Trailing arms

[RRR18]

I tried posting this on my build thread to get some opinions and didn't really get any response so I'll try here.
These trailing arms are what came off my truck the other day. Previous owner said they had made them "homemade". I haven't had a problem with em at all. They seem to keep the truck true down the road and fit the 5" CPP drop springs perfect. The fit to the crossmember and the rear end seems factory like to me. They seem bulky as all hell to me. My only concern is IF I put this thing on air that I'm going to run into some problem that I'm not thinking of now?

[chevy_mike]

Not a whole lot different than some of the aftermarket trailing arms. Most of them are round tubing but I have seen square used as well. Looks like they have a uni-ball type front joint, to allow flexing.

Look fine outside of not sure how the bent area was done. If just butt welded together, I would put some fish plate reinforcement plates welded on. If bent and not welded, they I would run them as they are.

[RRR18]

It seems to be bent but I'll have to check to be sure.

[SCOTI]

They look good to me. Can you put up a better pic of the front bushing?

[RRR18]

I don't have one but can get one tonight after work.

[SCOTI]

Are they bushings or mono-ball/joints?

[kamikazekyle05]

Looks good to me

[RRR18]

They're rubber bushings with a steel sleeve. Weather they are the same as replacement bushings or not I have no idea. I have only changed trailing arm bushings once 18 years ago so I don't remember much.

[RRR18]

Sorry was best I could do it's cold -16*.

[SCOTI]

Looks like OE replacement. I recommend a mono-ball or swivel/spherical joint to help prevent bind because of the solid tube.

[JAC10K]

Why'd you take them off? They look way more solid than the stock units.

[RRR18]

I'm in the middle of a frame off I guess you could say.

[SCOTI]

Because of the rigid tube construction, I would use these....

http://www.hotchkis.net/6372-c10-swi...g-upgrade.html

[RRR18]

Hmmmm. Interesting.

[JAC10K]

Great work so far.

[chevy_mike]

I agree, you need something that will allow better flex since the arms are very rigid. The stock I beam style arms are designed to allow twisting motion but not up and down flex. With the box type arms, it removes the twisting motion that is needed. Having the spherical ball joint in the front allows for more twisting that the stock rubber bushing allows for.

If you are only drag racing the truck though, what you have would work great but something for the street, you need the twisting or you can possibly tear the front mounts.

[bbcmudtruck]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Because of the rigid tube construction, I would use these....

http://www.hotchkis.net/6372-c10-swi...g-upgrade.html

Is this something I would want on a new set of ece arms?

[chevy_mike]

GM designed the I beam trailing arms so they would have enough twist available in the configuration. When you remove the ability to twist (i.e. poly bushings, rigid arms, etc.) you place all this load on the mounts which are not designed for it. You also end up with suspension bind issues.

For drag racing this is great, since all your motion is going straight but street driving with with all the normal road conditions, it's not a good thing.

Personally, unless there is something wrong with the stock trailing arms, I don't see a benefit of replacing them but it's not my money.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by bbcmudtruck

Is this something I would want on a new set of ece arms?

Yes.

OE truck arms worked because the I-beam construction, material gauge, & front rubber bushings allowed for some articulation despite the axle/links being positively attached to each other.

Changed the materials used (use tube steel vs I-beam or poly busings vs rubber) & they will bind before an OE truck would. They will be stiffer, but that's not all that matters.

A rigid arm is good as long as it can articulate as good or better vs the original.

Porterbuilt & Hotchkis (now) I believe are the only 2 mfr's that offer this benefit.

[bbcmudtruck]

Thanks! Next question is, will these work with the ece trailing arms?

[chevy_mike]

If they take stock bushings, than yes.

[bbcmudtruck]

Thanks! I have no idea, however I will contact ECE and report back with my findings.

[RRR18]

Very good info. That Hotchkis setup might be the ticket for me. As long as this "homemade" setup I have here is the same measurements as stock.

[SCOTI]

ECE, CPP, & Ride Techs arms use poly bushings. Not sure if they're the same 'replacement' poly bushings that fit the OE sleeve.

[SHANE 73Z]

The Hotchkis pivots DO NOT fit in the ECE trailing arms straight away. ECE modifies a poly bushing to fit the bushing sleeve in the arm.

I replaced the tube insert in my ECE arms so I could use the Hotchkis pivots.

There are pics in my build thread. It also shows the sleeves we added for the sway bar links.

Shane