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Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:01 pm

I am having a problem with the pivot bolt loosenig on the right trailing arm. I had it fall out during a run a couple of years ago, so I welded a small piece of tubing over the end of the pivot bracket and installed a cotter pin over the end of the bolt to keep it from backing out. The last couple of trips I have checked the bolt only to find that it has backed out as far as the cotter pin would let it. I have also recently learned that I have installed the arms with the washers in the wrong places. I have put one on each side of the pivot end of the arm instead of both on the outside. Could the washer placement cause the pivot bolt to loosen on the right side only or could I have other problems. Help!

Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:48 pm

i had the exact same problem with 3x3 arms when i went to full coilovers. i found that the irs brackets were not welded in the proper location so to get my rear wheels to line up straight forward it was putting a big bind on the bolt, i repaired and i have not had a pivit bolt come loose since

Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:12 pm

There's really no right and wrong way to place the washers...though most references will say to put them both on the outside.

Have you tried peening the "b!tch bolts" like they were from the factory?

Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:12 pm

Did your car come with IRS or did you or someone else convert a swing axle to IRs. My car is a 69 that came with the brackets in place. Is it possible to bend these brackets, as in a car accident? How would you fix this? Is there a jig or certain measurements you would use?

Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:27 am

We lost 2 pivot bolts on the last trip out, mine wasn't one of them.

Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:31 am

baja5 wrote: We lost 2 pivot bolts on the last trip out, mine wasn't one of them.

Isn't that because you were too busy breaking the front end? :lol:

I've never lost one either

Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:11 am

tako didn't loose the pivot bolt but the trailing arm fell off :shock:

Mon Oct 26, 2009 12:39 pm

did you take a punch, and pound the edge of the bracket, to hold the bolt in place? i would think that not doing this cold cause the bolt to back out.

Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:53 pm

The hole for your cotter pin is too far from the bolt head. It should be as close as possible - just enough for you to get the pin through.

Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:34 pm

I just took and drilled a hole in the bolt head, and on the IRS mount, and safety wired it, so it should be good to go now

Tue Oct 27, 2009 7:12 pm

Skidmark wrote: The hole for your cotter pin is too far from the bolt head. It should be as close as possible - just enough for you to get the pin through.

Thanks, in retrospect I should have made an adjustable stop like others that I have seen. One point that puzzles me is that the bolt on the right side of the car backs out, but the one on the left side stays tight as can be. Is it as simple as right handed thread on both sides of the car?

Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:34 am

Get a pice of 1 1/8 tube, cut it about 2 inches and weld it around the hole for the pin. drill a 3/8 hole in the tube that is even with the head of the pivot bolt. Put a 3/8 bolt in and the pin will not back out......