# 2000 Navigator, replacing rear lower trailing arm



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I tried to replace the upper and lower trailing arms on our Pathfinder today, didn't happen. I bought a 1150 foot pound impact wrench, new impact socket and it rounded the head on the nut. I poured the heat to the next one and off it came. I still haven't had the pleasure of replacing all on our truck yet but hope to next week.

Have you checked the cost of the nuts and bolts for the arms, unreal. $7 each for the bolts and $4 each for the nuts, plus shipping, heck there is only eight of them. lol

I like the trick with the bottle jack and 2x4, I will be using that trick. Thanks for the video.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

What is my cheat pipe doing on your floor?


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I am amazed you got the bolts out of that sleeve that easy, some are welded with rust. No way under the sun can I break these bolts loose with a cheater, I tried and used the jack on the pipe, it picked the truck up and still didn't come loose.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Btw, here's dandy tool for such adventures:


https://www.amazon.com/Grip-Tite-Super-Sockets-Metric-Drive/dp/B003M68V6E


Lifetime. Sears used to retail then.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

BigJim said:


> I am amazed you got the bolts out of that sleeve that easy, some are welded with rust. No way under the sun can I break these bolts loose with a cheater, I tried and used the jack on the pipe, it picked the truck up and still didn't come loose.


Once the nuts were off, getting the bolts out was the easiest part of the job. In your case, either cut them out or torch them off. Either one would require me to take ir somewhere.

The rest of my trailing arms are rusted but structurally sound. No holes, no sheets flaking off.

I learned the bottle jack trick here. Without knowing this in advance, I am not sure I would have thought of it. Be careful though! I kept my head behind the brake rotor while using the bottle jack. Huge amount of potential energy there. I should have doubled the 2x4 where the jack was pushing and used a 2x6 for better contact on the bracket, but this worked.

https://youtu.be/2TejuMr7xgk


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

Your new arm being longer than the old one, I wonder if the truck dog tracks (travels down the road crooked like a dog) now? You might have to change the arm on the other side to get the rear back into alignment. Usually doesn't take too much to cause tracking problems. Don't know if it's just china parts or ?

Seeing all the other rust on the vehicle it's AMAZING that the bolts weren't stuck in the sleeve at all. I would've bet just about anything that those were rusted beyond ever getting them out. Getting the nuts off is usually easy, having the bolt just slide right out is pretty rare in the rust belt.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Bigplanz said:


> Once the nuts were off, getting the bolts out was the easiest part of the job. In your case, either cut them out or torch them off. Either one would require me to take ir somewhere.
> 
> The rest of my trailing arms are rusted but structurally sound. No holes, no sheets flaking off.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the video, that was cool. I sure hope the rest of my bolts come off half as easy as yours did. I didn't think of it until you said the car manf had used loctite on the bolts, I bet that is what they did on mine also.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

iamrfixit said:


> Your new arm being longer than the old one, I wonder if the truck dog tracks (travels down the road crooked like a dog) now? You might have to change the arm on the other side to get the rear back into alignment. Usually doesn't take too much to cause tracking problems. Don't know if it's just china parts or ?
> 
> Seeing all the other rust on the vehicle it's AMAZING that the bolts weren't stuck in the sleeve at all. I would've bet just about anything that those were rusted beyond ever getting them out. Getting the nuts off is usually easy, having the bolt just slide right out is pretty rare in the rust belt.


I wondered about tracking as well. Drove on the interstate and local streets, and it tracks straight and true. IDK? 

I went to NAPA when I discovered the length difference. NAPA part was exactly the same lenght as the Dorman ($20 dorman, $146 NAPA).

I will do other side if I notice weird tire wear. Bolts slid in fhe sleeves with no resistence at all.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Bigplanz said:


> I wondered about tracking as well. Drove on the interstate and local streets, and it tracks straight and true. IDK?
> 
> I went to NAPA when I discovered the length difference. NAPA part was exactly the same lenght as the Dorman ($20 dorman, $146 NAPA).
> 
> I will do other side if I notice weird tire wear. Bolts slid in fhe sleeves with no resistence at all.


Didn't you replace both sides? I thought in the video that you did.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

BigJim said:


> Didn't you replace both sides? I thought in the video that you did.


Just the passenger side.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Well, you'll know soon enough by tire wear. Trailing arm controls toe. Can't help, if you forced it in, you reset toe. 

Tires will show.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

For $20 I would just replace the other side too. Ruining a set of tires would cost you more than a yuppie food stamp.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

huesmann said:


> For $20 I would just replace the other side too. Ruining a set of tires would cost you more than a yuppie food stamp.


I already ordered one.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Here is an odd situation. You may recall I have complained about a rattling sound in the front of the engine. The trailing arm came first, of course. Now that it is done, the rattle has substantially reduced in volume and frequency. It isn't gone, but is at least 75% reduced. Used to be embarrassing going through the echo-ey parking garage. This morning, hardly a peep. Very odd.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

huesmann said:


> For $20 I would just replace the other side too. Ruining a set of tires would cost you more than a yuppie food stamp.


Got an email from Amazon, said the price of the trailing arm went up in a week to... $103.

I canceled the order, and found one for $35.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Bigplanz said:


> Got an email from Amazon, said the price of the trailing arm went up in a week to... $103.
> 
> I canceled the order, and found one for $35.


Good grief, that is crazy. Good for you showing them that their little scheme didn't work. :thumbsup:

I got the 8 new bolts and nuts for my trailing arms yesterday, $60. I see why the nuts don't come off easy now. The new nuts have been stamped to make the hole in them oblong instead of true round. The nut is hard to get on and much much harder to get off.


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## Brainbucket (Mar 30, 2015)

BigJim said:


> Good grief, that is crazy. Good for you showing them that their little scheme didn't work. :thumbsup:
> 
> I got the 8 new bolts and nuts for my trailing arms yesterday, $60. I see why the nuts don't come off easy now. The new nuts have been stamped to make the hole in them oblong instead of true round. The nut is hard to get on and much much harder to get off.


That's a lock nut.:vs_cool:


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Brainbucket said:


> That's a lock nut.:vs_cool:


And man does it ever lock. lol I have two (so far) that I will have to cut off.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

BigJim said:


> And man does it ever lock. lol I have two (so far) that I will have to cut off.


For a control arm where there's no heat (unlike an exhaust manifold, e.g.), I'd rather use a nyloc than a stover!


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