S7 Rear Suspension Trailing Arm Fixings Advice Please

[Guest Daniel N Sharman]

Hi all, I am trying to get my drivers seat as low as possible in my S7, the obstacle to achieving what I want is that the bolts for the rear suspension arm (under the seat) are built up with lots of washers, and have lots of thread sticking up, I would like opinions on whether this number of washers (see the large bolt) is necessary and whether I can grind the bolt off level and remove some washers to reduce the height of it all...?

Thanks in advance will work out uploading a photo now!...

[Guest Daniel N Sharman]

https://www.imageupload.co.uk/images/2016/04/21/imagee8c8f.jpg

https://www.imageupload.co.uk/images/2016/04/21/imagee5681.jpg

https://www.imageupload.co.uk/images/2016/04/21/imagee24d5.jpg

https://www.imageupload.co.uk/images/2016/04/21/image49b45.jpg

https://www.imageupload.co.uk/images/2016/04/21/imageb4496.jpg

[Bob Tucker]

Hi Dan.

The extra thread does not add any strength.

You can safely cut off the protruding thread.

I could understand if the washers were load spreading,

but they are all the same size in pics 1 to 4?

Is pic 5 with bigger washers the other side?

My bet is that the bolt/screw? was too long and has a plain shank

so the washers cover that part.

Undo it & have a look, no reason why you cant replace it with

a shorter bolt and one washer.

[Guest Daniel N Sharman]

Thanks Bob, no it's all the same side, I'll undo it tomorrow and see if there is thread lower down

[Allan Royds]

Hi Dan,

I am not familier with the car but is it a stupid question to ask.

Can you put them in the other way with the nuts underneath the car?

If not 1 washer 1nut thread lock and 2 threads protuding.

 

Allan

[Bob Tucker]

That will work too!

[Guest Daniel N Sharman]

Allan,

 

Genius, I'll have a look tomorrow and see if there is anything stopping me recersing the bolts, never even thought about that...

[IanS]

When I built my car I had the head of these bolts on top.

No problems in 70,000 miles.

The big central bolt in my instalation is redundant, it goes through the Ford rubber bush which is locked out by another bolt straight trhough the subframe to the reinforceing plate.

Looking back I could have left out the bush but now it is in I have just left it.

[Peter Bell]

When you fit the bolt the other way up shorten the thread as much as possible because it will hit sleeping policemen etc.That is possibly why it was installed that way around.

[Longboarder]

An old mod for this was to remove the rubber bush completely, weld a closure plate over the underside of the trailing arm to close off the space and then drill the plate and re-use the bolt to give a non-compliant and strong fixing point for the trailing arm. To improve further, another mod was to fix a little skid plate which looked like it was to protect the bolthead but was actually to give support to the bolt head so it was supported at both ends rather than just one. The head of the central fixing bolt remains the lowest point and does get ground down a bit when it bottoms.

I would not reverse this central fixing bolt as the locknut and couple of protruding threads will further lower this point and lead to more grounding and strain on this fixing. Keep them this way up, buy a new bolt a better length and grind off redundant threads after tightening.

 

Nigel

Edited April 22, 2016 by Longboarder