I have to replace the stock torque arm bushing in the next couple days, and had one question. When removing the torque arm, should the rear end be sagging (jack stands on frame) or not? I did a search and couldn't come up with the answer. I only remember a REAL bad experience with the torque arm shearing off a grease zerk off my BW 4 speed and putting a serious dent in my 82's Trans Am's transmission hump.

TIA!

 

Jack the car up, and support the frame on them; then jack the pumpkin up a couple of inches, just enough to lift it off the stops in the shocks, and put another set of jack stands under the axle tubes that hold it just barely up off of as low as it can go... not under the brackets, not under the pumpkin, not under anything else except the axle tubes. It has essentially no rotational force on it this way. The reason it tends to rotate is because the spring perches aren't centered on the tubes; so if there's any significant force on the springs, the rear WILL try to rotate.

 

Very good! I think I can do that Thanks for the info!

 

...and if the housing rotates too much, you'll find your springs on the garqage floor. If that happens, don't get too alarmed. However, as a precaution, you may want to mark the positions of the ends of the springs relative to the perches before you remove the torque arm. Even a loop of masking tape will do.

Doing that will assure that the springs are replaced in the correct position on the perches and on the correct sides.

Since the WS6 springs are computer selected for free height and rate, you shouldn't mix them from side-to-side, and they need to be correctly seated on the index notch of the perches.

 

I will presume this information would also apply to the Eibach springs that currently reside in the place of the original WS6 springs?

Thanks again!

 

Yes, that's true regardless of springs. Although lowering springs may not have much force when the shocks are fully extended.

On that note, I'm not sure I agree with the above advice. The issue is having the springs compressed by the vehicle weight while the torque arm is removed. I had a similar experience, getting my hand caught between the torque arm and tunnel when the arm was released from the mount (felt like an ape hanging from a tree limb - probably looked and sounded like one, too).

I would suggest jacking the car up, putting jack stands under the chassis to support the weight of the car. Then, let the axle down to reduce the force on the springs. Either let the axle dangle on the shocks, or remove the lower shock mounts and remove the rear springs completely (support the axle with a jack, of course). Now you know there isn't any rotating force on the axle due to the springs. The arm can now be removed from the mount with no fear.

 

That's precisely the suggestion... let the rear almost as low as it will go, almost to the point of hanging free. But. if the axle dangles by the shocks, the combination of where the springs push on the axle and where the shocks hold it, produces a rotational force; where if the axle tubes are the thing doing the supporting, they're almost directly in line with the springs, and so create very little rotational moment.

Go experiment with it next time you're under your car, you'll see what I mean.

 

Jack-stands-under-the-axle-tubes is what turned me into the ape.

 

I've removed the torque arm bushing/clamshell more times than I can count. Always with the rear end hanging free. I can grab the torque arm and pull down on it with no effort and I'm a beanpole. This was in both my Z with stock springs and my RS with Eibach springs, working on a lift.

Just let it come to rest easy against the tunnel (don't rubber-band it).

 

Very good. I should be trying this Thursday night. Once I get the Tq arm off I'll do the tranny mount as well.

As always, this board rules!:rockon: :rockon:

Thanks!

 

IT'll also depend on the shocks, my GTA has comp eng shocks that allow the rear to hang down so far that the springs fall out, no force on the torque arm.

My firebird with stock everything, I forgot about it and damn near broke my finger when it shot up, jacking up on the pumpkin could actually get the torque arm to be in a neutral position(this helps for re-installing).