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Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you how to replace a trailing arm on this 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo. It's the same part and similar process on these Monte Carlos from 2000 to 2007. We show you on the passenger side, but the driver side is the same procedure. The items you'll need for this include a new training arm from 1AAuto.com, 15mm, 18mm, 19mm, and 24mm socket and ratchet, a piece of pipe for leverage, 18mm and 24mm wrench, an adjustable wrench, a torque wrench, jack and jack stands, and a hammer.
Start off by loosening these 19mm lug nut caps, and then pull your hubcap free. Remove these 19mm lug nuts. You want to loosen these while the vehicle is on the ground, raise it, and remove them the rest of the way. If you have air-powered tools, you can remove them entirely when the vehicle is entirely in the air. Once the lug nuts are removed, pull your wheel free.
Spray penetrating oil on this bolt and the bolt up here at the top of your controller. Then just remove this lower bolt. The easiest way to do that is using a 24mm wrench. Once the nut is removed, just break that bolt free. We use air-powered tools to do this, but you could also just use hand tools with a piece of pipe for leverage. Just keep twisting the bolt until it loosens up.
Once it's loosened up, you can just hammer it out the rest of the way and then just pull that down. Using an 18mm wrench, just loosen up this top bolt. When you get it loose enough and the trailing arm lowers, you can then access these two bolts and this bolt right here. All three of those are 15mm. We'll just fast-forward as Mike removes them.
You want to put this somewhere where there's a gap. You can put the bolt down in, and then, just using a hammer, hit the bolt out. You may have better luck and it may just pull out. If yours looks like ours, this is probably how you'll have to do it. You'll need the bolt out of the other one as well.
On the bottom is the old trailing arm and bracket; above it is the new one from 1A Auto. You can see they're identical, and they'll fit exactly the same. Take the new trailing arm and bracket and push the bolt through. Replace the nut on the other side. Push the bracket up into place and replace those three 15mm bolts. Just tighten those up. If you used air-powered tools, go around again with just a ratchet and socket and make sure those are tightened up as tight as you can get them.
Put the lower end of the trailing arm back into place, push the bolt through, and then replace the nut on the other side. Just tighten that up, and for right now you are just tightening this preliminarily. Do the same thing with the top bolt. Now you want to lower the vehicle down onto jack stands, putting all the pressure on the suspension and then tighten up these two control arm bolts the rest of the way.
Replace your wheel, replace the lug nuts, and tighten them up. You want to tighten those while the vehicle is on the ground, and then you want to torque each of them to 100 foot-pounds in a crossing pattern. Replace your hubcap and tighten up those lug nut caps. Then you're all set.
We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.