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I am dismantling my 64 chassis to send parts for cleaning and painting.
Found out that one of the strut rods of the rear suspension is bent at the end that meets with the trailing arm assembly. I read that this was done sometimes to adjust alignment of the wheels, but that seems to me a very rude way of fixing things. I would assume using shims is the better method. So I plan to install new struts and bushings all over.
While doing so, is there and advantage installing adjustable rods as sold by some vendors rather than using the eccentric bolt system to adjust camber?
I am dismantling my 64 chassis to send parts for cleaning and painting.
Found out that one of the strut rods of the rear suspension is bent at the end that meets with the trailing arm assembly. I read that this was done sometimes to adjust alignment of the wheels, but that seems to me a very rude way of fixing things. I would assume using shims is the better method. So I plan to install new struts and bushings all over.
While doing so, is there and advantage installing adjustable rods as sold by some vendors rather than using the eccentric bolt system to adjust camber?
The usual reason that they're bent is to correct excessive negative rear camber.
The excessive negative rear camber is caused by wear at the ends of the stub axles. As they wear, they move inward, often down to the retaining ring groove.
The cure for this problem is to replace the stub axles, restoring the original symmetry.
I would replace the strut rods in your picture with new ones.
the strut rods in my 68 were bent just like that and I was told exactly the same thing by a local Corvette restoration shop. While out for a drive one morning I hit a dip in the road and one of the cam adjustments came loose causing the wheel to tilt in on a very severe angle. I limped home and climbed under the car and found the problem. I ordered the adjustable strut rod kit with the ball ends from VB&P and installed them and had the rear aligned. The locking of the adjustment is far more secure with the adjustable rods compared to the eccentric cam and bolt system. In over 20 years my adjustable rods have never moved.
I just added the adjustable strut rods with heim joints from Vette Brake Products to my father's 66. I noticed his rear wheels were tilted out at the bottom so I checked the camber and they were both set at -2.5 degrees. The bolts and washers were slipping, so I decided it best that he upgrade.
I just added the adjustable strut rods with heim joints from Vette Brake Products to my father's 66. I noticed his rear wheels were tilted out at the bottom so I checked the camber and they were both set at -2.5 degrees. The bolts and washers were slipping, so I decided it best that he upgrade.
I like these rods, if I understand correctly there is no twisting problem because the ends are ball joints? If so, does it hurt on the noise side that the whole link from wheel to central frame support for the rods is now metal to metal (no rubber bushings..), or any other downsides?
If that was my car and I worried about bent strut bars, I'd take them off and put them in a press and straighten them. Put in new bushings if required.
You seem to worry a lot about stuff I don't so I'd recommend you spend the big bucks and buy the fanciest stuff you can find.
The inboard bushings were so bad on mine, the camber bolts were hard against the metal end of the rod.... can't imagine there was much of an alignment going on at all !
I just got new camber bolts and strut rods from Moog... these ones :
You seem to worry a lot about stuff I don't so I'd recommend you spend the big bucks and buy the fanciest stuff you can find.
I am an engineer, so 'worrying' is a second nature
I don't need nor want fancy stuff, still want to end up with a reliable car. The 'dial in' camber setting with the eccentric bolts does not inspire a lot of confidence but I may be wrong
I just added the adjustable strut rods with heim joints from Vette Brake Products to my father's 66. I noticed his rear wheels were tilted out at the bottom so I checked the camber and they were both set at -2.5 degrees. The bolts and washers were slipping, so I decided it best that he upgrade.
Since converting to the Heim-jointed rods, have you driven the car? If so, what difference in ride harshness do you notice?
I like these rods, if I understand correctly there is no twisting problem because the ends are ball joints? If so, does it hurt on the noise side that the whole link from wheel to central frame support for the rods is now metal to metal (no rubber bushings..), or any other downsides?
Not that I have noticed, but I only drove it a short distance (3-5 miles) after the installation to make sure everything was safe and secure. I certainly did not feel any difference in the ride. This car has sidepipes, so if they made noise, i probably didn't and would not hear it.
I respect that some of our members think that strut rods are, or have been bent to reset rear camber. My own experience is that ALL dealers back in the 1960s and 70s used to jack up ALL Corvettes by using the rear strut bars as convenient jacking points....and I mean ALL or them!
I respect that some of our members think that strut rods are, or have been bent to reset rear camber. My own experience is that ALL dealers back in the 1960s and 70s used to jack up ALL Corvettes by using the rear strut bars as convenient jacking points....and I mean ALL or them!
Correct - the 2-post in-floor hydraulic lifts of the day had a yoke in the front to pick up under the front lower control arms (or under a solid axle), and had a similar yoke at the rear that cradled rear axle tubes. Bubba, who didn't know any better, lifted midyear Corvettes on that kind of lift, and the contact points of the rear yoke bent the strut rods.
04-27-2015, 07:37 AM
Bent strut rods: what to do?
