Searching for advice 72 Trailing Arm Install.

[Gary G.]

Greetings,
I have completed the removal of the trailing arms on my 72. I have replaced the front bushings and will be installing them this week. The removal of the trailing arms required the cutting of the bolts. I have the new shim pack and did save the old ones for reference for install.
Before I begin the install is there any tricks that the masters have used to install the bolt? I will be installing from the frame pocket to the outside and it looks to be a tight fit. Watching some of the videos on the net, I have seen a lot of foolish destruction. One guy bent the pocket and brake line brackets.
This is the first time that I have done a trailing arm and would like to learn a trick or two before the frustration reaches the flying wrench state. Thanks for any advice.
Gary & Dawn Goodyear
66059

[Gary B.]

Re: Searching for advice 72 Trailing Arm Install.

It's pretty straight forward. If have an extra set of hands, have somebody hold it roughly in position, start the bolt and then just wiggle the arm around to get the bolt started and pushed through. I usually slide the bolt in, then push the arm onto the bolt, then push the bolt thru.

72 should use the slotted shims, you can install them afterwards. Use the same amount of shims on each side as what came out of the car. It's a rough start, you'll need to have an alignment done anyways. The shims need to be tight, drive the last one in with a small hammer.

You've got the hard work done. The rest is easy now.

Gary B

[Gary G.]

Re: Searching for advice 72 Trailing Arm Install.

Thanks for the advice!! Dawn and myself will be tackling this hopefully this week. My plan was to start the small shims and save the last big shim and use a brass to get it in. Cutting them out was no fun. 8 blades and several new words later they were out!!
Hope to see you soon Gary!!

[Rick H.]

Re: Searching for advice 72 Trailing Arm Install.

I did this myself a couple years ago. I had the car on jack stands and strapped a trailing arm to a transmission Jack and raised/pushed it into the trailing arm pocket while lining up the holes. I then looped a piece of fishing line through the cotter pin hole of the trailing arm bolt and taped a thin metal rod (with a smaller diameter than the trailing arm bolt) to the fishing line. I then pushed the thin metal rod through the frame and trailing arm and pulled the bolt through to the other side by tugging on the fishing line.

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[Joe L.]

Re: Searching for advice 72 Trailing Arm Install.

I did this myself a couple years ago. I had the car on jack stands and strapped a trailing arm to a transmission Jack and raised/pushed it into the trailing arm pocket while lining up the holes. I then looped a piece of fishing line through the cotter pin hole of the trailing arm bolt and taped a thin metal rod (with a smaller diameter than the trailing arm bolt) to the fishing line. I then pushed the thin metal rod through the frame and trailing arm and pulled the bolt through to the other side by tugging on the fishing line.

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Rick and Gary-----


That's exactly how I do it. I did not always do it that way, though. I learned of this trick about 35 years ago. Who told me about it? A fellow by the name of Drew Odabasian, proprietor of Corvette Stop, at the time located in Cupertino, CA (before Apple).