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Trailing Arms Blues :(

1K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  Jeremy Smolik 
#1 ·
I am trying to help my son with his 2005 Dodge Neon SRT4.

He has done some major overhauling of the suspension (as well as some stuff under the hood too).

  • Both Front & Rear Sway bars
  • Upper & Lower Control Arm bushings
  • Trailing Arm bushings
  • Lateral Arm bushings
  • New coil-overs (front & back)

ANYWAY............ when trying to reinstall the Trailing Arms, it's just too darn difficult to get everything to line up.

*** If you put the rear nuts on first, the arm wants to twist and fight you and you cant get the dogbone bracket to line up with the holes to get the bolts in.

*** If you put install the dog-bone side first? The angle of the arm is too severe to allow the rear bushings for the arm to sit in their respective seats.

COULD THE COILOVERS BE CAUSING THIS?

OR...........

Would installing the Lateral Arms first be a a good idea? (although I don't see how that would help the angle of the Trailing Arm.

The Service Manual says to Install Dog-bone side first. I've seen other posts in here where guys have said get the back on first.

SUGGESTIONS?
 
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#2 ·
Assuming we're talking about the things which the manual refers to as "rear tension struts", first, make absolutely sure you don't have the left and right sides flip flopped or upside down. I did this once, then realized the struts are stamped with "...72251 L" and "...72250 R" for the driver and passenger side, respectively.

On brand new coilovers where the ride height and camber aren't set yet, it's possible the struts are throwing the rear spindle geometry off a bit.

I've always loosely threaded everything together first, then take up the slack and torque to spec. Adjust rear lateral arms to line up bolt holes with old stamped arms as necessary (if using the SPC/Mopar adjustables), thread the lateral arm bolts through spindle and chassis with washers in order, insert the bayonet end of the tension struts through the eye of these rear spindle with the new bushings, give the big rear nut a few turns to keep it in place, then position the dog bone side and start those threads up the rear rails. Then thread the strut bolts to the spindle. Easier to put a jack under the spindle and tweak to fit the strut when everything is loosely held together.

Hope that helps.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Make sure they are correct... Left vs right. They aren't labeled and it is hard to tell which is which. I goofed and had them mixed up. Edit: THEY'RE LABELED? I'm blind and never saw it lol
I installed the dogbone first. I think I had the coilover removed so I wasn't fighting it.
 
#6 ·
Keep the coils attached to the strut tower mounts up top, just unbolt the two clevis bolts on either side of the strut where it mounts to the spindle. Bolt the rest of the crap onto the spindle like the lateral arms and tension struts, then you can easily raise the spindle into position with a jack to line up the clevis bolt holes in the spindle and strut.
 
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