Rear Trailing Arm Install- New Bushings Do Not Fit

[Bravoaloha]

Hey Everybody,

I did a search and couldn't find anybody with this issue. I removed my rear trailing arms, had my shop press the new OEM bushings in and the new bushings are too thick to slide into the "receiver". I took the nut and bolt for the bushing and used it to tighten down on it, and left it over night. When the bushing was compressed it would have fit but when I took the bolt off to install it returned to its original width. I thought maybe I could leave the nut and bolt on, slide it it to the receiver, get it started and then remove the bolt but there isn't enough room to turn the bolts and also keep the bushing in place.

Also tried a big Vise Grip clamp, would have worked but there's no room to move it in there with the trans in the way.

Anybody have any ideas?

Thanks!!

[Evans, Marv]

It's been several years since I've done this, but my recollection is that the bushings with the inserts slid up into the ("receiver") bracket snugly and weren't a problem. I didn't have to have mine pressed in either. Is the material your bushings made of the kind that need to be turned down on a lathe or something to fit correctly? OEM shouldn't be a problem.

[jjeffries]

Common issue, easy to fix with some threaded rod, nuts and washers from you hardware store.
You need to "spread" the ears comimg off the torque tube that the trailing arms bolt into.
Probably 5/8" threaded rod is the right size; needs to be able to fit thru the bolt holes of the ears.
Cut the rod to maybe 2" wider that than the width of the two ears.
Using 2 big fender washers and 2 nuts on the threaded rod, WITHIN the ears, turn the nuts in opposite directions from one another such that they exert pressure to spread the ears.
There are phots somewhere...hope this makes sense.
Will provide nice, even, controlable and parallel force to get you the extra clearance required.
You cannot compress the bushings further, you need to expand the gap between the torque tube ears as described. Best of luck, John

[piscator]

Second JJeff's nifty threaded rod solution!

Mine were a sumofagum, but the engine was out so I got them in somehow. Good luck!

[Evans, Marv]

Great suggestion!!

[seafeye]

Had the same problem when putting in solid bushings.

[wrxnofx]

Hmm, I never had a problem. I pressed on new Porsche bushings using threaded rod, nuts, and washers. Then when tried to insert the newly bushed end into the ears, I kind of went in at an angle which forced the ears open a bit. I then rocked the trailing arm back and forth and each side slide further in until I lined up the holes.

[seafeye]

I think they close up after someone gets a nice big impact gun and goes to town making sure the bolts are tight. It just squeezes the sides together. Next time you go to put in new bushings you’ll run into this problem.

[Bravoaloha]

jjeffries (and the others), this was a life saver. Total piece of cake after this. Wasted alot of time trying to figure this out but after your solution it was a breeze. Thanks!!!

[MBEngineering]

don't forget to tighten the inner bolt with the rear suspension on load, not on the axle/jack stands,

if you tighten it with the arm in the dropped/down/loose position and then tighten the bolt, the nice new bush you have just had a fight with will be under twisting strain when you drop the car on the deck, shortning the life of the new bushes and in no time at all you will be back replacing them again

[Evans, Marv]

Originally Posted by MBEngineering

don't forget to tighten the inner bolt with the rear suspension on load, not on the axle/jack stands,

if you tighten it with the arm in the dropped/down/loose position and then tighten the bolt, the nice new bush you have just had a fight with will be under twisting strain when you drop the car on the deck, shortning the life of the new bushes and in no time at all you will be back replacing them again

Great advice !!! This place always amazes me when it comes to problem solving solutions.

[jjeffries]

Cool. John

[GG Allin]

I'm in the middle of trying to solve this problem. The space between the ears is 56mm, the trailing arm with bushings is around 58.5mm. To spread the ears out wide enough to fit the trailing arm is taking a ton of force. Seems like a good way to break something. Also it seems like I need to spread the ears out even further because they tend to close back up a little when the threaded rod is removed. The ears on my car look a lot beefier than the ones pictured above.

[Bravoaloha]

Originally Posted by GG Allin

I'm in the middle of trying to solve this problem. The space between the ears is 56mm, the trailing arm with bushings is around 58.5mm. To spread the ears out wide enough to fit the trailing arm is taking a ton of force. Seems like a good way to break something. Also it seems like I need to spread the ears out even further because they tend to close back up a little when the threaded rod is removed. The ears on my car look a lot beefier than the ones pictured above.

I'm not sure what to tell ya GG. I had no problem with the threaded rod set-up, the ears spread pretty easily. Good luck!

[john walker's workshop]

G50 ears are a lot thicker. Not going to move them with this method.

[jjeffries]

Maybe find someone local with a PortaPower or see if the HF version ($150-ish?) comes with a small enough appliance/fitting to get in there? I'd think the narrow jaws one would work. I'm thinking out loud; hopefully wiser men have a proven solution.

Best of luck, John

[Arlo911]

Never had a problem with OEM bushings, you can wiggle them in, the trailing arm gives you some leverage.

[GG Allin]

I was able to do it with a thicker piece of threaded rod, M14, 2.00 thread pitch, 100mm long, bigger washers. Also bigger nuts 22mm = bigger wrenches, more leverage. I also used rod bolt lube on the threads. It just seemed to me to be an area where you really don't want to break something. I'm using the ERP bushings our host sells.

I could probably put together an E36 rear suspension blind folded, this car is challenging me.

[GG Allin]

When I get frustrated and stumped, I work on my other black '88.

[jjeffries]

Bigger rod and nuts always wins the game.

(Someone had to say it)

John