Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

I got new tires today and the tech noticed I had a very minor bend in my L/R rim, but more importantly he said I had a bent "toe-in" rod. He had it up on the lift and showed it to me, but not being a mechanic and not having owned an AWD vehicle before I wasn't sure if he was using the right term or not. Basically it looks like a 3/4" thick, 18" long rod that runs from the rear sub-frame to the hub/knuckle. It is most definitely bent.

He said it will eventually cause the tire to wear unevenly (toe-in - makes sense I reckon), and I should get it replaced ASAP.

1. what is the correct term for this thing?
b). does anyone have one they want to part with for cheap?
III. has anyone else ever had this bent on their SVX?

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

Trailing arm is what it is usually referred to(at least around here) and there are a few other terms as well. I've seen and hear of a couple being bent, but not common at all unless it hits a rock or something, or someone hooks a tow chain to it or something similar that really shouldn't happen in normal driving.

I might have one, but wouldn't have time to pull it for a few days. I'm sure someone else might have one for you. :)

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

Is it running from front to back, or from middle of car to drivers, or passengers side of car?
I think nate has the correct one just thought I would double check.
Also Im in jax, I have a bit of a shudder at 60, though I have 2 bent rims and one wasnt balanced well.

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

I think he's talking about a lateral link guys. I forget which one, but one of them is what you adjust to change the toe in the rear. A bent front (still in the rear of the car) lateral link would cause a lot of toe-in.

The trailing arm is the one that run more front-to-back while the lateral links run side-to-side. 2 lateral links per wheel also; only 1 trailing arm.

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...X/DSCN0007.jpg

You can point the part out in the picture if you like.

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

Yeah, I just called them trailing arms, what you are referring to lateral links... We are in agreement with the physical part, just not the part name. :p (aka, i'm probably mistaken)

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

Yep, lateral link arm. The rear-most one is the adjustable one that controls alignment and bending it would cause toe-out (tire pointed outwards). The only time I've seen these bend is when some ham-fisted tow truck driver latches on to one and pulls the car with it, or if it makes direct contact with something while the car is reversing - say a really immobile rock or curb. They're extremely hard to bend from a direct side-on hit.

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

I've see alot of alignment shops with subaru lateral links. either picking them up from the parts department when I was there getting something or when I was at said alignment shop getting one. Seems like subaru did a good job in ensuring that the lateral link bends before the subframe tears or the hub cracks when someone gets hit on the wheel or stuffs one in the ditch.

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

Crap, I have one on the floor of my basement. A day earlier and we could have put it on at Fontana, and given an eyeball alignment.

If no one else comes up with one, I can ship it to you when we get back.

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

Ah, lateral link! That makes sense, that's exactly what it is according to that picture. It is the rear-most on the left side.

Thanks guys! I appreciate all the quick replies in helping me to understand what the guy was talking about.

Now as far as getting one, I'm definitely in the market, so hit me up. Yeah, Dave, I really wish I'd have known a day earlier too. Just my luck. :rolleyes: But thanks for the offer anyway - much appreciated.

Well done with lunch - gotta get back on the road to the Dragon!

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

UPDATE:

Found out when the car had been wrecked years ago, that lateral link was bent slightly and the proper distance from point to point wasn't there anymore. However with some other "adjustment" being made, it then was slightly out of spec in the other direction (as I understand it) and needed to be a tiny bit "shorter", so since it was already bent, the idea was to just bring the two points closer together by simply bending it a bit more. :WTF: :lol:

Well it actually worked and never caused any alignment issues, so since the the tire guys said they actually had no trouble aligning it the other day, I reckon that sort of confirms it. So I guess I'm no longer in the market for a lateral link after all!

Anyway, just thought I'd share that for anyone curious about it, and so nobody starts rattling through their parts shelves for one to send me (but thanks anyways).

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

I had the same problem; a bent lateral arm due to getting hung up a rock in a snowy driveway last winter. It was indeed causing a slight wear on the inside of the driver rear tire.

I found a pair from another member here and replaced them both. The only trouble is that while removing the old link bolt (the long bolt that connects both lateral arms together), you may end up ruining the lateral arm bushings. So, keep that in mind and plan for it.

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

I'd still plan on replacing it at some point, being bent severely reduces it's strength. Plus having broken parts on my car just annoys me.

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

Hi, guys, so how difficult is it to replace? My left rear suspension has a bent front lateral link from a collision I was in and I got the new part in the mail yesterday. Do I have to disassemble the rear suspension, or can I just remove the bent link and put the new one on? And yes, I know I'll need an alignment afterwards.

Re: Bent rear "toe-in" rod
 

Well there are only two bolts that need to come out to change it, but they're kind of a total pain in the ass. One is the huge bolt that goes through the knuckle and both links, the other is the eccentric alignment bolt (If it's the rear arm, if it's the front arm it's just a plain bolt). If they're friendly/you have air tools it's only a 10 minute job, but if they're not it'll be a fight.