1973 Trailing Arm Rebuild

[Roger C.]

I am about to tackle trailing arm rebuild on my 1973. Is this as dreaded a job as I have heard about. Are all the speciality tools shown in the manuals necessary.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1973 Trailing Arm Rebuild

Roger----

There are many, many posts in the archives on this subject by myself and others. It's such a lengthy topic to discuss, it would be far more efficient for you to refer to these. However, I will respond briefly here to your specific questions. First, and in my opinion, many of the special tools are necessary to perform this service operation. The spindle press is necessary if your spindles have not been removed from the car in a very long time. The bearing set-up tool is necessary if you are to have any hope of precise setting of the bearing endplay. If your rotors have never been sepearted from the spindles(rivets still in place)and you wish to keep them that way(which I HIGHLY RECOMMMEND), the outer bearing removal tool is a must. You can get by without the spindle installation tool if you have access to a shop press and you have the trailing arms removed from the car.

This operation requires the special tools mentioned and EXPERIENCE. Getting the experience can be personally fulfilling and rewarding, but it can also be EXPENSIVE. I've been down that road. I've learned how to do it perfectly. But, considering the fact that I only work on my own cars, it was a VERY expensive education and inefficient effort. Between the special tools(ALL of the Kent-Moore tools), DESTROYED PARTS, and "RE-DO's"), I figure that my trailing arm rebuilds cost me about $1000 each. Of course, future rebuilds will be FAR less expensive. IF I ever need to do any more rebuilds. After all, as difficult as it is to face, people only live so long.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1973 Trailing Arm Rebuild

Roger----

There are many, many posts in the archives on this subject by myself and others. It's such a lengthy topic to discuss, it would be far more efficient for you to refer to these. However, I will respond briefly here to your specific questions. First, and in my opinion, many of the special tools are necessary to perform this service operation. The spindle press is necessary if your spindles have not been removed from the car in a very long time. The bearing set-up tool is necessary if you are to have any hope of precise setting of the bearing endplay. If your rotors have never been sepearted from the spindles(rivets still in place)and you wish to keep them that way(which I HIGHLY RECOMMMEND), the outer bearing removal tool is a must. You can get by without the spindle installation tool if you have access to a shop press and you have the trailing arms removed from the car.

This operation requires the special tools mentioned and EXPERIENCE. Getting the experience can be personally fulfilling and rewarding, but it can also be EXPENSIVE. I've been down that road. I've learned how to do it perfectly. But, considering the fact that I only work on my own cars, it was a VERY expensive education and inefficient effort. Between the special tools(ALL of the Kent-Moore tools), DESTROYED PARTS, and "RE-DO's"), I figure that my trailing arm rebuilds cost me about $1000 each. Of course, future rebuilds will be FAR less expensive. IF I ever need to do any more rebuilds. After all, as difficult as it is to face, people only live so long.

[Patrick H.]

Re: 1973 Trailing Arm Rebuild

Roger,

Heed Joe's advice. I looked into this when I redid portions of my 71 three years ago. I quickly discovered that my best option was to send my T-arms to Van Steel in Clearwater, FL and let the experts do it. There were people locally who said they knew how to do it, but they do as many in 10 years as Van Steel does in a week. Thus, my choice. I don't think that we mean to discourage you from trying, but who wants a bearing to fail on the highway 200 miles from home? Especially when you spend as much money on tools as if you had just sent them off in the first place.

Good Luck.

Patrick

[Patrick H.]

Re: 1973 Trailing Arm Rebuild

Roger,

Heed Joe's advice. I looked into this when I redid portions of my 71 three years ago. I quickly discovered that my best option was to send my T-arms to Van Steel in Clearwater, FL and let the experts do it. There were people locally who said they knew how to do it, but they do as many in 10 years as Van Steel does in a week. Thus, my choice. I don't think that we mean to discourage you from trying, but who wants a bearing to fail on the highway 200 miles from home? Especially when you spend as much money on tools as if you had just sent them off in the first place.

Good Luck.

Patrick

[Wayne M.]

Re: Trailing Arm/Spindle Tools

Joe, I went the "personal fulfilment" route and purchased the following tools, not from Kent-Moore, but a few years ago at Carlisle, from an outfit based in Minnesota (I think) -- spindle press (out), the outer bearing removal, and the spindle installation tool (to suck it all together in the bearing support). I didn't go for the bearing shim set-up gizmo because the shim that was there before will probably be within a size either way of the one you'll need, and it's easy to press the spindle out a second or third time to "fine tune" the set-up for the clearance you want.

