What Does a Trailing Arm Do?
by Randy Bobzien
If your car or truck has a coil spring, live axle suspension or an independent rear suspension it is likely you have training arms. Trailing arms are mounted to the rear axle or rear spindle and to your vehicle just forward of the rear axle area. It is common for the coil spring to be mounted between the trailing arm and the undercarriage of the vehicle.
Trailing Arm Function
Trailing arms function as a pivot point perpendicular to the length of the vehicle. They also prevent the rear axle or rear spindle from moving forward or rearward during operation of the vehicle.
Writer Bio
Randy Bobzien has more than 17 years of experience in the automotive industry. He is an ASE-certified master technician, BMW master technician and holds an associate degree in occupational studies in automotive technology from the Lincoln College of Technology. Bobzien also served as a technical instructor for BMW of North America.
