c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

[Butch S.]

Hi again, I have a 65 big block coupe, that has the stock suspenion bushings, I need to remove the rear trailing arms to replace them, It looks like getting to the front pivot bolt to push them out can be a little tricky, does anyone have a way to get this done?

Also when I have them out I need to rebuild my e brakes and replace u joints, and replace the brake rotors, how do the rear spindles come apart?

Thanks again

Butch stroupe (49713)

[Bill W.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

Butch,
Depending on the condition of the front pivot bolts they may come out with zero problems or a Sawzall may be required. Your job will be made easier by removing as much weight as possible from the arms. With the car on good jackstands, start by removing the bolt on each end of the spring, and BE CAREFULL doing this, that spring can hurt you. BTW, do you have a Shop manuel? It will give you step by step instruction. If not, remove the calipers and wire them up out of the road. Remove the "E" brake cable. If the rivets holding the disk are still in place you must decide weather to remove them (needed for full service of bearings) of leave them in place. Remove the front pivot bolt using whatever means needed. Arm will now be free. Good luck! Bill

[Butch S.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

Bill, Thanks for the ryply, what type of bushings would you us to reinstall ? Rubber or is there a better option ? I think I do have the shop manuel but i will look tonight when I get home, How does the E brake cable come off off the backing plates?

Thanks again

Butch

[Bill H.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

Bill, Thanks for the ryply, what type of bushings would you us to reinstall ? Rubber or is there a better option ? I think I do have the shop manuel but i will look tonight when I get home, How does the E brake cable come off off the backing plates?

Thanks again

Butch

Butch, you can get either rubber or poly bushings. It takes a special tool to compress the new bushings and peen over the center tube (see pic).

With what you want to do, e-brakes, rotor, etc and if the bushings are shot, there's a good chance that the bearings chould also be done since you have the whole assemvly out and that takes more special tools.
If you don't have the tools and expertise, you'd be better off having the arms rebuilt, yea, more $$$ but you'll be better off in the long run.

The trailing arm bushing tool alone runs around $95, the bearing tools are even more.

[Don H.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

Butch
I have found that no matter what process you want to tackle on your C2, someone has already posted it on You Tube, or written it up for the internet.
If you go to Google and type in Remove Trailing Arms Corvette you will get 100s of responses, including several You Tube demonstrations. Here is just one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZcCnyl29jk

good luck

[Alan D.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

Butch,
Remember to measure & record the shim thickness on each side of the bushing and the thickness of bushing itself. Having these numbers will allow you to get the system back together with a reasonalbe alinement so a drive to a shop will be possible.

[Michael W.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

, and replace the brake rotors, how do the rear spindles come apart?

Thanks again

Butch stroupe (49713)

You'll need to buy a few hundred dollars worth of disassembly, assembly, set up and measuring tools to do the spindles properly. Why do you want to replace the rotors?

[Dick W.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

For someone that has never done this and/or does not have the necessary tools, I suggest sending the arms out to someone like Bair's Corvette for a rebuild.

[Butch S.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

Alan, That is a great idea, I will take down the info before i start, I would not have done that.

thanks again Butch

[Butch S.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

Dick, I am starting to think this may be a good idea.

[George C.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

Butch,
My vote is the same as Dick. I priced the tools for the bushings and setting up the bearings and decided to send mine to Bairs, they are in FL.

I called them and they send me the boxes to pack up my trailing arms for shipment.
They cleaned and powder coated the arms, replaced and setup the new wheel bearings, rebuilt the e-brake and installed new front bushings. Depending on where you are located there are other places with the same services available.
Unless you plan to do more mid year Corvette arms the cost of the tooling is prohibitive.

Good luck,
George

[Larry M.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

Butch,
My vote is the same as Dick. I priced the tools for the bushings and setting up the bearings and decided to send mine to Bairs, they are in FL.

I called them and they send me the boxes to pack up my trailing arms for shipment.
They cleaned and powder coated the arms, replaced and setup the new wheel bearings, rebuilt the e-brake and installed new front bushings. Depending on where you are located there are other places with the same services available.
Unless you plan to do more mid year Corvette arms the cost of the tooling is prohibitive.

Good luck,
George

Bairs is located in Pennsylvania.

Larry

[William C.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

About 45 minutes from my house, I used them and recommend them fully. They do them by the hundreds!

[George C.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

My bad, Larry is correct. I used Van Steel which is located in FL. And there is also Ikerds in IN.

Sorry,
George

Bairs is located in Pennsylvania.

Larry

[Joe L.]

Re: c-2 help on rear trailing arms bushing replacement

Dick, I am starting to think this may be a good idea.

Butch-----

I absolutely do not recommend trying to rebuild the trailing arms yourself. Once-upon-a-time I decided I was going to learn how to do it myself. I did learn how to do it but in the process I spent about $3,000 in ruined parts and special tools. I also had MANY "re-do's" before I got it right and a lot of frustration. It was a VERY expensive and frustrating experience. Now, I know how to do it but I'll probably never have to do it again (I only perform work on my own cars). This is a job that may SEEM like it's pretty simple and straight-forward, but it's not what it seems. And, it has to be done right. Experience is everything here; tutorials can't instill the experience.

As far as the trailing arm forward bushings go, I would use only stock GM rubber type. Period.

In addition to the other sources mentioned, Gary Ramadei who can be contacted through this board is an experienced and reliable rebuilder of these arms.