98 Trailing Arm Bushing WASHERS needed

[Salonika]

Doing this job……my washers need to be replaced. Can’t find them anywhere. Any help would be appreciated. This would be the big washers on the forward mount point.

 

[Toasty]

There are a couple styles, do you need the thick ones with the recessed bolt or the curved ones? also do you need the leading and trailing washers or just the ones under the nuts?

 

[Salonika]

These things

Are they supposed to be split? Anyway, they are quite rusty and there isn’t much left of them.
And by the way, I’ve never had one of these trailing arms off before. I’ve heard stories here on the portal of people breaking them, and I can’t imagine how in the he** that is possible. What breaks on them? Where? That is a serious piece of iron.

 

[Toasty]

It's the Gen 1's that break, they were thin around the bushing. Those pictured look like the cups that are welded to the mount, they're not supposed to come off and there isn't a replacement part for them. If you do need those replaced there are 2 per side and they keep the donut bushings centered, you'll need to have some custom fabbed.

 

[Salonika]

Thanks Toasty, this makes more sense now, huge help! I was wondering why this part wasn’t showing up ANYWHERE……welcome to the rust belt.
So if I have something fabbed, they will need to be welded in place to prevent wandering right? I was able to pause a video and see what they are supposed to look like, yeah mine are completely gone.
Also in the photo attached of the arm, am I missing material on the stud? I’m guessing it isn’t supposed to look like an hourglass…..

 

[Salonika]

Here’s the plan: piece of tubing cut 3/8 high welded to each side. Not much fabricating really needed if this works. This should do the trick. Anyone see any issues with this idea? Pretty sure I have enough room to lay a MIG bead on the inside of the ring and some of the outside. Probably end up better than factory one.

 

[Toasty]

That should do the trick, you may need to add a thin washer to the mount to make up for the missing factory parts but I'd try it without first. If you get some preload on the donuts I think you're good. your arm is pretty well shot, that stud is a consistent diameter.

 

[Salonika]

Are the donuts compressed / flattened quite a bit once the torque spec is met? The old ones are pancakes, probably 1/4” thinner than the new ones.

 

[CharlieNorth]

Yes, they squish down a bunch.