While I was riding yesterday in Hillsville, my pivot bolt for my rear trailing arm worked itself out. I’m glad this happened on a flat trail. There was minimal damage. Just a dent in my shock from it smashing against the frame and a ripped cv boot when the axle pulled out of the outer cv. I did use loctite on that bolt when I put it in during my build. Yesterday was my third serious ride since my buggy’s completion. After finding my pivot bolt, about 100 yards behind me, we put everything back together. I also checked the pivot bolt on the other side and I was able to tighten it another full turn. My buddy took a paint marker and drew a line across the heads of the bolts and on to the ears so we could tell if they started to back out again. After about an hour more riding, both were backing out on me.

I was thinking on the pooper this morning that I’m going to drill and tap for a grease fitting. But I don’t think it’s going to be that simple. I’d have to be able to push grease through the trailing arm bushing housing, through the urethane bushing, and through the inner bushing sleeve. That would be where any friction was at that would loosen that bolt. I don’t know? Maybe grease isn’t the answer. I was also thinking that there just might be too much of a bind on the bolts. Anybody else ever have this problem? Any thoughts or humble opinions?

I’m running 2 X 3 tubular arms

With this urethane bushing kit





FYI – I used the grease that came with the bushing kit when I installed it. I applied it inside the inner bushing sleeve as well as on the pivot bolt. On the trail yesterday, I used red moly graph grease, marine grade.

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I'm a chicken, not a turkey

It is common,,,figure out some way to put a stop behind the bolt head,,,I use a piece of tubing with a hole drilled through and a cotter pin,,,,,or nail,,that way it can't back out far till it hits a stop. I placed washers behind the cotter pin to take up slack

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If your clutch ain't slippin,, you probably got it adjusted right!!!!!

simple enough... thanks

i must have been thinking too much

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I'm a chicken, not a turkey

The stock torsion bolts have the divots in the head so you can pean the ring around them to hold them in place. I use that method on my red Buggy and never had a problem with them backing out. My new frame has a custom torsion and my bolts never back out and I have nothing holdong them in. Now that I have Jinxed myself I better an eye on them!

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Water cooled Dry Sumped Subaru Powered Turbo Charged Fuel Injected 2500CC Tank. Oh Rah! He who dies with the most Toys not only wins, He also wears them out!

This happens with all Pivot Bolts. I was tightening mine every time I went riding.

Firebug has the right idea but I did not have a welder handy at the time so I just went to the hardware store and bought a 3 inch 10-24 bolt and nut. Put the bolt and nut through the hole in the pivot bolt and let the 10-24 bolt rest on the torsion housing. It is not as elegant as Firebugs nor as durable but it took 2 minutes to install and costs less than $1.00.

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