Replacing rear suspension struts

[Lonnie Wiggins]

Looks simple enough - putting car on jackstands at rear, removing wheels, then supporting the control arm in such a way as to remove load from the struts.

Of course, camber would have to be reset.

Is this close?

[Joe L.]

Re: Replacing rear suspension struts

Lonnie------

That's pretty much it, but it might not end up as simple as it looks. The first step in strut removal is to remove the lower shafts which attach through the forks of the bearing support. To remove these shafts, one has to first remove the shocks. That's usually the easy part. Next step is to remove the cotter pin and castle nut from the rear of the shafts. Then, one has to remove the shafts. That can be the difficult part. A thread protector is absolutely required lest the shafts be destroyed in the "pounding operation" necessary to remove the shafts. Even then, removal of these shafts can be a BEAR in many cases. That's because there are two "forces" acting to retain the shafts in their current position. First, are the splines found on the inner end of the shaft. These splines are pulled into the inner fork ear when the shaft is installed and the castle nut is torqued. They produce a very tight interference fit.

The second "force" is years of corrosion, especially prevalent in vehicles that have lived in the "rust belt" for even a small portion of their lives. This "force" further "marries" the shafts to the spindle support. While yours may not be so, these shafts can be EXTREMELY stubborn to remove, so be prepared.

The last step in strut rod removal is the removal of the cam lock nuts and the cam lock shafts. Usually, this is fairly easy unless corrosion "rears its ugly head" again. Note that there are caps on either side of the bushings at the center bracket end only. The original 63-74 caps, GM #3791519, are slightly smaller in diameter than the 75-82 caps, GM #348390, although the latter are used for 63-74 SERVICE. Don't lose yours when the strut rods drop out of the center bracket.

One last thing: usually, the strut rods do not need to be replaced in their entirety. As long as they are not bent or severely corroded, all that usually needs to be replaced are the bushings. 63-74 strut rods use bushings GM #3775762 which are 1-1/4" diameter. 75-82 strut rod bushings, GM #3829519, are 1-3/8" diameter. The 75-82 strut rods, GM #459076, are the only ones currently available in SERVICE to replace all 63-82 Corvette applications.

[Joe L.]

Re: Replacing rear suspension struts

Lonnie------

That's pretty much it, but it might not end up as simple as it looks. The first step in strut removal is to remove the lower shafts which attach through the forks of the bearing support. To remove these shafts, one has to first remove the shocks. That's usually the easy part. Next step is to remove the cotter pin and castle nut from the rear of the shafts. Then, one has to remove the shafts. That can be the difficult part. A thread protector is absolutely required lest the shafts be destroyed in the "pounding operation" necessary to remove the shafts. Even then, removal of these shafts can be a BEAR in many cases. That's because there are two "forces" acting to retain the shafts in their current position. First, are the splines found on the inner end of the shaft. These splines are pulled into the inner fork ear when the shaft is installed and the castle nut is torqued. They produce a very tight interference fit.

The second "force" is years of corrosion, especially prevalent in vehicles that have lived in the "rust belt" for even a small portion of their lives. This "force" further "marries" the shafts to the spindle support. While yours may not be so, these shafts can be EXTREMELY stubborn to remove, so be prepared.

The last step in strut rod removal is the removal of the cam lock nuts and the cam lock shafts. Usually, this is fairly easy unless corrosion "rears its ugly head" again. Note that there are caps on either side of the bushings at the center bracket end only. The original 63-74 caps, GM #3791519, are slightly smaller in diameter than the 75-82 caps, GM #348390, although the latter are used for 63-74 SERVICE. Don't lose yours when the strut rods drop out of the center bracket.

One last thing: usually, the strut rods do not need to be replaced in their entirety. As long as they are not bent or severely corroded, all that usually needs to be replaced are the bushings. 63-74 strut rods use bushings GM #3775762 which are 1-1/4" diameter. 75-82 strut rod bushings, GM #3829519, are 1-3/8" diameter. The 75-82 strut rods, GM #459076, are the only ones currently available in SERVICE to replace all 63-82 Corvette applications.

[Jim Kekeisen]

Re: Replacing rear suspension struts

I found that after following all Joe's directions make sure you have a large hammer, a comfortable swinging position and lots of penetrating fluid. After a few good hits and even if it doesn't seem like it moved hit it back the other direction after spraying it. Take a break when you get tired because it will really make you mad when you hit the fender of the car!

Jim

[Jim Kekeisen]

Re: Replacing rear suspension struts

I found that after following all Joe's directions make sure you have a large hammer, a comfortable swinging position and lots of penetrating fluid. After a few good hits and even if it doesn't seem like it moved hit it back the other direction after spraying it. Take a break when you get tired because it will really make you mad when you hit the fender of the car!

Jim