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The driver's side trailing arm bushing went fine, ease, and right now set at 1mm toed-in.
The passenger side was difficult, and the toe adjustment is not going right. I've pushed the compensator more than half way across it's adjustment slot and the wheel is still toed-out, unlike the other side.
This what I'm thinking?
The 1st drawing shows a basic configuration of the trailing arm and it's position and bushing depth.
It seems that if I knock the bushing back out a little, say 1/16th inch, I'll get more toe-in...as seen in the 2nd drawing, below.
...can't adjust or move the LCA or upper arm, so I'm thinking this must be the only answer.
I'd really appreciate experiences from people here, before I take the whole thing apart again.
If the TA bushing could affect toe, then the suspension would bind instead of moving.
The LCA and UCA are what determine the lateral position of the rear of the trailing arm. The compensator arm determines the lateral position of the front. The toe is the angle between these.
All the TA bushing does is provide a pivot point. In fact, the reason for the voids in the busing is to allow lateral and longitudinal movement of the entire arm as the bushing is stretched.
It sounds like you either have a compensator arm that's too long (from a different car perhaps?), or the LCA and/or UCA are bent making them act shorter.
Not an expert, never seen this issue personally, just throwing in my $0.02.
The LCAs are nearly brand new S2 Alphas, done about 6mos. ago. The compensator was in there when I took it apart (this time). At that time that wheel was dead straight, now it's toed-out. The only thing that changed was the TA Bushing. I measured them just before changing the TA bushings. They are the only thing I've changed since measuring.
I'm not sure if it will help, but I posted a few pages from the suspension chapter from an 1998 Integra shop manual below. I've never had to replace rear TA bushings, but page 18-4 mentions to make sure to release the parking brake, and page 18-34 has more miscellaneous info.
I'm not sure how much slop/play there is in the TA bushing mounting holes, but is there a chance that the new TA bushing got pressed in cockeyed/crooked?? Again, I've never had to replace that bushing, but just thinking about some possible reasons. - Jim
CalKid, I've got both the original '90 Integra Service Manual, and AllData, and I did one side at a time.
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Lasts night I measured all the control arms, toe links, etc. They are all the same.
This is what the compensator adjuster bolts look like, even though the wheels both measure the same toe-out.
I've got more adjustment, but something is off.
Again though, I measured everything, even the position of the TA bushings. Everything is concentric.....unless the trailing arms or some part of the body or frame isn't. It's a 25 year old car, but I far as I could tell, never wreck....just hail damage. There was no bondo anywhere. However there is some yellow or white hand written numbers on the trailing arms, but the car was out in the desert all it's life, so I don't know why they might be replaced.
..align the stabilizer bar? I missed that.
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Last edited by 1990IntegraLS; Jan 21, 2016 at 06:32 AM.
This is what the compensator adjuster bolts look like, even though the wheels both measure the same toe-out.
I was wondering if the toe is set equally on both sides, or if one wheel (driver side) could be like \ while the passenger side is straight ahead like |, so I was thinking about seeing if you also checked the rear toe with a string alignment, or just checked the total toe with toe plates, but I then found your post https://honda-tech.com/acura-integra...r-toe-3266798/ so it looks like you're already familiar with string alignments as well as toe plates, so when you say 1/16" toe out, then the wheels are like \ and /.
For the rear trailing arm bushings, did you end up installing new OEM bushings, or the prothane/ES type of bushings? If you installed OEM ones, then do they need to be clocked (rotated) to be in approximately the same position as the original bushings? I don't think that that would affect the toe, but might affect how long they'll last. - Jim
Yes, I measured both ways, very carefully....several times to make sure. They are both toed-out, opposite about 1/16".
Acura no longer makes the TA bushings for my car. I don't know if any other year models fit, I expect not or they'd list them as such. I bought HardRace TA bushings. I installed them both flush with the bottom of the trailing arm, and after seeing how it was coming out, checked them again and adjusted the passenger side a tiny bit. They are exactly the same..... or, within less than a mm all the way around their perimeters.
I've spent a good deal of time being very thorough...measuring and remeasuring.
Ok great. I'm concerned with the longevity of the bushing. When I took the old one out (on that side), it was broken on the top and bottom. The other, on the driver's side, which is closer to straight, was not.
So is the passenger side going to break again? Might be a long time, might not.
What could possible be twisted this much? If it's TA....can't get a new one.
trailing arm bushings like all bushings, are going to get old and break. that is greatly accelerated when cars are lowered, the trailing arm bushing is captive and takes a lot of the stress from a change of static angle. so it should be expected that after 25 years, that bushing is toast.
the fact that one side was completely worn, and another fine, would lead me to believe the newer one was replaced. probably the whole arm. is that the arm with the writing on it? its common that junkyards write a date or scribble something so they know it came from that yard when if it comes back for some 30 day replacement warranty.
if you now have a car with two seemingly good, untorn bushings, and your alignment is 1/16" toed out on each side, then just toe both in to spec and be on your merry way. no need to agonize why theyre in different positions. the car is old, the frame has set and i guarantee you is not symmetrical. all the other bushings are worn too. for the life of the car im sure theres always been more weight on the driver side, etc.... you cannot expect the car to be perfectly symmetrical.
you may not be able to get a new TA bushing for a DA integra (i dont know, never checked), but you can follow what Wes (RIP) did to make a civic one fit in a DA trailing arm. also take careful note how he reclocked his TA bushing to match his ride height. Rear Trailing Arm Bushings
Yes, to a great degree, I was coming to the same conclusion, as you have spelled out.
Acura no longer sells the trailing arm or its bushing. The ones I put in are HardRace.
There is writing on both TAs. That does seem like something that would come from a junkyard. So if the bushings gave out some time ago and they couldn't get the bushings.....they just put in the whole arms from a junkyard? That wouldn't surprise me.
However, my intention is to keep this car another 10 years, and replace anything that needs to be replace with quality parts (including an engine). I like this car and want to keep it. To replace it with something fairly new, would cost 20-25k or more, so I might as well spend 10-15k on this one.
...and it really will, go 65mph around 25 marked corners, and I think I could get 70mph, if I wanted to use all of both lanes.... That's quite fast. I don't do it frequently, but I want it to be able too.
I may very well, need to learn about compatibility with other models.
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Last edited by 1990IntegraLS; Jan 21, 2016 at 08:35 PM.
I'll add, it pretty difficult to move the passenger side over that far. I'm using an 11" long ripped 2x4 and wedges. I ripped several 2x4s to different widths, and then wedges from about 1/16" to 7/8", about 7" long. I can use them in combinations.
On the driver's side, I had to make a second set up wedges for the inside of the bolt to keep it from moving inward, as I tightened the bolt. That side is a bit easier to move, not being so far inbound.
TA Bushing wrong. In or out?
