Rear arms - wrong way round?

Blink · 1st November 2019, 14:04

I've forgotten which upper arm is the RH one and which is the LH.

Is it possible to bolt them into the subframe the wrong way round (i.e. LH arm in RH position and vice versa)?

I'm just doing a dry run and have bolted all 4 arms into the subframe with the springs on.** The upper arms/springs just clear the subframe as they swing up & down, but not by much. Is this normal?

(** bolts not torqued up yet)

I should have taken a pic of the old subframe/arm assembly as soon as it came off the car - but I didn't (too much muck around to handle an expensive camera).

Blink · 1st November 2019, 14:19

PS. By "clear the subframe", I mean the space between the front edge of the long arms on the subframe and the rear edge of the upper arms/springs.

ceedy · 1st November 2019, 14:20

the ends of both upper and lower arms should be very close to inline vertically ..

Found this pic should give you a clue .

C

Any part numbers on them ?..... left arm is an RGG104972

marinabrian · 1st November 2019, 14:22

Take a look at your old arm, the one that wasn't cut to remove it, next to the oval hole will be stamped R or L.

Match that with whatever arm that has the pivot bush inclined the same way, and you will know which one is which.

Brian

Blink · 1st November 2019, 15:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceedy

the ends of both upper and lower arms should be very close to inline vertically ..

Any part numbers on them ?..... left arm is an RGG104972

They're close to being inline vertically but the upper arm is about 1 inch nearer the subframe.

No part numbers on them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marinabrian

Take a look at your old arm, the one that wasn't cut to remove it, next to the oval hole will be stamped R or L.

Match that with whatever arm that has the pivot bush inclined the same way, and you will know which one is which.

Brian

There's no R or L stamped on either of the old arms - I've checked both sides of both of them.

The new arms may have had R and L stickers - I can't remember now. If they did they were wiped out during blasting. I can't believe I was dumb enough not to mark them myself.

Anyway, here's the gap on the left side of the subframe. The upper arm is propped up with a block of wood to bring it up level with the subframe (the two welded edges are level with each other)

The gap arrowed here is about 1.25 inches. This is the closest the arm gets to the subframe.

This assembly is a devil of a shape to photograph! And being gloss black doesn't help.

Blink · 1st November 2019, 16:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blink

The new arms may have had R and L stickers - I can't remember now. If they did they were wiped out during blasting.

They did have stickers - I just found this pic of one. Trouble is, you can't read it.

roverbarmy · 1st November 2019, 16:29

The one on the left is a Left arm (nearside). The one on the right is offside (old one)

marinabrian · 1st November 2019, 16:33

Clean up the old arms in the area arrowed, if they're the arms the car left the factory with, they are stamped L or R

This one is a L (N/S) you can just about make out the L in the crustiness

Brian

Blink · 1st November 2019, 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by roverbarmy

The one on the left is a Left arm (nearside). The one on the right is offside (old one)

Quote:

Originally Posted by marinabrian

Clean up the old arms in the area arrowed, if they're the arms the car left the factory with, they are stamped L or R

This one is a L (N/S) you can just about make out the L in the crustiness

Brian

Ok, thanks both. I can suss it from that. It'll have to wait til tomorrow now though - raining again.

Blink · 2nd November 2019, 10:31

Doh! The answer to this was staring me in the face all the time.

The subframe end of the old arm that I cut off is still in the old subframe and it's on the right side (I just went to the shed to check).

So the old cut off arm is the RH and the old uncut arm is the LH.

OLD ARM - RH

OLD ARM - LH

What a plonker.

1st November 2019, 14:04	#1
Blink Posted a thing or two Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Under the car Posts: 1,840 Thanks: 210 Thanked 244 Times in 221 Posts	Rear arms - wrong way round? I've forgotten which upper arm is the RH one and which is the LH. Is it possible to bolt them into the subframe the wrong way round (i.e. LH arm in RH position and vice versa)? I'm just doing a dry run and have bolted all 4 arms into the subframe with the springs on. The upper arms/springs just clear the subframe as they swing up & down, but not by much. Is this normal? ( bolts not torqued up yet) I should have taken a pic of the old subframe/arm assembly as soon as it came off the car - but I didn't (too much muck around to handle an expensive camera).

1st November 2019, 14:20	#3
ceedy This is my second home All Trophy Blue ,ZT260#50 , ZT CDTI Auto, ZR105+ and 1.8T Firefrost spoiling the Set . Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Nr Sherborne But in Somerset.. Posts: 6,075 Thanks: 916 Thanked 1,214 Times in 768 Posts	the ends of both upper and lower arms should be very close to inline vertically .. Found this pic should give you a clue . C Any part numbers on them ?..... left arm is an RGG104972 __________________ The Three Bloo's Wifey's Zr105, MY CDTI & 260 #50 and Number One sons 1.8T in Firefrost When I were a lad Zero to 142 in 10.25 secs at the Pod on my Blown Norton. 210 Kart Champ in 70's Last edited by ceedy; 1st November 2019 at 14:23..

1st November 2019, 16:29	#7
roverbarmy This is my second home Roverless + 1.7D Sportage Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: East Norfolk Posts: 7,050 Thanks: 729 Thanked 2,021 Times in 1,449 Posts	The one on the left is a Left arm (nearside). The one on the right is offside (old one) __________________ Oil in my veins!

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1st November 2019, 14:19	#2
Blink Posted a thing or two Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Under the car Posts: 1,840 Thanks: 210 Thanked 244 Times in 221 Posts	PS. By "clear the subframe", I mean the space between the front edge of the long arms on the subframe and the rear edge of the upper arms/springs.

1st November 2019, 14:22	#4
marinabrian MG ZT Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne Posts: 20,151 Thanks: 3,565 Thanked 10,837 Times in 5,718 Posts	Take a look at your old arm, the one that wasn't cut to remove it, next to the oval hole will be stamped R or L. Match that with whatever arm that has the pivot bush inclined the same way, and you will know which one is which. Brian

1st November 2019, 16:33	#8
marinabrian MG ZT Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne Posts: 20,151 Thanks: 3,565 Thanked 10,837 Times in 5,718 Posts	Clean up the old arms in the area arrowed, if they're the arms the car left the factory with, they are stamped L or R This one is a L (N/S) you can just about make out the L in the crustiness Brian

2nd November 2019, 10:31	#10
Blink Posted a thing or two Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Under the car Posts: 1,840 Thanks: 210 Thanked 244 Times in 221 Posts	Doh! The answer to this was staring me in the face all the time. The subframe end of the old arm that I cut off is still in the old subframe and it's on the right side (I just went to the shed to check). So the old cut off arm is the RH and the old uncut arm is the LH. OLD ARM - RH OLD ARM - LH What a plonker.