Bracing trailing arms

[norm roll]

whats the best way to reinforce the trailing arm's. on my 66
so far i have put the trailing arms in a press squized them together and welded them along the top and bottom.
should i also weld plates down the side's also

[norm roll]

this is how i did it so far i hope this was a correct way of doing it

[lil_sahara450r]

Excuse my ignorance please, but what exactly is the reasons behind doing this? I have seen reinforcing kits like this before from different vendors, but I've never been sure why it would be necessary.
Again, I'm asking this out of curiousity, I'm not trying to say you shouldn't

Thanks

[norm roll]

i will be making a lot more horsepower and torque then what these trailing arms were designed for and i dont want them to flex or bend.
now i'm trying to deciede if i want to use rubber bushings or the harder energy suspension one's. this will be a street cruiser which i will take to the strip every now and then for fun.

[SCOTI]

Looks good to me. The poly bushings should work well too.

[lil_sahara450r]

Gotcha! That makes sense. How much power can a unreinforced TA handle safely compared to a reinforced one?

[tubbedII]

I don't think they'd break if they weren't reinforced unless they were damaged, but reinforcing would help resist flexing to add more traction with higher hp issues. My brother's did a little bit of wheel hop at times from them flexing but that was just during burnouts...lol

[norm roll]

i dont really no. figured since every things a part nows the time do it.
i also am having my frame braced in the rear and a x brace put in i'll post oic's of that later.
my engine combo will start off with the inline 6 with a small turbo on it.
then i'll probally end up pulling the turbo charged sbc out of mt drag car and put it in the truck

[BlackedOut67shorty]

Originally Posted by lil_sahara450r

Gotcha! That makes sense. How much power can a unreinforced TA handle safely compared to a reinforced one?

And thats the million dollar question lol I would be interested to know when these trailing arms in their stock form will be pushing there limitations, ive seen arms broken when people overloaded their trucks. Would doubt that if you run high horsepower applications they probrolly would break but they just start to slowly bend out of shape. So lets just hope someone on here might have an idea of when reinforcing would be a wise desision. Prolly wouldnt hurt to just reinforce them now just so wed be ahead of the game

[chevy_mike]

Boxing up the stock arms can create a problem of a harsh ride when tranversing bumps at an angle. The stock arms are designed to twist with the axle. The rubber front bushing will flex to a specific point and then the arms will start the twisting motion. Add stiffer front bushings and they will not deflect as much, causing the arms to flex earlier. If you box the arms, they don't flex at all. At that point either the wheel comes off the ground or you start breaking parts.

If you basically are drag racing, this doesn't matter but a street driver, I would at least leave the rubber bushings in the front if you plan on boxing the arms.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by chevy_mike

Boxing up the stock arms can create a problem of a harsh ride when tranversing bumps at an angle. The stock arms are designed to twist with the axle. The rubber front bushing will flex to a specific point and then the arms will start the twisting motion. Add stiffer front bushings and they will not deflect as much, causing the arms to flex earlier. If you box the arms, they don't flex at all. At that point either the wheel comes off the ground or you start breaking parts.

If you basically are drag racing, this doesn't matter but a street driver, I would at least leave the rubber bushings in the front if you plan on boxing the arms.

Or swap to a spherical bushing up front that eliminates flex while allowing even greater (smoother) articulation.

[norm roll]

i really havent decided what bushing to use up front yet it will be street drive a lot more then raced. i will probally use the stock front bushings unless there is something between stock and neopreme.
i know my drag radial car doesnt ride very well at all lol but it is also a low 8 second street car . i run ladder bars in that. i would like to get a deicend ride with this truck

[tubbedII]

I put poly's in my blazer...didn't notice a difference...but then I also swapped to air bags at the same time so that might be why...

[norm roll]

Originally Posted by tubbedII

I put poly's in my blazer...didn't notice a difference...but then I also swapped to air bags at the same time so that might be why...

this is my first project like this so i dont know how air bags and high horsepower and torque work lol im learning though.

[chopped68]

boxing the sides still leaves you with 2 halves stitched together.you are better off with stiffening plates on the top and bottom of the arms.I plated the whole arm including around the bushing.
Posted via Mobile Device

[norm roll]

Originally Posted by chopped68

boxing the sides still leaves you with 2 halves stitched together.you are better off with stiffening plates on the top and bottom of the arms.I plated the whole arm including around the bushing.
Posted via Mobile Device

i have the side's boxed about 18" and plate's welded on the tops and bottom about 6" at the front by the bushing is that fa enough.

[norm roll]

here;s so pic's from my friend;s chassie shop on some of the frame work he has done. the rear shock cross member is also welded in.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by norm roll

here;s so pic's from my friend;s chassie shop on some of the frame work he has done. the rear shock cross member is also welded in.

You'll be fine. You're basically using 52" long ladder bars. I would recommend a Porterbuilt T/A x-member as it would allow you to tune your pinion per track needs.

[norm roll]

i might do that . even though this is not a race truck and its a street cruiser im building the truck to handle all the torque my turbo charged sbc can handle or a 12 valve cummind diesel has.

[chopped68]

Originally Posted by norm roll

i have the side's boxed about 18" and plate's welded on the tops and bottom about 6" at the front by the bushing is that fa enough.

post a couple of pictures how you plated them so I can see

[norm roll]

here's how i did my trailing arms . i only boxed the top and bottoms about 6" and the the side's 18" i want the arm's have some flex since it will be on the street.

[chopped68]

yeah those should be just fine.I didn't see the rear of the arm but I would do some plating/bracing on that end as well.