Can you change the triling arm bushings w/o disconnecting anything?
 

Monoballs are installed, just want to replace the spherical bearing inside of them..

I'm just curious if I can get away with popping the arms out, pry them down a bit, and get to them. All I need to do is pop a circlip, pull out my monoball bearing, pop in a new one and button it back up.

Whatcha think? :D

The spherical bearings are supposed to be a light press fit into the cartridges and the cartridges are a bit tighter fit into the trailing arms if I recall. Might be kind of tough doing it under the car because the fit into the trailing arm is pressing the bearing tighter into the cartridge. So I don't think they're going to just slide right out.

Actually they do slide out easily IIRC. I'm just not sure I can drop the front of the arms down enough with stuff still bolted to them..

I installed the Elephant monoballs in the trailing arms of my 930. I spent only 5 minutes on my back under the car assessing the situation before I gave up and pulled the whole arm.

The installation instructions call for heating the trailing arm, so its somewhat of an interference fit. Even with heat, I used a big c-clamp and a couple jumbo sockets to make a "press" to push in the cartridge. I suspect removing them will take some equally "persuasive" method. If I had a lift, I might give it a shot in situ, but I still think you'll have to disconnect the spring plate.

My bearings were a bit tight in the cartridge and I actually had to lightly hone the cartridge to insert new ones (old ones came out slightly galled on the OD of the bearing body). The reason I wanted a looser fit is because I didn't want any binding of the bearing when installed. Its quite easy to compress the bearing if the fit is too tight. My bearings didn't want to pivot smoothly even when the cartridge wasn't in the trailing arm.

But if yours are not a really tight fit, give it a shot? If your spring plates are a smooth install with no resistance (polybronze?), you should be able to just remove the shock bolt and that will let you pivot the trailing arm upward with little resistance. Good luck!

You guys are talking about the initial installation of the monoballs and I would never attempt to do that under the car. That isn't what i'm talking about, sorry for any confusion. Monoballs (Smart Racing or Elephant) consist of the outer sleeve and the inner spherical bearing which is a slide in fit retained by a circlip. I change the bearing itself but did it last with the arms off the car. I *think* I can just pull the bolts and pop the arms out enough to get to the circlip, slide the old bearing out, and slide the new one in. Has nothing to do with the sleeve, which is a light press fit.

Yes the spring plates are polybronze but I would unbolt the trailing arm from the spring plate before messing with the TB's..

Gary,

I knew exactly what you're trying to do when I first read the post. I shared my info based on my experience of replacing the bearings out of the arm because I think it is pertinent to doing it in the arm considering the cartridge is a fairly tight press fit into the arm. The press fit into the arm into can slightly compress the cartridge (its round and thin walled so it can deform fairly easy) and might make removal of the bearing, while in the arm, a bit tighter.

But maybe i'm wrong. Give it a shot and hopefully you prove me right (that i'm wrong)! :D

Also I was assuming coilovers (visualizing doing it on my racecar) so my apologies for saying just disconnect the shock bolt and no more resistance.....

Maybe I was lucky but when I last replaced them they just slid right out once the circlip was off. I'm sure I neverseized them lightly (as I do everything) when I installed the last set so I bet they come right out. My biggest curiosity is will I have room and the movement I need. I most likely will try it, worst case will be I have to unbolt the spring plate and as the car will be on a lift it's not a big deal. I also need to remove/relocate my Wevo sway bar mounts to give me more ground clearance as the car will be lower by 1.5" with my new 15" wheels/tires.. :D

Drivers side is the hardest as you have to get around the fuel lines. I did this install new with the whole arm disconnected from every thing but brakes and e-brakes. I wish I had removed the arms... You can, with some effort, swing the arm out of the mount and down. Keep in mind that my eng/trans were out of the car and I was sitting in the engine bay on my nice stool when I did this and it still was a PITA.

If your cartridges come out w/o being pressed then I would consider your arms may be too loose. You may be able to pean them tight... Then again it may not matter.

-Michael