[DML] Re: Symptoms of bad TA bolts

["David Teitelbaum" <jtrealty@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Even testing at 30 MPH could be dangerous if someone is alongside you!
If you don't suspect the trailing arm bolts and you are at 60 MPH you
can really end up "In the weeds"! By your own account it is easy to
check BEFORE you drive so if you suspect the trailing arm bolts AT ALL
then prudence would dictate checking them BEFORE a test drive. If
during the testing you notice a looseness in the suspension AT LOW
SPEEDS then you can stop the drive and inspect further for the cause.
A half a turn is serious, this means the bolt is no longer torqued,
has stretched, and the shims are probably missing. Worst case, the
bolt is frozen in the trailing arm and you are torqueing on the head
thinking it is tight and all the while the nut is loose! If you have a
car that has never had the TAB's inspected let alone replaced, I
submit that they should be replaced or at the very least removed and
inspected. This would at least show you that they are not corroded,
frozen, bent or stretched. The problem with not replacing the
origional bolts is that I believe they should not be retorqued. Each
retorqing stretches them and doing it several times will fatigue them.
Besides, with all the labor in taking them in and out it is just safer
to replace them. On a 20 plus year old car some things should just be
replaced like coolant hoses, belts, ignition parts AND TRAILING ARM BOLTS!
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757


--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Martin Gutkowski - DMUK Ltd
<martin@xxxx> wrote:
> 
> I wasn't suggesting doing it at 60mph! No, a simple slow-speed test at 
> less than 30 is good enough. And I strongly disagree that it means they 
> are seriously loose. Half a turn on the nut can mean the difference 









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