The other trailing arm is done!!!

[ltooz@xxxxxxxxxxxx (LLe_2002)]

Hello Bruce,
 Thanks for the advice, I didn't know about that. I tighten everything while the car is up with the jack, I need to losen the nuts and torque them down when the car is on the ground.
 Yes, it's so much easier with the car raised up higher, I used the floor jack to lift the car up really high, thanks to the height and the right direction of the left side, I was able to losen the nut with my leg pushing really hard and my arm holding tight to the axle. It took only 45 minutes to replace the left arm without removing the muffler bracket.
 The car is so tight around corner now. I love it, it's just like the GTV-6 I used to have. With all of the circles at the on & off ramp with 25mph I could try 45/50 mph (at night of course when there're no cars) and the car hugged the road so WONDERFULLY. I didn't know the trailing arms could make that much difference.

Thanks again,

Louis Le
91 Spider Veloce-getting better every WEEKEND...:o)
Fremont, CA

"Giller,Bruce C." <bgiller@domain.elided> wrote:

>Louis,
>    I had a look at your website and all your pictures and it seemed that
>you were on the right track.  One thing is that your jack stands should
>be located on the jacking points on the body (where you have the bottle
>jack) and not on the axle tube.  Jack up the rear via the differential
>as high as you can before putting on the jackstands.  The limit straps
>will hold the axle from falling down on the ground when the trailing arm
>is removed; no need to loosen them.  This way, you can use the floor
>jack to lever the end of the trailing arm instead of your scissors jacks
>but you need the car way up in the air.
>
>    One time I had to remove the largish bolt that holds the upper A-arm to
>car body (to replace the upper A-arm).  My 470 ft/lb air impact wrench
>could not break it loose.  But my 1/2" breaker bar with 3' pipe
>extension did the job where the impact wrench failed.  I would use the
>same method on your other nut - breaker bar and if necessary, an
>extension.  I use my feet to push the bar under the car due to the lack
>of room.
>
>    Loosen this bolt before lowering the trailing arm so that it is easier
>since this bolt will 'clamp' the center bushing in one position.  Also,
>do not torque these bolts until you have attached everything and lowered
>the car to the ground.  Bounce the car a few times to settle it and then
>tighten down the bolts.  Otherwise you'll 'clamp' the forward bushing to
>a different position that it normally would have taken and the bushing
>will fail; probably fail within the year.
>
>    And put anti-sieze on the bolts for you certainly don't want them
>fusing/rusting to the inner bushing.
>
>    Bruce
>
>    '73 GTV
>    '86 Spider
>
>> Hello all,
>>  Thanks to all your inputs, I took a chance and started the job. I almost gave up when I couldn't get the nut at the frame out, it was so tight. I got the electric impact
>> wrench from Harbor freight for 49.99 with 240lb-f of torque and try to open it, it didn't even move. With lots of WD40 and many times of trying, finally the nut
>> came out. This is the passenger side which I can use the impact wrench by removing the fuel filter bracket to get access. I don't know how I'm going to do it with
>> the driver side which got stuck with the muffler bracket. I need help on this one.
>> 
>>  http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/ltooz_alfa/lst?.dir=/trailing+arm
>> 
>>  The nut and bolt at the Frame is the hardest one to remove. Everything else is straight forward. I used all the jacks I have to get this job done (in the picture). 3
>> hours of trying and figuring out how to get it done, I finally finished it. What a great feeling.
>

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