question about trailing arms

**ad4m** · 08-08-2011

99 grand prix 3.8 v6

It has around 150,000 miles, and the rear shocks went bad and the drivers side trailing arm broke all at once. I had an alignment done about 2 minths before this happened.
I replaced the shocks with brand new shocks , mounts pads and all but some ****ty looking trailing arm that was off a 2000 grand Prix. The arm had surface rust and was the stock U shaped design. After everything was put together we drove it around the block one time and the replacement arm is already bent!!!

Do i just need a better trailing arm, or is something else probably wrong???

**TheOtherNick** · 08-08-2011

Get dorman ones, they are tubular and dont bend as easy.

**matt5112** · 08-08-2011

UMI suspension sells a tubular with poly bushings.

BMR sells some nice ones as well.

But they're 130+ shipping.

But they're hands down the best mod for the rear suspension you could make.

If you wanted to go cheaper, dorman ones or the boxed ones that wbodystore sells.

Similar results.

**jmoore4294** · 08-08-2011

Originally Posted by TheOtherNick

Get dorman ones, they are tubular and dont bend as easy.

This if you're on a budget. But don't go running to wbodystore to get them. They can be had for about half the price on rock auto. And I'm sure you could find them cheaper than that elsewhere.

**ad4m** · 08-08-2011

so then its not something else worng w/ the frame or anything making it go bad??

**jmoore4294** · 08-08-2011

No. Just a crappy design. And if they were used and rusting, that's just all the more reason to place the blame on bad trailing arms and nothing else.

**matt5112** · 08-09-2011

moved to the correct section.

**codyAK** · 08-09-2011

I have UMI trailing arms on the back, and I have no complaints at all. I'd recommend them if you were looking to step up to something a bit better than stock, and want a little more than the Dormans.

**SDGTP99** · 08-09-2011

U might take a look under your car & see if there isn't something bending your trailing arms causing them to break. Happened to me. I broke one lateral arm cean in half. Turned out my lateral arm was smaking against an out of place bolt. My car had been jacked up right behind the trailing arm, folding some metal & a bolt attatched to that metal, way out of place. So you might give that a check before you go through another trailing arm.