trailing arm mounting point

[Jeff Nelson]

The hole in the inner trailing arm mount (the ear) on my car is no longer round. I assume that it was worn when the aftermarket bushings went dry, got sticky and the shaft started moving. The bushings have squeeked for quite awhile and the shaft mounting nuts were loose. The hole has been enlongated in the downward direction. There is still plenty of material there.

How round does this hole need to be? I could build up the hole with a welder but it would be a fair amount of work. This is a street car that is not autocrossed, if that matters much.

Any suggestions other than replacing the metal that is missing? Some other clever fix, perhaps?

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Try welding a washer of the appropriate size onto the ear. That should take care of sizing the hole. It might even be prudent to use an undersized washer and ream to diameter, but I think what I've heard of people using is just a washer.

Sorry if it's just a variant of "weld on new metal", but...

--DD