight one or tighten the loose one? Any rubber lubricant needed here? Just how tight should they both be?
 
Bill, the Repair Manual indicates: Trailing arm to mounting bracket at 46 ft. lbs., and Trailing arm mounting bracket to frame, at 34 ft. lbs. Hope this helps. Bob
 
Should you decide to use a lubricant, use only a dry one that won't deteriorate the rubber. Anything that remains oily or greasy will attract dirt and act as an abrasive.
 
Bill,

Not that I know anything auto mechanical but
if it were me, I'd go the extra half hour or so
and pull off both trailing arms.

Then I'd install new fasteners according to Bentley.
You've done the difficult work already. Peace of mind
must be worth another half hour or so.

d
 
TR6BILL said:
So I have everything out in the rear of my car except the trailing arms. One moves up and down with ease, the other is quite tight and requires pressure to move. Both bushes are rubber and in good condition. Should I loosen the tight one or tighten the loose one? Any rubber lubricant needed here? Just how tight should they both be?
Click to expand...

Bill, the original trailing arm rubber bushes, like the front ones, were torsion bushings. That is there is not suppose to be any slippage of the bushing on the bolt or in the trailing arm. The rubber itself flexes allowing the trailing arm to rotate, so no lubricant should be used.

The trailing arm bushings should be tightened only after the car is on the ground, and the suspension settled. (Or guesstimate it's position.) Otherwise you stand the chance of over flexing the rubber and it will tear.

If that loose bushing does not tighten, it is probably damaged, and all four need replacing.
 
Bill, I know it's a pain in the butt but
Randall is correct with this one. Take the time
and do it correctly.

Even know nothing, non-wrench dale was able to do this one!!

d
 
Well, I checked the right one and it was <span style="font-weight: bold">really floppy</span>. Soooo, I ordered the Goodparts TA brackets and Nylatron bushes. Might as go and detail my TAs now. Shipwrights disease, ya know.
 
Bill, those bushings are designed to rotate on the inner sleeve. Be sure to get the correct lubricant.

Good luck.
 
Yeah, Dave mentioned a special lube that I need to find, silver something or other.....

My welder is coming over Saturday. He is a pretty good fabricator as well. I will have him look into beefing up the frame where the TAs attach to same.
 
Bill,

I know that you're not going to believe that I'm saying this, but detail those in silver or gray. Save the red for more visible areas.
 
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