# Replacing the lower trailing arm, 2000 Navigator



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

I am going to (have to) replace my lower rear trailing arm on the passenger side of my 2000 Navigator. Bought the new one, and it’s on the way. I have questions, however. First, below is the arm in question. Heavily rusted, almost completely destroyed. The one on the other side is rusted, but it’s surface rust. No holes or heavily pitted sections.

Question 1: do I jack the SUV up from the axle or the frame? The vehicle will be properly supported by 6-ton jack stands. I have read that because the axle moves, the new trailing arm may be difficult to install because the bolt holes won’t line up. Jacking the vehicle from the axle, then lowering it slightly onto a jack stand under the frame, seems the best way to avoid this, or at least mitigate it. With the weight of the vehicle on the frame, and the jack securely supporting the axle, everything should be stable. I can always micro adjust the axle up and down using the jack.

Question 2: if the bolt holes don’t line up, is it best to use a bottle jack to adjust the lateral distance by pushing the axle against the frame, or pull the axle a bit with a ratchet strap? Moving the axle laterally will require either a push or a pull. Which is better?

Question 3: I anticipate the new bushings will not want to slide into the mounting brackets. I will hit the inside of the brackets with a steel brush to remove as much scale and rust as possible. Can I spray silicone lube on everything to make it easier? I assume so, since silicone is rubber safe. A 4-pound hammer is available to help me move the arm into place.

Question 4: any general advice from those who have done this or similar repairs? There is always something that occurs that you have to work around. Rust is the enemy, nothing wants to move, nothing wants to fit, etc. If you have a head’s up for me on things to look out for, I would appreciate it.


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## rooster4321 (Feb 25, 2018)

Sounds like you've pretty much thought of everything you probably won't have to push or pull the axle sideways you have a little bit of movement with the rubber bushing going in I would smear some synthetic grease on the bushings instead of silicone. spray BP plaster on the bolts for sure before you try to take them off

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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

The rubber bushings will have a steel sleeve for the bolt to pass through. Pretty common for the bolt to rust and fuse to the bushing insert. Can make getting the bolt out impossible no matter how much penetrating fluid or hammering. I'd saturate it with a good penetrating oil every day until you get started, maybe you'll be lucky. If you're not lucky you may have to cut off both ends of every bolt to get it out. 

I'd support the vehicle off the ground by the frame, let the axle hang and then support the axle with a floor jack.


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## Brainbucket (Mar 30, 2015)

iamrfixit said:


> The rubber bushings will have a steel sleeve for the bolt to pass through. Pretty common for the bolt to rust and fuse to the bushing insert. Can make getting the bolt out impossible no matter how much penetrating fluid or hammering. I'd saturate it with a good penetrating oil every day until you get started, maybe you'll be lucky. If you're not lucky you may have to cut off both ends of every bolt to get it out.
> 
> I'd support the vehicle off the ground by the frame, let the axle hang and then support the axle with a floor jack.



Yep. That's how I would do it.:vs_cool:


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Repair instructions I found say exactly that. Support rear of vehicle under the frame on both sides. Put jack under the differential, lift enough to support the weight. Then remove trailing arm.

Sounds easy enough. I suspect a trap!


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)




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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Man that thing looks like Swiss cheese! If you have trouble getting the bolt out on that end, you could always just take a grinder to the strut and cut it off, then just grind the bushing shell, bushing, sleeve, and bolt in half.


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

huesmann said:


> Man that thing looks like Swiss cheese! If you have trouble getting the bolt out on that end, you could always just take a grinder to the strut and cut it off, then just grind the bushing shell, bushing, sleeve, and bolt in half.



Can work, but more likely that the short piece of sleeve is still stuck to the bolt so you end up having to cut the head end again anyway. Cutting straight through the rubber bushing is more challenging than it sounds. Doable but it'll gum up the blade, smoke, stink and throw hot rubber chunks at you. Depending on the job I'll use a sawzall, abrasive cut-off tool, or a cutting torch. I have a 6" cutoff tool that works pretty well for most jobs like this. A 4" grinder with a cutting wheel might work but often lacks the cutting depth.

I'd cut off the arm and remove the nut. Some hammering will open up the bracket slightly to create a little separation, assuming the bolt doesn't come out, cut carefully between the bushing and the bracket on each side.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Before you cut anything - make sure new one actually matches the old one.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

ukrkoz said:


> Before you cut anything - make sure new one actually matches the old one.


Nothing will be cut unless necessary. I have been overthinking what is, literally, a 2 bolt installation. Rusty two bolts though!


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I know you already know this but reminders don't hurt; spray the bolts/nuts down with PB Blaster or CRC several times in the days preceding when you plan to do the work.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

*Re: Replacing the lower trailing arm, g2000 Navigator*



mark sr said:


> I know you already know this but reminders don't hurt; spray the bolts/nuts down with PB Blaster or CRC several times in the days preceding when you plan to do the work.


I looked at the nuts yesterday. Rusty, for sure, but not rusted into one lump. I will hit them with a wire brush, heat them up with a propane torch and soak them. My UCA nut came off and the bolts came out last year with no problems and they were rusted up pretty bad. Thank God for a big cordless impact wrench.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

That truck sounds like a full time job for you.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Nealtw said:


> That truck sounds like a full time job for you.


