Instaling rear monoballs / Removing trailing arm?

[jakermc]

Well, I've got most of the suspension torn apart and have run into my first problem. I'm looking to install Elephant Racing rear monoballs and I can't figure out how to remove the trailing arm from the car. There is very little space to work where the arm attaches near the tranny. I couldn't get a wrench or socket in there with enough room to work.

Is there a secret to removing the 22mm bolt (head size) that holds the trailing arm in place?

[Fishcop]

Most people tend to drop the tranny for this job, infact on the early cars it is the only way as the bolt orietation only allows its removal with the transmission out. I have no experience with the Carrera, but have read that the bolts do point the other way and it is possible to remove them with tranny in situ', do a search, I'm pretty sure I've seen it documeted a couple of times.

Good luck

[North Coast Cab]

Not exactly sure on the '83, but for my '84 I was able to remove the bolt with the tranny in. It was a major PITA and took an unbelievable amount of force. Once you get that out the rest of the parts are fairly straight forward. I would definitely heat the arms and put the bushings in the freezer to gain a little working room. I installed them and found them to be very well made.

John

[Chuck Moreland]

Jake

Try and get a wrench on the nut and use that just to keep it stationary. Put your socket wrench on the bolt side to loosen. The bolt can be tight and corroded. A liberal soaking in PB blaster is a good idea, let it sit and penetrate awhile (overnight if you can).

[jyl]

I have removed the trailing arms on my '89 Carrera, to put in Elephant monoballs in fact.

In theory, if the nut is facing toward the transmission, then you can remove the bolt (there should be a depression in the torsion bar tube, to allow the bolt to come out.) If the bolt faces toward the transmission, then you can loosen the nut, push the bolt toward the transmission, cut off the bolt head (Swaz-all, etc), then remove the bolt shaft and nut. I think in Carreras, the nut faces the transmission.

In practice, I found it impossible to get a wrench on the nut, securely enough to exert the necessary force. I ended up dropping the engine and tranny.

The problem is that the nut is recessed, an ordinary box wrench can only grab the last bit of the nut, and the nut is incredibly tight.

I would go buy a medium offset box end wrench of the correct size, so that you can grab the whole nut. A deep offset may not fit. Then try what Chuck said.

[jakermc]

OK, passenger side is free. After shopping for an appropriate offset wrench and being unable to find one, I realized I could reach it with an impact wrench if I used a univeral joint. After soaking it with PB Blaster a while, it came off easily with the gun.

I am now working on the metal cup halves with the lip on them. The inner steel sleeve and rubber came out easily, this last part is tough ....

[304065]

Well, I just did this on my '71, and I sawed the bolts!

Do a search here under "Lime Rock Thrash" for the gruesome details.

You don't need to freeze the arm, just heat it with a propane torch for 120 seconds and the monoball slides right in. Don't forget to orient it with the red paint on the circlip in the correct direction per the instructions.

[Dixie]

You'll find it's much more expedient to drop the motor and trans.

[89911]

On my Carrera, I had to make a socket by grinding down the outer diameter to fit in the recess. Maybe this is just for G50 cars. Consider yourself lucky if you got it out without dropping the tranny. My car had the engine out so I had plenty of room.

[jakermc]

Before you drop your motor and tranny, I would recommend you try the u-joint and impact wrench first. Once I tried this method, it took less than a minute to free the bolt.

Not only did I get it out without dropping the tranny, but I was able to complete the install of the monoball with the trailing arm still on the car. I left the monoballs in the freezer overnight, and after hitting the inside of the arm with a torch for a few seconds, they slid in like butter. I made a note to keep the red part facing out.

The hardest part was removing the two halves of the outer-most steel sleeve that are part of the factory set-up. The first half was a bear, lots of pounding and pulling. For the second half I put a socket into the open half and pounded out the other half with a hammer. The socket distributes the blow and made it (relatively) easy.

I still have to do the driver's side next weekend as I spent the rest of the day installing a sway-a-way adjustable spring plate on that same side. Also swapped the torsion bar for a 31mm hollow Sanders bar.

Thanks for the help everyone.

[Wavey]

I've got my entire rear suspension torn down to this part right now and I'm about to give up.

I can get an offset box-end on the nut (tranny side) but I can NOT get anything on the bolt head. My normal 22MM socket is too long to get it all the way on and my 22mm impact socket is even longer. Also it looks like the bolt head sits down in a recess and only about 1/2 of the thickness of the head sticks out to get a socket on.

