Club 80-90 Forums

So I've turned my attention to sorting out the trailing arm before I go for the jacking point (which I I think is going to be a much bigger ball ache than I first thought)

So after getting rid of most the rot I'm left with a bit of a hole.

I've seen the repair pieces for the spring mount but my question is can I just weld a flat patch in before welding the repair piece or does it need the indentation for the repair piece to fit into?

The repair piece itself seems flat from the pictures but none show the underside. My hope was to just patch the trailing arm then go ahead and fit the repair piece

It looks like what is left is still pretty thin, I’d see about taking it back to shiny metal. My gut would say just a flat patch first, then the repair plate, positioning doesn’t need to be millimetre perfect in this instance.

RogerT wrote: ↑15 Apr 2024, 10:17 It looks like what is left is still pretty thin, I’d see about taking it back to shiny metal. My gut would say just a flat patch first, then the repair plate, positioning doesn’t need to be millimetre perfect in this instance.

Cheers Roger, got it patched and going to order the repair plate (defo won't be winning any pretty welding awards!)

Bryce wrote: ↑15 Apr 2024, 13:41 (defo won't be winning any pretty welding awards!)

Excellent use of the grinder is just as important as welding!

Grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't as the saying goes

So another update for anyone who ever has the same issues.

Sorted the trailing arm the rubber bushes were a nightmare to get in, luckily I had the threaded bar from earlier!
Cut out the old jacking point and it was very much shot
Before cutting it out I made a wooden jig which screws into drive.

Got alot of rot but my thinking is cut a couple inches off the end of cross member weld in a new piece of 2mm steel then weld the new jacking point to that and from there start patching up the rest. Anyone got any useful tips for bending the steel? Feel free to correct me if I'm doing this wrong I'm flying by the seat of my pants

Back again with a few more questions. I broke my old phone and so post access to the Bentley manual.

Can anyone tell me the torque of the two bottom nuts and the nut that goes into the brake cylinder at top I have written down
47 ftlb and 14.5 ftlb but I'm not sure that's correct?


I have also got a new hub castle nut but it is a 10 hole one instead of the six that was originally on it. Are these interchangable? I know they have different torque rating.

Finally is there a new website instead of 7zap that lets you view more than one diagram each day?

Thanks again for any help, I can see the light at the end of tunnel

20Nm (14 ft lb) for the bolt from behind the backing plate into the wheel cylinder

65 Nm (47 ft lb) for the two bolts from the outside through the backing plate into the bearing housing

Re. the axle nut, Bentley says to always replace with the 10 slot version which should be tightened to 500Nm (360 ft lb) and then turned to the next slot before fitting the cotter pin.

Perfect! Thanks for the help

Bruce,

Send a PM to Oldie.....I'm sure he'll most likely be able to send you a link to download the Bentley Manual.
You WILL need to PM him directly though, as he won't answer your request through the main forum for obvious reasons.

Strangely the replacement castle nut I was sent is the old 6 gap one and original was a 10, it's a 1987 van so the the six should be original? Guessing I should be ok to fit the new 6 gap one?

I’m guessing the six slot nut is a part for a T2 bay window - the thread and diameter are the same but the final tightening torque is only around 300 Nm.

Bentley is pretty clear that a ten slot nut should be the preference for a T3 / Vanagon at the higher torque.

If the threads on the old nut are okay then I would just consider reusing that.

Burtybassett wrote: ↑02 Feb 2025, 18:54 Bruce,

Send a PM to Oldie.....I'm sure he'll most likely be able to send you a link to download the Bentley Manual.
You WILL need to PM him directly though, as he won't answer your request through the main forum for obvious reasons.

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