Aluminum Trailing arms

[Robert Shafer]

How can I remove the Swaybar link mounts from aluminum trailing? Tried to unscrew them with heat but no luck. Help. Thanks Bob Shafer Best to email shafer134@yahoo.com

[Charles Freeborn]

I assume you're trying to convert from ball to stud mount drop links.
They are cast in place and can not be unscrewed. A qualified machinist could cut off flush, drill, tap and fabricate a stud, or possibly cut off the ball, thread the remainder and fabricate a sleeve of some sort with the 12 mm needed for later style link mounts, but all of those steps are prohibitive in cost. The RARB console mouts are different on the later bars too. It's actually cheaper and easier to switch out to SC trailing arms and re-work the output flanges to 6 bolt, or go with aftermarket style sway bars that don't use the trailing arm mounts.
I'm in the process of this conversion now on my '74
-C

[Robert Shafer]

Charles, thanks for info I was really fighting these. If you don't mount links to trailing arms what do you use? the spring plates? If so what do you use to replace the offset bolt? Bob Shafer

[Mahler9th]

I am going to fabricate an adjustable drop link that works with the earlier ball stud. A friend told me how. All you need is a steel ring (about 15/16 - 1 inch ID, .120 wall, 9/16 wide) with a 3/8 dia. piece of threaded rod (e.g., a bolt with its head cut off). Or a metric bolt/threaded rod (perhaps M8). The bolt/rod gets welded to the ring.

Then you get an appropriate female rod end for whatever threads you used for the bolt.

So on one end you have an attachment to the ball, and on the other you have an attachment to an SC or later-style ARB. Or even an aftermarket sway bar. And adjustability to remove pre-load.

This would emulate the Tarett adjustable drop link except it would have the upper connection on the arm and not the spring plate, which is desirable for my application.

[Robert Shafer]

Charles, Maybe I am missing something but what would hold the steel ring on the trailing arm ball? Bob

[Charles Freeborn]

The new mounts attach to the spring plate and ignore the ball or stud mount. Give Chuck @ Elephant Racing a call and he can talk you through it. If you've got the earlier non-adjustable spring plates (I did on my '74) a later SC style plate will bolt right on and give you some ride height adjustment to boot. A very worthwhile upgrade. I believe you will need this style plate for the aftermarket bar. Do the spring plate bushings while you're there (again Elephant).
The process Mike ounlines above would also work. Steve @ Rennsport used to have a line on drop links that are ball mount to SC type balls, but I'm not sure if he's still got them. He would be worth a shout, or drop a message on his forum.
Again, pay attention to the bolt spacing on the RARB consoles. Earlier cars have a narrower bolt pattern, later cars with bigger bars are wider.
-C