Replacing my trailing arms. Rust sucks!

[ab_70chevy]

Iv know for a while, that I needed to replace my passenger side trailing arm. Well Im glad I didn't wait any longer. My dad replaced the drivers side about 10 years ago, but they didn't do anything to keep out mother nature, so it was time for the drivers side too. I decided to take the bed off cause it would be easier. Well since I had the bed off, I might as well notch the frame. I also need a hitch so since the bed is off, I might as well build a trailer hitch too...kind of snowballs. Well the trailing arms were starting to split, passenger side was way worse and was actually rusting through the side of it. So I found a really nice set from a guy who sold them to me for cheap, stripped them down, and TIG welded a bead down the middle of em, all the way around. Then POR 15 the piss out of em. Got some new bushings, and threw em in. I was suprised how easily they both went in. Didn't really have a problem with stuck bolts, made some new drop blocks, new u bolts, and a shock relocator kit, and it all went together great. I am kind of on a budget, so I decided to make my own notch and hitch. Went down to The Yard and got me some rectangle tubing and fabbed up a simple notch. Its going just a static drop, but I needed just a bit more than your average C-notch so I went with a mild step notch, just to the top of the frame. After that I moved on to fabricating the hitch. Yes it took me some time but Iv got about $55 in it and a little bit of Argon. I finished bolting up the hitch last night, so tonight the bed is going back on, and hopefully back down the highway tomorrow night.