Easy Trailing Arm Removal

[95GS]

One trailing arm came off easily, the other wouldn't budge.

The bolt was rusted solid to the steel bushing within the rubber bushing.

I've read it's a common complaint, the forward bolt at the body frame, never loose in 20 years.

Yes the bolt would turn with difficulty, tearing up the rubber.

 

Did not want to grind the rubber, messy, toxic.

Took an almost sharp knife to the rubber bushing, circumcised it (cut around). 2-3 minutes.

A diagonal cut opened the donut for removal.

This left a space for a cut-off wheel or Sawzall. See photo.

First tried the Sawzall, but the blade was not hard enough.

An ultrathin cut-off wheel took less than a minute.

Repeat for other side of bushing.

[W30olds]

Wow! That looked like a chore. Glad it went well.

[94 olds vert]

Good work. I replaced 4 sets of trailer arms, and never had an issue.

[Imp558]

That happened to one of my front control arm bushings. A metric shit ton of penetrating oil and a 2 lb sledge got it loose and saved the bolt.

[intern8tion9l]

I had to cut mine off in a similar fashion

[95GS]

Now for installation.

The new Dorman trailing arms (Dorman 905-501), pictured at right, use an offset bushing.

i.e. - the arm does not meet the bushing mount at the center.

Does it matter how it's installed - arm to the inboard, or to the outboard side?