Denpo

Note: this is a copy of a post I made on my restoration frame. Since the issue is important to me and this is potentially a subject in it own I dare making a individual re-post of it.

Here's the TA I pulled from my vette (half of it has been treated by electrolysis).


Turns out the rust have done a fair amount of damage to them.
A loft of seams have swelled badly.


Here, all the welding point vanished, leaving a hefty gap that goes all the way thru


Some more swelling


I'm facing a dilemma, I planned installing johnny joints and having the arms welded properly (point weld, no thanks). Do you think those are salvageable of I should I start off with better used arms?
Did I told you I'm on a budget? a tight one.
I'm having the same thoughts about my spindle flange, I could clean them, but they are so pitted I'm wondering if they still have the same structural integrity.
Let me know what you think, did someone repaired TAs in such state?

7T1vette

Don't use a sow's ear to make a silk purse. Sorry.

hammadown

A better pair of used trailing arms can't be worth more than your life

Hammadown

68vetteman

Ditto
68 Vetteman

onaqwst

you can pick up a good set thats powdercoated for a decent price.... might want to just buy a kit with all the bearings/etc already done.....

WESCH

Hi

The seams don't look that bad. All the weldings are still intact. I saw worse where the welds already started cracking due to corrosion under the seams and the car still drove and probably still does.

Of course is a new pair of arms better, but probably not required.

Rgds. Günther

muskegonbrake

We've got new trailing arms, and I would definitely recommend it. My mechanics won't re-use trailing arms when the seams are starting to go, and you definitely have some problems. It might be worth buying a pair of reman arms already built and kiss a big part of the core goodbye. Come to think of it, I might even have a decent pair of used arms sitting around if you're interested.

Andrew
800-442-0335

7T1vette

Do yourself a favor....call Andrew and take him up on his offer of a decent pair of used ones.

ragtag74

Yes,go for the good used set. John

Budman68

I've got a set of nice used ones. PM if interested.

srs244

me too. not worth the chance. if i remember correctly there is a restored pair of trailing arms for sale right now in the C3 for sale section.

csradley

In my opinion those don't look bad at all. I would bead blast/sand blast or scrub the **** out of them to clean them up and then re-weld the seams up. When done with that just paint them with your paint of choice. They will be good as new with a little work as long as there is no major rust which from the pics I did not see.
Good luck

Denpo

Thanks everyone for your inputs.
As pointed out by some, sure the TAs have rusted, but mainly at the seams, when dirt get stuck.The metal is still thick and strong.
So I think I'm gonna take the restoration path.
I know new TA would be a good thing, I appreciate your security concerns,
But want the shark back on the road by the spring, it's a short time, and if I start buying what I could restore I'm gonna suck my budget dry and postpone even further.

edtekk

Mistake!

Manuel Azevedo

Why did you even ask?! Seems you already made your mind up before posting! Those arms should be replaced for safety of you and everyone around that car! But I think I would be even more afraid of the rest of the car that those arms came from!! I understand not having the money to do it right, BUT if you can not do it right and safe sell it to some one who can and buy your self a safer car to Begin with!!

7T1vette

Media blast them clean, then take them to a welding shop and have them 'beef-up' those chitty welded seams. It will only cost you $20 bucks, or so, and it might save you a lot of grief.

scottyp99

Those trailing arms weren't welded together very well when they were brand new! A good welder will be able fix those up better than new. He (or she!!) can even grind the welds down and make 'em look pretty, but it's gonna cost more than 20 bucks! Use a reputable welder, don't let your brother-in-law who just bought a welder practice on 'em!


Scott


You just lost the game!!!

Denpo

Wow, so much heat for a long-dead thread.
My bad I should have closed the subject with a final update:

I did contact a couple of professional welders. Since you can't weld on rust, they needed to be blasted.
Cost of Blasting+welding, I was way beyond the price of good used, even shipped to Canada.
So I bought a pair from a forum member.

Since the game have changed, I now have access to a blasting booth and a MIG for beer money (thank Michel!).

So I used that welder time to put some Johnny Joint move the cable bracket.





I'm keeping the old ones as playground for wilder mods.....

bobbarry

Look nice!

Just a slight tangent: why Johnny-joints for the trailing-arm pivot? I know they're used for links off-roading where you want maximum articulation and resistance to deflection. I would think the only motion you want in the trailing-arm pivot is in the vertical plane, with *resistance* to motion in any other plane?

builder

If you take them to a welder to have them welded up, a good welder will tell you if the metal is too fatigued or too rusty to reuse. My welder wouldn't even have to know what they were and he would give me that much information. He wouldn't even weld up crappy metal.