Help: Spring plate-Trailing Arm bolt fit problems

tiwebber · 06-24-2006, 01:14 PM

I have re-indexed the t-bars and am in the process of putting the spring plates back on. Problem seems to be that if I put in the two bolts on the end of the spring plate first, the camber bolt hole is way out of alignment. The toe bolt fits fine. Here's a picture. You can see the toe bolt is in and the top rear bolt to the trailing arm. At first I thought maybe I had mixed up the spring plates so I switched them around but same problem...on both sides too. What am I doing wrong? I have tried putting the jack in various positions and also tried putting the camber bolt in first - which works but then the two rear spring plate->trailing arm bolts dont fit. Help!

DUK · 06-24-2006, 01:32 PM

Tim, I just went through this same thing. I had to keep working the alum. arm around until I found the "sweet" spot. Then I could get all the bolts started enough to draw them up little by little. Also had a jack under the arms to support everything. Hope this helps. Duke

Zeke · 06-24-2006, 01:58 PM

What Duke said. Get a board and cut a piece so that you can jack on the arm so that everything rotates into place. Help things along with a big drift or tapered punch.

tiwebber · 06-24-2006, 02:15 PM

I've been using the jack with a short piece of 2*4 on top. I position the jack in a spot so that it can jack up both the trailing arm and spring plate in hopes that at a higher point (flatter angle of spring plate) the bolts line up - but they dont. Milt, would you elaborate a bit on your method? Would be much appreciated. I also dont know what big drift is.

Thanks very much.

Evans, Marv · 06-24-2006, 02:18 PM

Also I'm sure you tried rotating the toe adjustment bolt with the two attachment screws loose to try to get the camber bolt to line up. You may have to do it with the jack under it.

tiwebber · 06-24-2006, 02:23 PM

Thanks Marv. I have not tried this because I thought the toe bolt moves the arm forward and backward and my problem on both sides it I need to draw the trailing arm up or somehow lower the spring plate so that the camber hole lines up - its a vertical space issue but I'll try this too because who knows...
Thanks.

tiwebber · 06-24-2006, 02:46 PM

...just to be sure. The "left" and "right" spring plates look the same to me so I assume they are interchangeable. I have tried switching them but am considering switching again because I did'nt try very hard to get a fit after the first switch.

Zeke · 06-24-2006, 02:47 PM

See this for what I call a drift. I have some a foot long for what your are doing. AFA describing what I mean, I can't do any better. It should all line up at some point before you lift the car off the stand.

tiwebber · 06-24-2006, 07:14 PM

here's the right thread.

Was at a kids party - parents there too. Great margaritas. When I got home I had just enouph extra bravery to use crow bars and other forms of leverage to persuade the bolts to go in. It just involved lifting the spring plate underneath the area that had to go up a a 3 or so mm.

I guess sometimes things are not as precise as you might guess ( I am new to mechanics) or it is precise and I did something wrong.