I realize that the outer bearing removal tool fits inside the parking brake shoe cavity, allowing the bearing to be removed without drilling out the rotor rivets, but when it comes time to re-install, with a new bearing and outer seal on the spindle, how can you work the new outer bearing seal into place in the bearing support with the rotor riveted to the spindle ?

In my case, the rivets were long gone, but nevertheless I wondered how the outer seal can be properly seated with the disk on.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Trailing Arm/Spindle Tools

Joe, I went the "personal fulfilment" route and purchased the following tools, not from Kent-Moore, but a few years ago at Carlisle, from an outfit based in Minnesota (I think) -- spindle press (out), the outer bearing removal, and the spindle installation tool (to suck it all together in the bearing support). I didn't go for the bearing shim set-up gizmo because the shim that was there before will probably be within a size either way of the one you'll need, and it's easy to press the spindle out a second or third time to "fine tune" the set-up for the clearance you want.

I realize that the outer bearing removal tool fits inside the parking brake shoe cavity, allowing the bearing to be removed without drilling out the rotor rivets, but when it comes time to re-install, with a new bearing and outer seal on the spindle, how can you work the new outer bearing seal into place in the bearing support with the rotor riveted to the spindle ?

In my case, the rivets were long gone, but nevertheless I wondered how the outer seal can be properly seated with the disk on.

[Joe L.]

Re: Trailing Arm/Spindle Tools

Wayne----

It's actually very simple, although sometimes hard to visualize. To complete this operation you first install the outer bearing and outer seal. Then, you draw the spindle shaft THROUGH the bearing. If you do this operation on the car, you really need the spindle installation tool. If you do it off the car, you can press it on with an hydraulic or arbor press.

The company that you refer to in Minnesota is probably International Axle and Manufacturing Company. They manufacture reproduction spindles and stub axles of excellent quality.

[Joe L.]

Re: Trailing Arm/Spindle Tools

Wayne----

It's actually very simple, although sometimes hard to visualize. To complete this operation you first install the outer bearing and outer seal. Then, you draw the spindle shaft THROUGH the bearing. If you do this operation on the car, you really need the spindle installation tool. If you do it off the car, you can press it on with an hydraulic or arbor press.

The company that you refer to in Minnesota is probably International Axle and Manufacturing Company. They manufacture reproduction spindles and stub axles of excellent quality.

[Bill Clupper]

Re: 1973 Trailing Arm Rebuild

I agree with Joe, although the trailing arm rebuild can be done by a "backyard Mechanic", I have found that if I limit my activity to removal and installation, the cost of a professional rebuild is minimal as compared to the cost of a failure on the road. There are a number of Competent shops that perform this service, the one I use, Bairs in Linesville PA does them for shops all over the country. I use them because they have a good reputation and are located about 45 minutes from my house.

[Bill Clupper]

Re: 1973 Trailing Arm Rebuild

I agree with Joe, although the trailing arm rebuild can be done by a "backyard Mechanic", I have found that if I limit my activity to removal and installation, the cost of a professional rebuild is minimal as compared to the cost of a failure on the road. There are a number of Competent shops that perform this service, the one I use, Bairs in Linesville PA does them for shops all over the country. I use them because they have a good reputation and are located about 45 minutes from my house.

[Gary Schisler]

Re: 1973 Trailing Arm Rebuild

Like some of the other posts stated, this is a tedious and difficult job. It CAN be done, but I chose to pull the T Arms and let a professional with the tools do the job. As I recall the cost of the tools was over $300 and then there is the concept that my 66 had the original T Arms. Why spend that kind of money so that once in my cars lifetime I can use them. I have done all of the other work on my car and I am now glad that I allowed someone else to do the work. In addition, I got a waranty with the purchase of new arms.

[Gary Schisler]

Re: 1973 Trailing Arm Rebuild

Like some of the other posts stated, this is a tedious and difficult job. It CAN be done, but I chose to pull the T Arms and let a professional with the tools do the job. As I recall the cost of the tools was over $300 and then there is the concept that my 66 had the original T Arms. Why spend that kind of money so that once in my cars lifetime I can use them. I have done all of the other work on my car and I am now glad that I allowed someone else to do the work. In addition, I got a waranty with the purchase of new arms.