C2 trailing arm bushing - steel tube flare

[John G.]

The steel tube shaft that runs through the bushing at the front of the rear trailing arm is one tough customer when it comes to flaring the one straight end! .. I tried the method of using a 4 inch long grade 8 bolt, 2 lugs nuts, washers and a tightening nut to get the straight end flared. The bolt snapped before hardly even putting a 'dent' into getting the flare started. It's looking like it might take some major hydraulic force to get this job done. Is there anything else I might try? ..

Calling around, most shops I contacted aren't familiar with doing this kind of job so they just say they 'don't do that kind of work'. It would seem to be a pretty basic shop operation? .. Does anyone know of a specific shop in the SF Bay Area that is familiar with doing the shaft tube flare on our Corvette TR bushings? . .

TIA .. John

[Chuck R.]

Re: C2 trailing arm bushing - steel tube flare

I first clamped the washers on either side of the bushings together enough so that the tube end was sticking clear of the washer by about 3/16 of an inch.

This provided a nice flare without squashing the bushings together.

My advantage is I have a twenty ton press that I used in conjunction with the infamous lug nut, but I took the threads out of the nut so that it slid along the round stock I used as a guide.

Then I used a smaller diameter trashed deep socket and pressed away against the nut.

Yeah, those tubes can be one tuff Hombre.

It should be a no brainer for a skilled machine shop with the equipment.

Chuck

[Joe L.]

Re: C2 trailing arm bushing - steel tube flare

John-----

If you decide to have someone else do it, Carter's Corvette in Livermore, CA can do it for you.

[Ken A.]

Re: C2 trailing arm bushing - steel tube flare

John

Depending on where you are in the BA, try Corvette Express in Vacaville. Trailing arms are one of their specialties. Also, they have been listed in Corvette Fever as a good Corvette shop for the last 3 or 4 years. Talk to Joe the owner. (If you are a football fan, ex-Raider #44 Marv Hubbard is in charge of the used Corvette sales. Stop in and talk to him. Great guy)

[John G.]

Re: C2 trailing arm bushing - steel tube flare

I'm thinking of going with Carter's since they're closer. The Vacaville location sounds interesting, too. Now I'm thinking I might take a little drive just to check out both places for a look-see.

Marv Hubbard? .. Yea, I remember him!. .. 1974 .. That guy was a scrapper and a TANK when he got the ball and ran with it. Marv just never let up! ..

With the trailing arms are re-installed I can move on to the fitting the new spindles and bearings and hopefully finish this thing ONCE AND FOR ALL! .. Thanks for the replies, guys.

John