Urethane IRS trailing arm bushing

The bentley says to coat the new rubber bushings with talcum powder.

Chris

After a long fight I give up on removing the trailing arm bushing. I removed the CV joint and it didn't come out. Maybe the brake tube is a little shorter I don't know. I tried to move the bushing a little and nothing. So if it doesn't want to come out maybe is because it isn't too bad. I found myself under the car with the trailing arm on me trying to put the socket head screw on place. @#&@!? (I'm getting old) I putted a small layer of lube on the outside bushing. After put and remove the spring plate the torsion bar came out from inner position. I had to guess and put everything back together. For the first time the left side was high then the right side 13mm I went for a ride to test. New bushings and a new Koni shock on the left and old bushings with a shock with 23 years old on the right. The performance was quite difference. On the right side I could feel the street bumps and the left side could filter almost everything. Now I have to do the right side. I hope it takes less time. After the ride the left side went down about 20mm. Now the difference is very small.

Jo=E3o

After give up on the urethane bushing here is the situation right now. Yesterday I arrive home 10 minutes before my wife so I could put the car on garage on reverse direction to access the right side and remove the wheel the bumper and the socket head screw. Not bad! In my case that socket head screw are very easy to remove because someone messed with them and didn't peened them. My luck!

Jo=E3o

In my case the 17mm allen bolt were a piece of cake to remove. Last night I made the right side. I started at 10PM and finished at 0:30AM. On this side I was able to remove the trailing arm without disconnecting the CV Joint or the brake lines?!?! but I wasn't able to remove the bushing from the trailing arm. I also remove the inner washer to use on the other side since I had 1on the left and 3 on the right?!?! I will test today. I still have to remove the 17mm allen bolt again from the left to put the washer. I hope that I hadn't to remove the spring plate again to setup the high. I didn't sleep thinking on the new handling :-) I'm getting sick LOL I got the beetle maniac disease.

Jo=E3o

That's great! That's what mine were like, enough slop in the brake line to move it around. Maybe some lines are longer than others?

Did you take pictures so you can put a page together? I am sure others will appreciate knowing how to do it.

Btw, that peening over the edge of the hole is for safety so that bolt doesn't walk out. I am not sure what the prevailing thought on this is, but I would secure that bolt since VW used to do that as well..

We all got that disease, Jo=E3o. We're like junkies, not wanting to go without :)

Remco

During the lunch time I had a few minutes to take the car out of the garage and went around the block to set the suspension. I messed the high by 6 mm. When I pass at 40 Km/h on those big hills on the road to limit the speed, when it lands it doesn't jump ;-)

Jo=E3o

Hi Remco,

Look at the tool I bought yesterday. So, now you know what next.

This month I have to go to the annual inspection (MOT in UK). I will not align the car before replacing the trailing arm bushing and I don't know if I will have time to replace them before. I never and any problem on this annual inspection Today it will be a great day with 26=BAC and will do a grill. I will also go for a ride on my beetle before that. Life is good.

Jo=E3o