72 front end alignment

**Shannon Burgess** · September 16, 2003, 09:12 AM

Re: 72 front end alignment

Eric, it sounds as though the side yoke in the differential is either worn, or the snap ring has come loose. When you jack the car up, use another jack to unload the end of the rear spring before you try to push in and out on the tire. If you see the yoke moving in and out of the differential more than 1/8" you'll need to remove the diff and determine what the problem is.

Shannon

**Eric Fairclough** · September 16, 2003, 10:13 AM

Re: 72 front end alignment

Hi Shannon, Thaks for the info. I will do the 2 jack thing to check this. It seems weird that if this is a snap ring or a worn yoke that it would't just come off. I guess the leaf spring and sway bars are holding the wheel in. I took the car to work today and i am getting tires on it tonight. If it is the snap ring is it something i should replace immediatly or can i wait a few weeks? Eric

**Shannon Burgess** · September 16, 2003, 10:31 AM

Re: 72 front end alignment

Eric, if the snap ring has fallen off then the yoke could come out, but it takes a lot of travel to get the yoke out with all the other suspension components connected. If the yoke is work, the end will have "mushroomed" out and it will not easily slip through the splines in the carrier to come out.

If your rear camber is within adjustment and the yoke is not contacting the differential case, you could be safe in waiting a few weeks before doing the repair.

**Eric Fairclough** · September 16, 2003, 10:32 AM

Re: 72 front end alignment

I just talked to the alignment guy and he said that he jacked it up closest to the wheel. He said the passenger side han 1 1/2 to 2 inches of play in it and the drivers side was less. He also said he was no corvette specialist but he talked to a corvette specialist that has a shop on west liberty ave and they said most likely it was the bearings in the trailor arm that had the play in them. Is this ok to drive until i get them rebuilt? Thanks Eric

**Patrick H.** · September 16, 2003, 05:50 PM

Re: 72 front end alignment

ERic,

yes, there are hundreds if not thousands of Corvettes with rear bearings like yours. I would say that unless you hear noise, just wait until it's time to put it away for the winter. Then, remove each trailing arm and send to Van Steel (or Bair's or whomever your favorite is). DO NOT let a local guy touch them.

BTW, according to my own conversations with Art of Van Steel, the driver's side wears out much faster and more often than the passenger's. I'd be surprised if it's the other way around on yours. I suspect that it may be the rear yokes causing as much problem. I've gone 25,000 miles on worn ones, so you can go a while too unless you already planned on having your differential rebuilt. Mine is finally coming out this winter.

I'm sure that someone will tell you to hurry and get it fixed right away. I wouldn't, but that's just my experience. I think you may need to get under there with the alignment guy and see for yourself as well.

Patrick

**Duke W.** · September 16, 2003, 08:20 PM

Re: 72 front end alignment

"He said the passenger side han 1 1/2 to 2 inches of play in it and the drivers side was

less. He also said he was no corvette specialist but he talked to a corvette specialist

that has a shop on west liberty ave and they said most likely it was the bearings in the

trailor arm that had the play in them."

There is NO WAY that the trailing arm bearings could have 1.5-2" end play. so much for that Corvette specialist. Maybe you can find someone in your local NCRS chapter to help you inspect your car or steer you to a competent vintage Corvette specialist.

Under most driving conditions the half-shaft is in compression. A number of owners have reported driving their cars with excess differential side yoke end play without ill affect, but it's something that should eventually be addressed.

Duke
Duke

**Eric Fairclough** · September 17, 2003, 09:56 AM

Re: 72 front end alignment

Duke, Do you think i could drive 400 miles down to my bothers where i was going to store it for the winter? If i found someone else that knows about corvettes do you think this car could be front end aligned as it sits now? Thanks Eric

**Duke W.** · September 17, 2003, 10:15 AM

Re: 72 front end alignment

As I said, a number of owners have reported no driving problems with excess axle side yoke end play. I hesitate to give you a personal judgement without actually inspecting the car, especially with the conflicting information - whether the excess play was in the axle or wheel bearings, but as I said if you had 1.5-2.0 inches of end play in the wheel bearings the car would be undriveable.

The axle end play problem does not affect front end alignment readings or settings.

Duke

**Patrick H.** · September 17, 2003, 11:43 AM

Re: 72 front end alignment

Eric,

Yes it can be aligned.

Yes, it can be driven.

Remember, I've put on 25,000 (twenty five thousand) miles on my differential with a fair amount of end play. It clunks slightly when put into gear, whines at speed, and that's it. This winter is the rebuild.

You really need to inspect it yourself or with a real Corvette-knowledgeable mechanic so that you can see where the play is coming from. As Duke noted, it is NOT from the rear bearings, or it wouldn't be driveable. Rear bearing wear is measured in thousandths of an inch, not in inches themselves.

Patrick

**Eric Fairclough** · September 17, 2003, 12:12 PM

Re: 72 front end alignment

Thanks for the info guys. I think i will continue to drive it like this and i will try to find another alignment place that can do a corvette before my drive to N.C. I will get the trailing arms done at some point in the future though. Thanks Again

Eric

72 front end alignment

72 front end alignment

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