Trailing arm

[nigel]

Can any one tell me what is the difference between the 4 & 5 and confirm they are not sided. What would happen if you mix the 4 & 5 speed ones?

[busheytrader]

I thought the trailing arms were the same for the 4 speed and 5 speed axles. However, the Rimmer Bros site, which uses the drawings straight out of the factory parts book, has them listed separately.

http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-GRID006180

Always useful for reference.

Adam

[Rich K]

Hi Nigel, the 5 speed trailing arms/ axle have extra brackets which I believe we're added to control axle tramp under acceleration (I.e. The tendency for the axle to wind up under acceleration). My first TR7 was a 4 speed fixedhead and it did suffer from axle wind up under hard acceleration.
Rich.

[Beans]

Early (4-speed) trailing arm:



Later (5-speed) trailing arm:



You will also need the two brackets (handed) that bolt to the back axle, visible on the left of this picture:

[nigel]

I bought a trailing arm which I now know is the 5 speed one that I needed (thanks Beans). But the arm is clearly from the passenger side and I have fitted it to the drivers side and the handling feels odd. So it appears I need to buy another one if I have understood correctly.

[Beans]

... I bought a trailing arm which ... is clearly from the passenger side ...

The trailing arms are not handed, only the stop bracket that is bolted to the back axle.

[dursleyman]

I bought a trailing arm which I now know is the 5 speed one that I needed (thanks Beans). But the arm is clearly from the passenger side and I have fitted it to the drivers side and the handling feels odd. So it appears I need to buy another one if I have understood correctly.

The arms are the same both sides but if you have only replaced one and you are getting funny handling then it probably has different consistency in the bushes to your other one. You need to have them both the same.

[FI Spyder]

Don't forget to check that the holes on the body where they connect aren't worn (oblong).

[nigel]

All sorted now. I loosened the bolts and put the arm under some more load and tightened up the bolts this made it feel a lot better. I have now done some miles and it has settled back to how I remembered it before I had to change it.

[Cobber]

Of course there is a much earlier version of the trailing arm......

This version must still be readily available, as I see them everywhere.

[rosey]

Ah, the knuckle dragger. I recognise the stance because I worked with many of them during my 20 plus years in coal mining. Many also resembled chimpanzees and gorillas, they were the more intelligent ones of course