16" trailing arms removal and refurb

[hotpod]

i have just about given up for the day. everything is off or disconnected and i just have to remove the 4 (2 each side) mounting bolts.
the nuts have dissolved past the point of getting any spanner grip and the bolts wont turn anyway regardless of how much beating and swearing i give them. i cut the first outside bolt head off and tried to beat the bolt through with a large hammer and big punch but 10 minutes of beating didnt move it at all. i then tried cutting through the rubber bush to sever the bolt at the nut end but a 4 1/5 " cutting disk isnt deep enough, i make contact but not much. a 9" disk will do too much damage to peripherals.
even the sit down with a cup of tea method doesnt seem to be having any effect.
i am beat.
i know that lots of you have done this before and i am hoping that your combined experience will win the day.
HELP ME PLEASE

[axeman]

i used a 4 1/2 inch super thin (1mm) cutting disk and cut the nut and bolt head off and then found a suitable drift (1/2inch) socket extenscion, a 3lb club hammer and hay presto.


neil

[hotpod]

mine dont seem to be drifting! but maybe i will be able to prize them out once the head and nut are off.
shall have another go now. thanks

[jes*b]

sent you pm - give me a call

[taigagreen]

My bolts were rustwelded to the insert sleeves to the point that it took three mechanics 2,5 hours using heat, cutters, brass hammers and wd-40. They came off but the bracket sides were bent and paintwork scorched.

[max and caddy]

get some new drill bits...drill it down the middle till its a thin tube then hacksaw it both sides...sounds so easy when i say it fast.

[syncropaddy]

[jes*b]

Reciprocating saw with fresh stubby metal blades. Cut to the inside of bracket. Should be able to cut 75% through with that and or grinder with stainless steel cutting blade (1mm) and then turn head / nut off , snapping what's left connected. Or if room cut all the way through. If cutting towards rear from under van make sure recip. Blade stays clear of the arm. Extra long spanners helped on the inner ones - iirc we used a stubby socket on a 1/2" drive and a long ring spanner and the inners gave up quite quick. The outers we sacrificed to the blade!

[Macflai]

You always make me laugh grumpy old man!!!

Thats old fashioned, this is better!

[hotpod]

right. thanks chaps.
ive had a chat with jes*b and will try the saw method
it that doesnt work then paddys approach looks like the next best option.

[hotpod]

my old reciprocating saw doesnt seem to like hanging onto the blades ( well it was a freeby so what did i expect)
i tried with a jigsaw and that just bent the blades.

i resorted to a method that we locally refer to as a "ryan" method after a very good friend who is a champion bodger and whose methods the rest of us only tend to use as a very last resort.
this particular "ryan" method, involved removing the safety guard from a 4 1/2 " grinder and installing a part used 9" metal cutting disk for the needed extra cutting depth. ( a 9 inch grinder would have been very difficult to comfortably use on my back in the garden and i think caused too much peripheral damage).
PLEASE NOTE:
the "ryan" grinding method is not recommended for novice grinder users ( or even experienced ones although they stand more chance of keeping all of their fingers)
it took about half an hour after adopting this method to have finally removed the trailing arms which are now on the work bench.


quick question:
i have just checked Brickwerks and they dont have any...are 16" rear brake backing plates available anywhere? mine are still intact but getting a bit flimsy and arent going to look very nice after shotblasting i think.

[Aidan]

16" backing plates available from classic about 160 euro each

[jes*b]

Lars at tristar connection has/had some. I just blasted mine - one has some pin holes but recovereable I hope, the other is just pitted - I removed the bead of silicone from the rear lower join between the two parts - was ok behind but on its way.

[jes*b]

Also ..... Try Dave Futbus or Elvis as there were some complete sets of 16" rear brakes ( drums , plates etc) knocking about a while ago

[hotpod]

thanks chaps.
they are going for blasting this avo so i will assess them when they return. they arent as bad as i first thought though. they have a few more years left methinks.
the rest of the brakes are all new ( just a couple of years old). everything else looks functional and there is even some zinc plating left on the backing plate where it was bolted to the hub assembly.
i am taking some photos which i shall post here.

i bought a new 12mm 1/2" drive allen socket which fairly ( long extensoin bar) easily removed the 6 large socket caps holding the backing plate to the hub, but it was too short ( the allen part of it) to reach past the hub and into the 4 bolts holding the hub to the trailing arm.
has anyone else found this? and if so what is their solution?? halfords and b and q only have allen keys up to 10mm. (they were the only local places with anything even like that)
mine was to grind down a section of a giant imperial allen key, beat it into the socket caps and put a socket on the other end but with the length needed to clear the hub it twisted a lot. it did work though.
i didnt even need any heat on any of them. just a bit of beating.