Trailing arm orientation

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KevAndAndi
Posts: 531
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 12:14 pm
Your car is a: 1981 Fiat Spider 2000
Location: Chatham, NJ

Trailing arm orientation

Postby KevAndAndi » Thu Oct 01, 2015 12:00 pm

Maybe a dumb question, but: I plan to replace the trailing arm bushings. Is it a good idea to put the arms back in the same orientation, or does it not matter? (I'm also going to be removing the drive shaft for a new center support bearing and u-joints, and I'll obviously mark the heck out of that first.)
Kevin
1981 Spider 2000

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blazingspider
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 8:44 am
Your car is a: 1977 fiat spider
Location: Nanuet, New York

Re: Trailing arm orientation

Postby blazingspider » Sun Oct 04, 2015 6:07 am

The easiest way to re-bush is by removing only one trailing arm at a time. This way everything stays aligned and you won't be fighting to get them back on. Obviously that would mean leaving each arm where it is.

Hope this helps.

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azruss
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Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 12:24 pm
Your car is a: 80 Fiat 2000 FI

Re: Trailing arm orientation

Postby azruss » Sun Oct 04, 2015 2:19 pm

the long arms have an orientation for the e-brake cable plate so keep them in the same place

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KevAndAndi
Posts: 531
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 12:14 pm
Your car is a: 1981 Fiat Spider 2000
Location: Chatham, NJ

Re: Trailing arm orientation

Postby KevAndAndi » Mon Oct 05, 2015 4:03 pm

Thanks. I'm now thinking that I will be replacing the trailing arms entirely, not just the bushings. That's what the shop manual recommends, and I think it's probably a good idea. Will also replace the panhard rod, as well as the lower control arms.

Virtually every bushing in the suspension is ancient and rock hard, with the exception of the upper control arms which were replaced by the PO.
Kevin
1981 Spider 2000

bobplyler
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Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:58 pm
Your car is a: 1979 spider 2000
Location: Charlotte, NC

Re: Trailing arm orientation

Postby bobplyler » Mon Oct 05, 2015 4:56 pm

This is what I found when I changed mine
Image
1979 Fiat Spider (since new)
2005 Lincoln LS (the wife's car)
2003 Chevrolet Cavalier (daily driver)
1999 Honda Shadow VLX 600
1972 Grumman Traveller 5895L (long gone).

mullioni
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri Mar 22, 2013 4:12 pm
Your car is a: 1979 2000
Location: Greenwood, SC

Re: Trailing arm orientation

Postby mullioni » Fri Feb 10, 2017 8:27 pm

Bob, did you replace the entire trailing arm or just the bushings?

bobplyler
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Posts: 816
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:58 pm
Your car is a: 1979 spider 2000
Location: Charlotte, NC

Re: Trailing arm orientation

Postby bobplyler » Fri Feb 10, 2017 8:35 pm

The whole thing.
1979 Fiat Spider (since new)
2005 Lincoln LS (the wife's car)
2003 Chevrolet Cavalier (daily driver)
1999 Honda Shadow VLX 600
1972 Grumman Traveller 5895L (long gone).

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red107
Posts: 323
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2006 7:40 pm
Your car is a: 1981 Fiat Spider
Location: Fleming Island Florida
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Re: Trailing arm orientation

Postby red107 » Sat Feb 11, 2017 5:18 pm

I just finished replacing all of mine today. I only had one bolt completely rusted to the inside of the bushing. Cut off wheel on a grinder took care of it. Was a little tough torquing everything down with weight on the wheels.
1981 Fiat Spider 2000
2015 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4 Laramie
2018 Jeep Wrangler JLU

md88plt
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 12:57 pm
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat spider
Location: tennessee

Re: Trailing arm orientation

Postby md88plt » Sat Feb 11, 2017 5:57 pm

you know the lengthwise orientation by the brake cable guards. Thats how I realized that I had them backwards.

mullioni
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri Mar 22, 2013 4:12 pm
Your car is a: 1979 2000
Location: Greenwood, SC

Re: Trailing arm orientation

Postby mullioni » Sat Feb 11, 2017 8:16 pm

I am currently into the back end and had planned to change shocks and springs. I have the rear brakes removed for a caliper rebuild. The bushings look beat, so adding changing the pan hard and trailing arms (1979). Should I change the trailing arms first and then move onto the springs/shocks? Or the shocks and springs first?


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