[Spits] Rear Spring reply

[Mark J Bradakis]

> And I'm wondering if Joe wasn't pulling your chain, stirring up your 
> fluif or something.  What bolts are we talking about?  Both ends of 
> the trailing arm, vertical strut to spring end, shock mounts.  All 
> those bolts are meant to pivot with suspension movement, except 
> perhaps the shock mounts. 

Actually the standard rubber bushings DO NOT pivot around the bolts.
They are designed so that the inner steel sleeve is clamped to the brackets
and suspension movement is accomplished by the rubber itself deforming.

If you tighten the bolts when the car is in the air and the suspension is at
full droop, then when the car is put on level ground the bushings are under
stress.  They are being twisted as the car just sits there.  This distortion
and constant stress causes early failure of the rubber as well as erratic
movement of the suspension under normal use.

If you tighten the bolts when the car is on the ground at rest, there is
no twisting stress on the rubber while the car sits there.  You're not
making them stand on their head 24/7, so to speak.  Driving around
they only have to distort a little bit that way, a little bit the other
way as the suspension flexes.  They last longer and provide smoother,
more controlled movement of the suspension.

mjb.