Bent trailing arm???
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 985
Likes: 1
TD
Bring the vehicle to a good body repair shop that has equipment to determine as well as straighten frames. If the frame is determined to be bent and can be straighten (i.e. if the frame is bent too much they may tell you it can't be straigten) do so before trying to fit a new trailing arm or any other suspension component. My suspicion is that the trailing arm you have now was modified in order to compensate for the bent frame.
Hope this helps
Bill
90C2
Bring the vehicle to a good body repair shop that has equipment to determine as well as straighten frames. If the frame is determined to be bent and can be straighten (i.e. if the frame is bent too much they may tell you it can't be straigten) do so before trying to fit a new trailing arm or any other suspension component. My suspicion is that the trailing arm you have now was modified in order to compensate for the bent frame.
Hope this helps
Bill
90C2
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 164
Likes: 1
TD -
Your earlier post on this topic resulted in some good advice from a number of folks here (including myself). You should go back and read those responses, and then decide for yourself what you are willing to go through for your car. The money you've already spent is a sunk cost. The question now is how much are you willing to spend to get it right?
Please understand I mean no offense, but from what you describe, there is a high probability that there is no "quick" fix for your problem. Get someone with the right equipment to tell you EXACTLY what is going on, and what your options are.
Just my $.02.
Best regards,
Dave
Your earlier post on this topic resulted in some good advice from a number of folks here (including myself). You should go back and read those responses, and then decide for yourself what you are willing to go through for your car. The money you've already spent is a sunk cost. The question now is how much are you willing to spend to get it right?
Please understand I mean no offense, but from what you describe, there is a high probability that there is no "quick" fix for your problem. Get someone with the right equipment to tell you EXACTLY what is going on, and what your options are.
Just my $.02.
Best regards,
Dave
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,061
Likes: 2
From: not in HRM
If the arm is bent so much that you can see the tire pointing off at an odd angle , you should also be able to see feel the arm for the bend . If you clean up the arm real good and then do a close look see / feel it up , does it look / feel bent ? Its a pretty big chunk of alu , it should show signs of distress if its bent .
Any chance that the bushings are so bad that the arms just flopping around ?
If you man handle the thing does it flop around ?
Any chance that the bushings are so bad that the arms just flopping around ?
If you man handle the thing does it flop around ?
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,061
Likes: 2
From: not in HRM
"Personally I can't check the trailing arm bushes for play as I don't have the equipment to lift the car "
All you need is to jack up one corner like you would do for a flat tire .
If you remove the tire / wheel , you can look at the arm , feel up the arm , etc etc .
"Sorry for the second thread on this subject, just really worried."
No need to be sorry , imho .
New info , new questions etc etc etc , new thread . No big deal .
All you need is to jack up one corner like you would do for a flat tire .
If you remove the tire / wheel , you can look at the arm , feel up the arm , etc etc .
"Sorry for the second thread on this subject, just really worried."
No need to be sorry , imho .
New info , new questions etc etc etc , new thread . No big deal .
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 164
Likes: 1
TD-
On the contrary, my apologies if my post above seemed heavy handed.
Presuming you have the basic equipment, I agree with Indycam that you might be able ascertain some specifics for yourself if you can get that corner in the air and poke around a little.
In any case, if you have the time, when appropriate, please post what you ultimately find the issue(s) to be. I'll keep my fingers crossed that this is on the 'minor' end of the financial spectrum...
Take care,
Dave
On the contrary, my apologies if my post above seemed heavy handed.
Presuming you have the basic equipment, I agree with Indycam that you might be able ascertain some specifics for yourself if you can get that corner in the air and poke around a little.
In any case, if you have the time, when appropriate, please post what you ultimately find the issue(s) to be. I'll keep my fingers crossed that this is on the 'minor' end of the financial spectrum...
Take care,
Dave
Trending Topics
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 188
Likes: 1
From: New Jersey
TD, I applaud the fact that you haven't given up on the car and are looking down the road to make it right. Enjoy the summer and I have my fingers crossed that the fall will bring closure to this ongoing maintenance issue (and hopefully not to many $$$).
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Racer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 428
Likes: 3
From: Alabama
Try not to let this get you down. I'm sure it makes you sick to know your car isn't right, but it is more than fixable. I have probably rebuilt 40 plus cars in my lifetime (non Porsche mind you) and most issues can be resolved. Yours sounds minor. Alignment issues are dealing with such tight tolerances that any deviance is chassis is easy to see. The good thing is that you can correct the issue and have confidence that it is right when you get a proper alignment.
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,577
Likes: 52
From: Atlanta
Is there any way to trace the shop that did the collision repair? I think you have a claim against any shop that knowingly puts a car on the road with dangerous alignment settings. It is the owner or the insurance company that benefits, as they are just trying to sell the car and force the problem on an unsuspecting buyer.
My alignment shop let's me chat with the technician while he is working on my cars. He has told numerous stories of finding cars that needed to go on the frame rack before the alignment was possible.
Good luck with your's. If the rest of the car is straight and solid, a minor tweak on the rack should let you get back to a car you enjoy and get long life from the tires.
My alignment shop let's me chat with the technician while he is working on my cars. He has told numerous stories of finding cars that needed to go on the frame rack before the alignment was possible.
Good luck with your's. If the rest of the car is straight and solid, a minor tweak on the rack should let you get back to a car you enjoy and get long life from the tires.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 428
Likes: 3
From: Alabama
Do Germans write the month and day backwards like Brits do? That might tell you where that sill is from and help you date the repair. I had a 2 door Yukon years ago that I bought wrecked and had built for my personal vehicle. It had tipped over on it's side. Very minor. I drove it a while and it drove great. Never seemed to need an allignment. My Brother-in-law wanted it so I got it all ready to sell him including an allignment. It wouldn't line up. ??? I couldn't believe it. So back to the frame shop for a little adjustment on one of the front rails and bingo. Lined up great.
Racer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
From: Malaysia
Much of the rest of the world uses the day month year format. ddmmyy
I also heard that inches and pounds have fallen out of favor.
Germans also like to use the week of the year format wwyy 10-09 would be the tenth week in 2009.
Regards,
JNeteler
I also heard that inches and pounds have fallen out of favor.
Germans also like to use the week of the year format wwyy 10-09 would be the tenth week in 2009.
Regards,
JNeteler
