[alscool]

hey, i'm new to this board, so excuse me if this has already been discussed at length.

i took a stump the other day while being towed.
the cross member where the rear end of the trailing arm connects (by the footwells) is bumped back 2-3"  is this cross member replaceable?
what would you do?

 

[summit 670]

It sucks that this happened to you while being towed!!! If it pushed back 2-3" you wrinkled the tunnel by the footwell. The only way to replace it is if you replace the tunnel. Here's how I fixed mine..... Take the trailing arm off, using a BFH adjust the mount back to the original location, now some will say that's all you have to do (including my DOO dealer), but if it wrinkled the tunnel by the footwell then you have created a weak spot and it will bend again and next time easier!!! I took some aluminum @ .090 thick 2024-t3 and made a plate for the top and bottom of the tunnel area where it was wrinkled, taking my time I trimmed these plates to fit nicely behind the mount/forward of the footwell. Using countersunk machine screw fasteners and nuts I sandwiched it all together and when it's finished you have to look hard to see it. Now next time you will only bend the trailing arm not the structure.

 

[Krusty]

Yes it is replaceable. It is a fairly big job though. See your dealer for the part. Why were you being towed?

 

[alscool]

i'm new to the machine and in retrospect feel pretty stupid.
it started to cough and backfire and stall after an afternoon of warm weather driving,  the pull cord came out and it was getting late so buddy on his zrt 800 hooked a lanyard to my ski (lanyard about 2.5 ft&#33

.  needless to say i did'nt have much  control.  it was quite a bump and sent me over the hood!  like i said feel pretty stupid, i think now it was running out of gas.

 

[alscool]

so my buddy, Paul, who likes to lurk, moved the arm back with a slide hammer.  thanks man!  i think i dissed him by going drywalling on the last ridable day after all his effort

 

[iammxz800]

If your trailing arm needs to be replaced try e-bay, I saw a few for $10-$15 you will fall over if you price one @ your doo doo dealer