Quick HELP query re trailing arms

[Jocklandjohn]

Just trying to replace the rear bushes and the big nut on the end of the threaded end of the trailing arm wont budge. Heat wont shift it, the long breaker and jumping on it wont shift it either.

So...if I remove the three small bolts attaching the triangular plate to the outrigger through which the trailing arm passes and the bushes surrounding it - will the metal plates that are on the drivers side of the outrigger pass through the hole in the outrigger?

If they do I can then grind the stuck nut off more easily than I can with it in its current position.

What I dont want to do is remove the trailing arm completely at the axle end if it means it wont go through the hole as whatever else I may do to remove it its going to be easier with it fixed at each end - axle and outrigger (if that makes sense).

So the questions again - will the round plates between stuck nut and bush pass through the circular hole in the outrigger? Its impossible to tell or measure as it is currently.

[Maverik]

Do you mean, if you take it off at the axle end and undo the retaining bolts can you take it off and put it on your workbench? . if its that then in theory yes you can, but what I found on one of the trucks was that the rubber had expanded so much 9due to rusty bush plates) it wouldn;t pass through, so then had to angle grind a cut in each of the thick plates to chisel them off to allow the rubber to expand, if you do this be carefull they go with a ping.

Mav

[Jocklandjohn]

Yes thats the theory - remove axle end, three bolts on triangle plate, and extract stuck nut intact through outrigger hole to transport to bench.

So it might work! Ok thanks for that. Seems worth a go.

[Bowie69]

How will you get more leverage on the bench....? Just a thought, as the axle is doing a good job of holding it atm.

[Orgasmic Farmer]

Just been out to check. If you can undo the 3 bolts holding the bushing on and remove the bolt at the axle end then the trailing arm should pull out to the rear of the evhicle complete with bush and big nut still attached. Often it is just the chewed up nylon that is holding the big nut. Melt it out with a blow torch and get some easing oil in there. If all else fails new trailing arms are surely 2 a penny (I know I have a few spare sets in the workshop).

[Jocklandjohn]

Thanks chaps. I undid the three bolt triangular plate and the whole shebang popped through the outrigger hole with no problems.

The grinder then whacked off the big nut.

The real bugger was the bush inner sleeve which had welded itself to the other end of the trailing arm and required grinder/chisel/grinder/stilson/grinder/chisel/stilson/tea&chocolate biscuit/stilson/grinder/chisel/stilson.....ahhhhh....off. And its all back together again with nice shiny SuperPro nylons on instead.

Thanks for the help.