17 replies to this topic

[Maccmike8]

How folk. 

Any tips on ow to straighten rear radius arm?

Appears to have been curbed prior to my purchase.

Could I strip down the hub and brakes, fabricate a lever to attach to the hub spindle and shocker bolt and whilst still attached to the subframe - pull up on the lever whilst applying some heat to the arm?

[nicklouse]

Just get it replaced.

[Ethel]

Are you really sure it's the arm & not the subframe?

[Maccmike8]

Just get it replaced.

 

I had thought of that but I cannot exchange one I know is bent - dont think thats fair on the seller.

[Maccmike8]

Yes 100%. Subframe is square all round and square to the car.

 

Are you really sure it's the arm & not the subframe?

[nicklouse]

 

Just get it replaced.

 

I had thought of that but I cannot exchange one I know is bent - dont think thats fair on the seller.

 

I did not say exchange. 

[stuart bowes]

Im assuming you were looking at minispares and the reconditioned ones where you send in your old ones

If its bent bin it, it's a suspension component

Never underestimate the usefulness of ebay

I believe a recon kit is about 20 quid?

https://www.ebay.co....vQAAOSwoz5hXH8g

Check compatibility first that's just an example

Edited by stuart bowes, 07 February 2022 - 02:15 PM.

[Chris1275gt]

This person refurbishes them you could ask them if they could straighten them as part of the refurb.

https://www.googlead...6BAgBEBE&adurl=

[coopertaz]

chuck in bin and buy replacement to refurb. arms are hollow and cast so will be weakend even if it could be straightened. just compare to replacement before binning to check someone with lower morals than you from ripping you off with another bent one

[Maccmike8]

 

 

Just get it replaced.

 

I had thought of that but I cannot exchange one I know is bent - dont think thats fair on the seller.

 

I did not say exchange. 

 

 

Thats the common way.

[Maccmike8]

Im assuming you were looking at minispares and the reconditioned ones where you send in your old ones

If its bent bin it, it's a suspension component

Never underestimate the usefulness of ebay

I believe a recon kit is about 20 quid?

https://www.ebay.co....vQAAOSwoz5hXH8g

Check compatibility first that's just an example

 

Ive looked at several different places. Thanks for the link.

[Maccmike8]

chuck in bin and buy replacement to refurb. arms are hollow and cast so will be weakend even if it could be straightened. just compare to replacement before binning to check someone with lower morals than you from ripping you off with another bent one

 

I understand your reasoning but in reality any replacement I buy has probably been fettled at some point in its life.

 

Im comfortable fettling mine.

[stuart bowes]

I don't think that's necessarily true. I think it's more likely people would throw it away than try and bend it back straight

 

my concern would be, how do you know you're getting it back to the right position, without a jig of some kind you're just as likely to bend it too far the other way

 

for the actual amount they cost it's just not worth it, save money somewhere else to make up for it would be my vote.. But that's just my opinion of course, like aholes everyone's got one ;)

Edited by stuart bowes, 07 February 2022 - 06:25 PM.

[Spider]

I routinely bend the arms, nearly every kerbside one I seem to pick up is bent.

 

I did make a jig for the press to do them in, but found that cumbersome to set up, so I tried them between 3 hardwood timber blocks and found this to be quite successful. I set the Arm in the press sitting on 2 timber V blocks, with the blocks as far apart as they can be placed, then the 3rd block in the middle to press on.

Before getting this far though, you really need a reliable means of measuring the arm so you can see just how much it's bent and checking your progress as you press it back. You also want a means of gauging it when in the press to see if you've gone enough at each go to re-set it.

 

This is the jig I made for measuring the arms for Toe and Camber Angles;-

 

 

 

The heavy steel block fits on the stub axle (very neatly !) and then the angles are measured from that with a protractor;-

 

This way for Toe;-

 

This way for Camber;-

 

 

I's suggest over-bending it for the Toe Angle and then shimming it on the subframe to bring it back.

While I did make a jig for measuring the Arms, they can of course be measured on car. You don't need to measure to the minutes of degrees, just be able to check that you have it Toeing In, then as I suggest when fitted, shim it back.

I haven't as yet come up with a decent means of un-twisting the arm if the Camber is out. Twisting by the Stub Axle (with a dummy hub bolted up tight) doesn't work.

 

I gotta say, not just with trailing arms but pretty much most things, I'm not in favour of tossing parts that can be repaired, out. As we are all finding, some parts are starting to get thin on the ground. Even if you may not be able to repair stuff, there's someone about who can, even if you give them these parts, at least that's another widget that's still around for someone to use rather than go to the ends of the Earth to find.

 

[stuart bowes]

well that's me corrected then lol  

 

I guess the difference is engineering level 100 vs. basic tools and guess work