I contacted a local Corvette specialty shop here in northern NJ regarding the replacement of both trailing arms/wheel bearings on my '67 convertible. I'm curious what the group feels about the price I was quoted, which breaks down as follow:

2 fully reconditioned trailing arms with bearings, brake rotor -$900
shipping charges for trailing arms - $75
Stainless steel shims and bolts - $75
Labor for install $700
4 wheel alignment $100
Total job (assuming no "surprises") $1,850

The shop claims to do a dozen of these jobs each year, so is well familiar with what is involved. I don't have the skill, tools, or desire to undertake it myself.

While it seems expensive, I have read enough about this repair to realize it can be a somewhat nightmarish undertaking. Just wonder if this price seems to be in the ballpark.

 

If you check various speciality shops on here that do this work, your number is in the ballpark. Not a fun job and it isn't for the faint of heart....

 

Unless your car is a show car (NCRS or equivalent) I would go for aftermarket trailing arms......better, but not much difference in cost. JMHO

 

I used Van Steel in Fl. about 5 years ago. They sent me shipping boxes I did remove the control arms myself packed and shipped. It really wasn't that bad a job to remove and replace, and leave the stuff that takes special tooling to the professionals.
I got them back looking like brand new, installed them and took the car out for a 4 wheel alignment.
Everything went very well.
Also try Bairds, I think in Pa, would be closer for you as far as shipping costs.
George

 

Is doing the removal and installation yourself out of the question? Might depend on what shape the underside of your car is in. Rusted bolts can really stretch out the job and increase the frustration level exponentially to where paying someone else is worth your sanity.

I would say you could save about $800 on that price by doing it your self, provided you don't run into any brake caliper issues, half shaft or yoke issues, U-joint issues, worn strut rods, or bad shocks. but the odds are a problem is going to be found in one or more of these that is going to add to the cost of the job. Don't be surprised.

 

Bill,

Like other have said, jobbing this out can be expensive as well as you will, depending on whether you have had any rear suspension/rear end work recently, encounter "surprises" like rusted/welded pivot bolts and shock mounts to the spindle.

I'm just finishing up helping my neighbor with his '80 4 speed Vette. Since he and I supplied the labor, there's $700.00 according to your Vette shop that we saved.

Along with Bairs there's Ikerds who my neighbor used. Not a bad deal on their parts. Here's their website:

http://stores.ebay.com/IKERDS-CORVET...NSION-PRODUCTS

He paid $650.00 for a pair of trailing arm assemblies. This price was for reconditioned arms and spindles but with new bearings, seals, rotors (which were riveted), studs, stainless parking brake hardware and pads, dust shields and bushings minus calipers. This was shipped as a complete assembly. Shipping from Bedford, Indiana to his house here in Clinton Township, MI was $60.00. Upon opening the boxes Ikerds apparently didn't have reconditioned arms so shipped him new ones in the assembly...no change in price. There was a $200.00 core charge for each arm which he gets back after he ships his arms, minus his rotors to them. Oh, they provided free a complete set of stainless shims with new cotter pins as well as pivot bolts and castle nuts.

His final material cost will be:

$650.00 Complete assembled arms w/shim kit
$ 60.00 Shipping to him
$ 50.00 Guessing, his shipping back to Ikerds (less weight going back with no rotors)
$ 84.00 2 Shock Mount Shafts (Paragon)
$ 1.25 Shock shaft castle nut kit

$844.00 plus our sweat equity LOL!

Oh, incidentals like brake fluid, brake cleaner, shop rags, and a good of set of wrenches not included.

As Dan Hampton said, doing it yourself "isn't for the faint of heart". I have a lift which helps enormously in getting at everything. As it turned out, my neighbor's trailing arms had never been touched. Although his car had only been driven 100 miles in the last 10 years (previous owner was just too tall to drive her [6'8"!]) AND it was a gift from his wife...that's another story), he apparently didn't have the heart to part with it under the circumstances. Unfortunately, sitting is just as bad as driving in the rust belt winters.