Gives my something to do, for sure. 19 year old truck, that was in New York for its first 16. Rust is, uh, an issue. Looks like it has been garage kept, if the garage was at the bottom of the ocean.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Bigplanz said:


> Gives my something to do, for sure. 19 year old truck, that was in New York for its first 16. Rust is, uh, an issue. Looks like it has been garage kept, if the garage was at the bottom of the ocean.


I was thinking flood survivor. :wink2:


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

I went one for two yesterday, which would be great in baseball, but I wasn't playing baseball. I got one nut off, using lots of Blaster, heat from a micro torch, and 5 minutes straight of hammering with a Kobalt cordless 1/2 inch impact wrench. This was the nut in the front. I had straight access, so it was just the socket on the impact. No extensions. Bonus: the bolt moved freely in the sleeve. I could have tapped it out easliy.

The other nut, forget it. Didn't budge. Couldn't get the impact on it. Blaster, heat, impact on the bolt side, repeat several times, nada, zilch.

Attached are pictures.

Today's plan: get a propane torch. More heat is a good thing. Tiny little harbor frieght micro torch helped a lot on the other though. Then, get a HF 3/4 breaker bar, with 3/4 to 1/2 adapter and then spray it, heat it, then put the socket on the nut, and use a floorjack to raise the breaker bar enough to break loose the nut. It will either come off or something will go BANG!

My other option is take it to one of my many local independent mechanic friends and pay him to do it.

Opinions?


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## rooster4321 (Feb 25, 2018)

Cheater bar on your breaker bar if that to just break the bolt it doesn't work use a Sawzall cut it off, you can get a new bolt

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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

rooster4321 said:


> Cheater bar on your breaker bar if that to just break the bolt it doesn't work use a Sawzall cut it off, you can get a new bolt
> 
> Sent from my KYOCERA-E6560 using Tapatalk


I considered the cutting the nut off. Might revisit that idea. Good point about a piece of pipe. 3/4 breaker bar seems necessary for this, and an extra foot or two would help. 1/2 breaker would snap or shear off the nipple for sure.


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

You got one nut off, but will the bolt come out?
In most cases you'll find that will be the hard part. 


For the nut you can't get loose,

Concentrate your turning effort on the nut side. If the bolt is stuck in the sleeve then it won't be able to turn and the rubber bushing will absorb almost all of the impacting or turning effort you apply to the bolt head.


This guy definitely goes at it the hard way, but you'll see what a problem the sleeve can be. Not all bushings will use a split sleeve so this won't always work. He goes to a lot of effort, a couple cuts would have had it done.


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## rooster4321 (Feb 25, 2018)

This video shows the problem very nicely I just had the same problem yesterday on my lower control arm where he put his screwdriver to open a gap I use a Sawzall cut the bolt and sleeve and the whole thing came out

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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Center punch the bolt on the stubborn side, start with small drill bit, drill guide hole, then proceed with larger bits, till nut falls off. Then get a sledge and solid rod or punch and punch sucker out. As it was said, you can always get a bolt. And sleeve, for what it is. ACE hardware sells them. 



Just keep in mind that if you bend or break the bracket.....











Sleeves bolt goes through tend to be heat treated steel, so Sawzall may not even be able to cut it there. Getting cutting wheel in between bracket and bushing is magic, unless you piece arm into small chunks to clear access. I have seen diamond coated cable blades for hacksaw but they are super brittle... As rusted as that vehicle is, damaging bracket is quite possible and then what?


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

The bolt moves easily in the sleeve.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Bigplanz said:


> The bolt moves easily in the sleeve.



With any bad luck the sleeve will be stuck to the bolt and free from the rubber and won't fit thru the hole. :devil3:


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

That chick in the GIF looks like a girlfriend I had 40 years ago. Big glasses were a thing then.

Try not to get tangled up in those negative waves.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

TBH I don't think you need a 3/4" breaker. I suspect a 1/2" will be sufficient for you to shear that nut off.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

huesmann said:


> TBH I don't think you need a 3/4" breaker. I suspect a 1/2" will be sufficient for you to shear that nut off.


I like a hefty margin of success.:smile:


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Glasses are still the thing. Downhill but yet...


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

ukrkoz said:


> Glasses are still the thing. Downhill but yet...


I really liked her, big glasses and all...

Oh yeah, here's a video.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Two things about your video:

1) You wish for a lift...don't you have a floor jack (if not, how'd you get it up on jack stands)? Use a floor jack under the handle of your breaker bar.

2) It's not a brake _heat_ shield; it's really a splash shield.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

huesmann said:


> Two things about your video:
> 
> 1) You wish for a lift...don't you have a floor jack (if not, how'd you get it up on jack stands)? Use a floor jack under the handle of your breaker bar.
> 
> 2) It's not a brake _heat_ shield; it's really a splash shield.


I am going to use the jack up the breaker bar approach tomorrow. I bought a regular propane torch and 3/4 breaker bar (with a 3/4 x 15/16 socket) as well. It will either come off or go BANG.

Yes, I know it is a dirt/splash/stone shield.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

BANG is OK, as long as you can get the bolt out of the bushing sleeve!


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

huesmann said:


> BANG is OK, as long as you can get the bolt out of the bushing sleeve!


The other one was not seized in the sleeve, so I am hopeful about the second one. When I was pounding on the other one with my impact wrench, the whole bolt turned, so knew it wasn't seized. It is raining right now, so I give it a go tomorrow.


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