Lowrider Tech Article at LowRiderMagazine.com
Get Adobe Flash player

HydroTech: Trailing Arms

Make it look good while you're crushing the back bumper.
February, 2009
By Samuel Parea
Photography by Samuel Parea
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 01 Z
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 02 Z
Our first shot is of the stock... 
   
  read full caption
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 02 Z
Our first shot is of the stock lower trailing arm and Leon's trimmed version. If you notice, here the lip has been cut away using a torch and was treated to a little bit of grinding to give you a clean, straight and smooth surface to weld to.
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 03 Z
This view offers a better... 
   
  read full caption
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 03 Z
This view offers a better look at the spring saddle of our stock and trimmed arms. The center of the saddle has been cut away to make room for a new cup that will hold the spring in place. You will also notice that Leon has prepared all of the unnecessary holes to be welded to clean up the look of the arms.
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 04 Z
Here, we take our steel flat... 
   
  read full caption
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 04 Z
Here, we take our steel flat bar and bend it to the basic shape that we need to mold and reinforce the arms. The best tools for this job are a 4-lb. hammer, a block of wood and some good force provided by you. Now the piece of flat bar will vary in width depending on your type of car. We used 131/44, but the thickness will always be 31/416-inch. Leon cautions against using metal that's thicker than 31/416, because he said it would be better to reinforce the inside of the arms rather than just making the bar thicker because all that you're really doing at that point is adding weight not strength.
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 05 Z
Here, we check the fit of... 
   
  read full caption
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 05 Z
Here, we check the fit of our strap of steel against our arm. You should do this periodically while shaping the steel. You can see that the bends aren't complete; we will deal with this issue when we begin welding.
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 06 Z
After a few tack welds, you... 
   
  read full caption
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 06 Z
After a few tack welds, you can see the major difference between the professional welders at Homies Hydraulics and your average shop welder. Most butt the two pieces of metal end to end and then weld a bead, seaming them together. The correct way to do this is to have a gap between your flat bar and your trailing arm and fill the gap with a heavy, deep penetrating weld that not only digs deep into the base metals but will make grinding the weld down a lot easier, essentially leaving you with a cleaner look.
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 07 Z
Once you have your sport welds... 
   
  read full caption
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 07 Z
Once you have your sport welds every 8 to 10 inches apart, check to make sure that the bar sits flat. This will make it easier if you decide to run a sway bar (stabilizer bar). If not, you can shape the bar to the trailing arm; the choice is yours at this point. Once you've made your decision, lay a nice thick weld to fill the gap and reinforce your arm in the process.

1  | 2  | Next

Mercury Grand Marquis Research
Mercury Grand Marquis Experience no-haggle car buying when searching for a new car, and research all vehicles such as the Grand Marquis Sedan. The 2010 Grand Marquis has fuel economy of 14 mpg, and is available in the following bodystyle: Sedans. The Chrysler Crossfire and the Lincoln MKZ are other vehicles that might interest you.

Article Photos

0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 08 Z 0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 10 Z
0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 09 Z 0602Lrm Lowrider Suspension 11 Z
 
Hydro Leak Prevention - Tech Project
Check out how to fix your own leaks in your hydraulic hard-lines in this month's issue of Lowrider... more
 
Billet Hydros - Tech Project - Lowrider Magazine
Check out this step by step instructions on how to install billet hydros in your very own 1957... more
 
Ridin' Dirty - Hydrotech
Check out this police cruiser that was transformed to a lowrider with the help of pro hopper setup... more
 
C & C Customs - Hydrotech
Check out the custom hydraulics system on this Impala installed by C & C customs in this month's... more