albernhagen
Member
Hey Guys, my sister got run off the trail riding the SRX this weekend and it appears to have caught a stump/tree. Trailing arm is busted and control arms need to be replaced. Somehow the heat exchanger survived. Anything else I should check for? What do you guys recommend for repairing it? I was hoping to hammer out the running boards, though I'm not sure how to put a reinforcement plate in there with the heat exchangers. I also am not sure what I should do to straighten out the trailing arm mount hole. Appreciate any of your thoughts and advice.
super1c
Super Moderator
Did the same on railroad tracks. I just got the man hammer out and banged it back straight. Take your time and you will get it really close, you will also probably neen a new arm bolt. Mine were both bent. I also took a 3/8 piece of metal dowel and drove it into the running board rolled piece to help reinforce the running board. As long as you can straighten the trailing arm mount without cracking it you should be fine as far as strength.
I would take the trailing arm mount off and then straighten and reinforce the tunnel. Be sure to check your heat exchanger for cracks - it may not leak now, but will likely leak down the road if cracked. Fairly easy to take off and get repaired now if cracked. Once you get everything back straight and reinforced then remount the T-Arm mount with 1/4" structural rivets such as the Cherry Interlocs. These require a heavy duty riveter to pull. You will have to remove a number of 3/16 and 1/4 rivets. To make it easier drive the mandrel out before drilling. If they start to spin just use a needle nose vice grips to hold the back side of them. I likely have some rivets if you can't find them locally. I recommend Interlocs for the T-arm mount and Stavex for the others.
If the T-arm mount is still firmly attached you can likely straighten and reinforce like super1c suggests. If it is a sled that you will drive 100 mph on, I like to know that my T-arms are not coming off :-0 That said I have had them come off while riding before and limped them along for miles - one time even using a tree branch with wire as a temp support.
If the T-arm mount is still firmly attached you can likely straighten and reinforce like super1c suggests. If it is a sled that you will drive 100 mph on, I like to know that my T-arms are not coming off :-0 That said I have had them come off while riding before and limped them along for miles - one time even using a tree branch with wire as a temp support.