We spent 2 1/2 days using a sawzall, half a dozen blades and an air chizel to get the pivot bolts and shock mounts separated/out. Fortunately we did not mess up the spindle arms (which are part of the arm assembly returned for credit.

So yes, doing it yourself is certainly dooable. Ya' gotta' have some tools and a desire to see it through. The finished product certainly has the rear suspension standing tall AND my neighbor has confidence in driving her going forward.

Good luck in your choices.

Regards,

Jim
In God We Trust!

 

Did mine myself, about $250 for parts (old T-Arms and spindles OK, new bearings, SS shim kit, front bushing, and strut rods) the rest is labor.

Van Steel is a great alternative if you want to stream line the job. With what they send you, it becomes mostly a bolt on job that any good mechanic should be able to do for you. The Alignment was extra. Pilot Dan

 

Whoops! Thanks Pilot Dan! Add $100 to my neighbor's cost above for a 4-wheel alignment...s/b a piece of cake with all the fresh hardware in place. So his final cost will be just under $1,000.00.

Pilot Dan, that's an OK cost alternative from Van Steel if the OP doesn't need/care about fresh paint and new/reconditioned arms.



Jim
In God We Trust!

 

I think that they are making money on the trailing arm refurb as I think that Van Steel gets $350 a piece and free shipping for forum members last I checked. The only problem with changing trailing arms is getting the bolt out and getting the shock mounts out. Heck I changed one in a hotel parking lot a few years ago so it can't be that hard right?

Dave

 

You don't know till you try. I was prepared for the worst, had all the bang out tools ready, and did not need them. Everything came apart pretty easy (non event). Mine was not rusty, but even that is not always an indication.

 

That price is in the ballpark. I did my own labor and the trailing arms shipped to and back from Bairs was about $1250. I had them install and rivet new US made discs and shields also.

Sounds like you have an honest mechanic. Now let's hope he's competent.

 

That's about right, I paid 2 grand to have mine done and a couple of other things. then once we got in their everything was tired and worn out, strut rods, cross member bushings, spindles, brakes, gas tank, on and on, it ads up quick, and all I went in their for was to have my leaf spring replaced, by the time the job was finished I wound up spending 7,500 hundred dollars. so be careful. Ditch

 

You may want to have your rear brake lines replaced also if they're old. They're not expensive. I installed new trailing arms myself in my garage and the labor he quoted seems fair. You need to get a detailed list of what's included with the refurbed TAs to see if the price is comparable with others. And you may want to ask for a rotor run-out measurement.

larry

 

From another "expert":
As long as the trailing arms are out new bushings can be pressed in. I went with poly bushings and after they came apart (10 years, weekend driving only) I removed the arms and had rubber pressed in at the "Corvette Doctor". Taking the arms out is not that difficult if the attachment to frame bolts are not rusted. Use a service manual.

 

Brake lines to the TA can be a problem, too, if they are "frozen" like mine were.

larry

 

Everything was frozen on mine, that's the difference from an east coast or mid west car. You get those southern bell cars, and desert cars from that climate makes a world of difference when your taking things apart.

 

What I didn't say was that my driver side rear brake line was also frozen going into the "splitter" block. When I went to loosen the main feed into the block it turned fairly easily. Problem was it was just the line twisting.... Had to lift body up a few inches to replace main line from MC.

larry

 

I don't know how far you are from Phila. you are, but there is a shop in Hatboro Pa. Extreme Midyears they do a real nice job and are very reasonable, all work done in house with all oem parts, you get more for your money. 267 282 5514

 

You think the labor is expensive? At the risk of coming on like a smartazz (I am actually not trying to be one; just straight forward) I say do the labor yourself ( I have done it many times and each job is different) and report back to us as to what you think would be a fair price for that labor (take into consideration time, tools necessary and remember your vehicle is tying up space in the shop while the trailing arms are out and the car can't be moved).

 

He's right, the guy who did mine was a friend, semi retired, charged me $60 an hour and had the car for 5 months. These speciality shops are probably double that labor cost. I had alot more work done than just trailings arms though.