Re: trailing arm bolts & toe-in adjustment

["jtrealty@xxxx " <jtrealty@xxxx>]

You do not have to remove the automatic transmission to remove the 
left trailing arm bolt! On the auto trans cars the bolt will not slip 
out, there is not enough room but it can be done. Just disconnect the 
trailing arm from the carrier on the left rear wheel, you don't have 
to remove the brake line if you are careful and don't bend it too 
much. Remember no more than 5 shims per side. If you don't have the 
correct ones order them, they are not the same as the ones the shop 
will pick up off the floor from the last car on the rack. Also very 
important is to torque the bolts with the weight of the car on the 
wheels otherwise you will have a preload on the bushing. Before you 
take it apart count the shims and put them back the same way. When 
you go to the shop have some extra shims just in case.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757 AUTOMATIC!



--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxx, "Dave Swingle" <dswingle@xxxx> wrote:
> --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxx, "DMC Joe" <dmcjoe@xxxx> wrote:
> . . . . trailing arm bolts being
> > > inserted in opposite directions. Which is the correct 
> orientation or does
> > > orientation matter?
> > 
> > A: Although the orientation is not critical the factory installed 
> the bolts
> > with the heads facing outwards.
> 
> Unless I'm misunderstanding the definition of "heads facing" I 
> disagree - if this was the case you'd have to lift the body from the 
> frame to remove the bolts (or cut them off). Every one I've seen 
(not 
> as many as Joe!) has the bolt heads facing the transmission (inside 
> of the frame), with the nuts on the outside almost against the 
> fiberglass underbody.
> 
> Dave Swingle