Any other ideas? I'll probably be pulling the tranny next year (noisey differential bearings) so I may just wait until then.

[304065]

Wavey,

Put your safety goggles on and get one of those cans of high-pressure brake cleaner, blast the hell out of the bolt head. You don't want any foreign material between the socket and the head, it will skew the socket and let it strip.

Now, some folks actually take a hammer to the torsion tube to create a slight (1/8") depression that will allow a socket in there. I used a 22mm impact socket on the head of my torque wrench. It might be a question of finding one that fits, or even taking a hacksaw to the socket to shorten it so it will fit in the hypoteneuse between the torsion bar tube and the bolt head.

You might also try a second wrench instead of a socket.

Good luck! It's tough working under there without a lift.

[Wavey]

Thanks very much John! The car up about 18" on jack stands so I've got plenty of room, just a little leery of jerking it around too much! But at this point I can't even get a tool on the bolt head to do any jerking. I'll try your suggestions, maybe grind one of my sockets down and ding the tube. I seldom give up on anything, but this is a b____!

[jyl]

Maybe you can recruit a buddy to hold the bolt while you work on the nut. Buy another offset 22mm box wrench for the bolt end. Jam wood wedges between wrench head and adjacent objects, or use clamp(s), to hold the wrench tightly on the nut/bolt.

If that doesn't work, think about whether you can disconnect the two mounts at the tranny, loosen the two mounts at the engine, and lower the nose of the tranny enough to get at the nut with your impact socket. If you don't have to actually drop the engine, seems you won't have to disconnect very much and thus it shouldn't be as involved as a full engine drop. I have not done this myself, though.

[jakermc]

Use a u-joint on the impact gun. I just went through this exact problem. Spray the crap out of it with your favorite penetrant, have a friend hold a box wrench on the nut, and put a u-joint on your impact wrench and hit it with a 22mm socket. The angle was funny, but I had plenty of room with the u-joint. WEAR GOGGLES! U-joints are not made for impact wrenches. You may destroy it in the process and the pieces go flying. Have a spare u-joint handy in case it breaks before you get it loose.

[Wavey]

Yes, I saw that post too. My problem is even getting a socket on the bolt head - everything I have hits the torsion tube before it seats on the bolt. But I think I'll try grinding an impact socket down and using a U-joint with a breaker bar first, then an impact if that doesn't work. Thanks!

[Wavey]

OK, I give! I'm going to leave this alone until we pull the tranny next winter.

Here's the problem: The bolt head sits down in a recess and there's a small gap between the sides of the bolt head and the walls of the recess. Unfortunately this gap is much less than the thickness of the socket wall, and this also leaves only about 1/2 of the bolt head sticking out. I found a shorter socket yesterday and it will fit as far on the bolt head as the recess allows, but it couldn't get enough grip on the bolt head. So I ground the socket flat to get rid of the little radii at the ends to get more grip, but it still wasn't enough. So I ground the walls of the socket thinner so it can fit down in the recess, and of course it broke as soon as I put any pressure on it.

I also got a box-end firmly on the nut on the other side, thinking I'd just loosen that and pry the bolt out far enough to get a socket on it. No dice - even with a long tube over the wrench it won't budge.

So I say F#@& it, it can wait 'til winter. Should be a piece of cake with the tranny out. Hate to admit I'm beat, but I am.

[efhughes3]

Well, I'm here!! I can't get the freaking bolt loose to save my skin. I can't find my 1/2" universal, so off to Sears I go to get 2. I' had to use the impact on the 30mm nuts holding the axles in, so the ol' impact is earning it's keep today. I hope I can get the trailing arm bolts off. My monoballs are nice and cold right now!

[Wavey]

I'm pretty resourceful and tenacious, and this one beat me! Sure hope it goes better for you Ed - let us know what finally works.

[efhughes3]

Well, after using my electric Makita impact (217ft-lbs torque), several times for extended periods, about 45-60 seconds at a whack, all I got was a hot socket , u-joint and extensions. I layed on several coats of PB last night, and bought a 350lb impact today, hoping for the best. Nothing. It's going back.

I was going to try heat, but the nut on the driver's side is right next to the fuel line, so I opted out on that. I finally resorted to brute force with a breaker bar, and finally got the sucker. I went to the RH side while I was on a roll, and with my legs, was able to bust it loose. So, I'm stripped down on both sides, and I got the new monoballs installed, but I'm SORE!!! So, it's time to watch NASCAR for the rest of the day, and put her together next week,

These freaking bolts were about the hardest fastener on a car I've ever had to do.