03-07-2018, 08:47 PM
In response to your earlier post, rotating the axle shaft 180 degrees is possible, but only if you strip down the beam and find very minimal wear. You'd still need to change the bearings.
Your testing of the rear beam sounds pretty thourough. It's really hard to get them to show free play when you've still got the torsion bars and the ARB attached though. They hold everything together pretty tightly.
I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "...the pivot pin is on the wrong angle in the trailing arm from the factory". Are you talking about the stub axle? They can get bent, but normally that causes positive camber. I think it's really unlikely either could be 'out of whack' from the factory because they're such a tight interference fit.
Unless you're worrying about having the right tools or the skills I'd still dismantle the beam to check the state of the bearings. If you're intending on keeping the car long-term then it will give you peace of mind. I imagine the fact that you have a much drier climate and don't get salt on your roads means it won't be rusted together like they are here!!!
As for getting an XSi beam, my understanding is that the larger/stiffer the torsion bar & ARB the more stress it puts on the bearings and the quicker they wear. I might be wrong though ....maybe it's just that those cars get driven a lot harder. Hence, if you need a beam tube the recommendation I've seen in the past is to get a low mileage beam from a base model & strip it down. Also, if you uprate the rear suspension you should uprate the front to match, possibly making it a bigger job than you're happy with.
Your testing of the rear beam sounds pretty thourough. It's really hard to get them to show free play when you've still got the torsion bars and the ARB attached though. They hold everything together pretty tightly.
I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "...the pivot pin is on the wrong angle in the trailing arm from the factory". Are you talking about the stub axle? They can get bent, but normally that causes positive camber. I think it's really unlikely either could be 'out of whack' from the factory because they're such a tight interference fit.
Unless you're worrying about having the right tools or the skills I'd still dismantle the beam to check the state of the bearings. If you're intending on keeping the car long-term then it will give you peace of mind. I imagine the fact that you have a much drier climate and don't get salt on your roads means it won't be rusted together like they are here!!!
As for getting an XSi beam, my understanding is that the larger/stiffer the torsion bar & ARB the more stress it puts on the bearings and the quicker they wear. I might be wrong though ....maybe it's just that those cars get driven a lot harder. Hence, if you need a beam tube the recommendation I've seen in the past is to get a low mileage beam from a base model & strip it down. Also, if you uprate the rear suspension you should uprate the front to match, possibly making it a bigger job than you're happy with.