Trailing link install question

[Pablo M]

Putting my front end back together after installing new bushings. 
set the car down on the suspension so I could torque it all down. Before installing the trailing links, I checked to be sure they weren’t directional-checked the Haynes manual and visually compared them. Each end looks like the other. 
When I tightened them down the drivers side front nut sat down well below the hole for the cotter pin. There was a lot of threaded portion beyond the nut. Control arm side looked fine. 
On the passenger side the opposite happened. Control arm end snugged down further than the hope for cotter pin. Chassis end was fine. 

as far as I could tell the bushings went in the correct way in the correct holes. The two bushings are different sizes. The half bushings looked identical but the chassis one did have a front and rear half. 

What could I have done wrong? 
 

[bergie33]

Did you use urethane bushings? I had this problem before and the only thing I could figure out with was that the urethane bushings were maybe a little thinner than the stock rubber bushings. Just add some extra thick washers in there. 

Edited October 15, 2023 by bergie33

[uai]

Use a self-locking nut

[TobyB]

The sleeve's too short.

Or you don't have a stop washer on the back.

The nut is supposed to compress the inner sleeve,

against the rear washer, leaving 

the whole assembly more- or- less free to rotate between

the sleeve and the bushing.

If it's a rubber bushing, the rubber flexes,

and if it's urethane, it slides.

 

Better pictures of where each 'tension rod' goes into 

the bushing would help.

 

t

 

[Pablo M]

2 minutes ago, TobyB said:

The sleeve's too short.

Or you don't have a stop washer on the back.

The nut is supposed to compress the inner sleeve,

against the rear washer, leaving 

the whole assembly more- or- less free to rotate between

the sleeve and the bushing.

If it's a rubber bushing, the rubber flexes,

and if it's urethane, it slides.

 

Better pictures of where each 'tension rod' goes into 

the bushing would help.

 

t

 

I assembled it all back together the way it came out, and verified it with the shop manual diagram, so I'm fairly certain its all correct. its weird that right side the rear is long, the left side arm the front is long. I'll take photos when I get back to the garage.

[tech71]

9 minutes ago, Pablo M said:

I'll take photos when I get back to the garage.

please do, I'm still trying to figure out what a "trailing link" is

Also, have you tried  rotating the front end through its steering travel with those non stock allen bolts installed at lower strut attach to make sure they clear the control arms? Pretty tight in there.

Do it with weight on wheels and off. 

Edited October 17, 2023 by tech71

[Pablo M]

10 minutes ago, tech71 said:

please do, I'm still trying to figure out what a "trailing link" is

Also, have you tried  rotating the front end through its steering travel with those non stock allen bolts installed at lower strut attach to make sure they clear the control arms? Pretty tight in there.

Do it with weight on wheels and off. 

I was concerned about those allen head bolts (they're on the offset spacers from Ireland engineering, and cehcked with them that it was installed correctly. I will cycle the front end to make sure.

 

The trailing link is what the service manual calls the angled rod that goes from the control arm, at the outer end, forward to the chassis.

[Pablo M]

13 hours ago, tech71 said:

please do, I'm still trying to figure out what a "trailing link" is

Also, have you tried  rotating the front end through its steering travel with those non stock allen bolts installed at lower strut attach to make sure they clear the control arms? Pretty tight in there.

Do it with weight on wheels and off. 

The Allen head bolts clear the control arm cycling the steering from lock to lock on the ground. 

[uai]

4 hours ago, Pablo M said:

The Allen head bolts clear the control arm cycling the steering from lock to lock on the ground. 
 

When you're off the ground they will collide with the radius arm. Depending on the length / rebound of your dampers this will be just tight or it might block the steering

Edited October 18, 2023 by uai

[Pablo M]

4 hours ago, uai said:

When you're off the ground they will collide with the radius arm. Depending on the length / rebound of your dampers this will be just tight or it might block the steering

That’s right. I noticed that and sent a photo to Ireland Engineering, who said it was correctly installed. I thought the one Allen head should probably go in from the top. 
This is it up in the air. I’m unsure what to do about it. 

['76mintgrün'02]

Why not change the ball joints while you're under there?  

[Pablo M]

8 minutes ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

Why not change the ball joints while you're under there?  

That, my friend, is a very good question!  In my head I wanted to do tie rods and ball joints together, as a separate project from the bushings (center link is new already).  I bought the bushings months ago and only doing it now while the car is down. 
But in retrospect I should have done it all now. I will replace them soon though. Just need a bit more cash flow lol. I have all the tools necessary so when time comes it’ll be easy enough. 

[jimk]

36 minutes ago, Pablo M said:

I thought the one Allen head should probably go in from the top. 

There are no threads in the bottom OE piece.  A nut at the bottom won't gain anything.

[tech71]

3 hours ago, Pablo M said:

But in retrospect I should have done it all now. I will replace them soon though.

Hope so, that balljoint is nasty, seems pointless to do the other work and leave that in the car.

Not too expensive unless you insist on OE BMW.

$60 will buy two 2 Delphi (an oem) brand on Ebay.

I would call that "mission creep" worth dealing with now.

Edited October 18, 2023 by tech71

[uai]

It looks as if you have the "offset" Sandwich plate. You could just use 1 original screw each side at that place and avoid interference with the radius arm.

And usually the sandwich plates go together with a lowered car with shorter / shortened dampers.

Edited October 18, 2023 by uai