Rear Spindles

[Mike Zolomy]

I am changing rear bearings and seals on my '63 and can't get the spindles out of the hubs. I have the trailing arms off the car and I have removed the cotter pin, the spindle nut, the washer and the flange hub. The shop manuals says you should pull the spindle out of the hub. Mine wont budge, am I missing something, I cant figure this one out? Need help! Thanks in advance!
Mike

[mike mccagh]

Re: Rear Spindles

look in the 63 shop manual for pic of the kent moore tool the chevy dealers used to remove the spindle from the housing bolted to the trailing arm. the kent moore tool "pushes" the spindle out of the housing. alternatly, most of the corvette aftermarket dealers sell a tool that threads on the end of the spindle which allows use of 5 # maul(maw) to tap spindle apart. don't take a hammer to the threaded end of the spindle without the aftermarket tool, otherwise the spindle is Bubba history.if you have a hydraulic press, it can be disassemble via that approach too. good luck, mike

[Duke W.]

Re: Rear Spindles

What you are missing is that the '63 Shop Manual was written based on the original slip-fit design, which was changed to press-fit on Dec.1, 1962 after a few thousand cars were made.

To break the pack loose you need at least a ten ton press.

Duke

[Mike Zolomy]

Re: Rear Spindles

Thanks guys, just the info I needed. Thanks for the speedy reponses! Mike

[Franz E.]

Re: Rear Spindles

Supplementing Duke's response on June 10, 1963 Chevrolet Central Office issued Technical Service Bulletin number DR #599 informing dealerships the rear spindle had been redesign and an ECN (Engineering Change Notice) has been issued on December 3, 1962 to St. Louis assembly. Prior to this revision the assembly of the rear bearing to the spindle was a "slip" fit and afterwards it incorporated an interference fit of .0005". If your assembly date is after December 3, or shortly thereafter (balancing out of nventory), your spindle will require special Kent-Moore tools for disassembly and assembly. These tools are readily available today in the aftermarket. Please Email me off-line and I'll send you a copy of Technical Service Bulletin number DR #599. It contains six pages and describes, in detail, both the disassembly and assembly procedures.