Hi,
I recently purchased a rear Trailing Arm. According to the Dorman Products company, it is 15.4724" from the center of the bolt to the end of the arm. The problem is that my mechanic says that the Dorman arm is too short! A technician at that company, though, says that both their Trailing Arm and the genuine GM Trailing Arm is 15.4724". He sent images of both GM and Dorman arms to back up his claim. And Rockauto, from whom I purchased the Trailing Arm, claims that they sold this very same Dorman part number to someone else with a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu - and they had no problem with it!
The following, though, is a link to a website that sells "genuine" GM parts. I
wrote to them inquiring what is the correct length for a rear trailing
arm for a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu. Their answer was that it is about
18" if measured on the inner and about 19" if measured from outer.
The reply that I got from Dorman regarding this different measurement was that it depends on how they measured it.
http://www.gmpartscenter.net/chevrolet/malibu/22639909/2003-year/ls-trim/3-1l-v6-gas-engine/rear-suspension-cat/rear-suspension-scat/?part_name=trailing-arm
So I'll post this question here, but I think that I'll have to consult with another local mechanic as to whether this ARM is too short or not.
Question: Is there a special technique for the installation of rear trailing arms, such that if you don't follow the correct procedure, the replacement arm will appear to be TOO short???
The VIN Number of the vehicle is: 1G1NE52J63M569483.
Tuesday, July 30th, 2019 AT 10:36 AM
(Merged)
