I'm considering moving to a complete poly bushing configuration. The catalog companies sell a complete kit for a few hundred dollars. Including suspension bushings and body mounts. This work seems to be a little out of the range as to what I can complete in my garage.

Has anyone completed this update, or had it done? If so what did it take/cost?

Thanks.

 

Anything is within the realm of possibility, even in your own garage.

Now given, I did it as part of a frame-on resto that's taken 2 1/2 years to complete, but I did it all myself and the only special tools you need are ball joint spreaders and a hydraulic press.

I'm sure if you pay someone to do it, it'll get done faster... but at what cost?

good luck

the blonde weasel

 

oh, sorry... I didn't see "body mounts" in that posting.

personally i think you have to draw the line somewhere. body mounts aren't an easy task to deal with. suspension bushings are one thing, lifting the body is a whole 'nother beast.

 

I replaced all the rubber on my car with poly. It was not that big of a task. Of course, I had the body off the frame when I did it.

 

Can the body mount bushings be replaced by removing all bolts and jacking just enough on each side to facilitate the change?

 

The answer would be "Yes" if the bolts are *not* rusted/frozen after all this time.

The bushings on sway bars, linkage, etc. are easy to replace. Harder to replace are bushings that require pressing out and back in - especially the rear trailing arms and the front A-arms.

 

Did a body off restoration on my 68 in a two car garage...

 

In one of my earlier posts is a full description about body mounts replacement with the body on the frame... do a search under "body mounts"....

It can be done... I did it in less than a week with the little time that I had after work...

 

Here is an article I copied from aq Forum member for replacing body mounts with the body on.
The rubber body mounts found on 73-82 Corvettes vastly improved noise and ride over the solid aluminum mounts used on the 68-72 models. It is possible to retrofit the later rubber mounts on 68-72 and reap the benefits of a better ride, less road noise and less risk of fiberglass stress cracks. I recommend buying a body mount kit as it also comes with all new bolts, washers, nuts and shims. These kits can be had for about $150. 1. start by placing the rear of the car on jackstands (rear wheels off the ground) and remove the spare tire carrier. 2. You now have easy access to the rear bumper brackets. There 2 in the center that go to the license plate area of the body, 2 that go to the innermost bumper mounts, and 2 that go to the outer bumper mounts. The rear section of the body is very strong and contrary to the front it does not have to be supported during the lift. 3. Disconnect the antenna grounding strap. 4. Disconnect battery cable where it mounts to the frame. 5. Loosen parking brake adjustment as much as it will go. The adjustment is in the transmission tunnel, before the cable splits off to the wheels. You do not have to completely disconnect the cable. 6. Now for the front. Start by removing the front grills. 7. Remove the one bolt holding the corner bumper bracket to the frame extension. The frame extension is the large piece of flat steel that goes from the front of the frame horns to the bumpers. There's one on each side. 8. Remove 2 bolts on each side holding the frame extension to the frame. Remove frame extensions. 9. IMPORTANT! The next step will disconnect the whole front of the body from the frame. YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT THE FRONT OF THE BODY AT THIS POINT. The weight of the front is enough to collapse the body if you don't!!! 10. Place a floor jack under the center of the front body transverse beam. This is the steel piece just infront of the radiator. 11. Remove 4 bolts (2 each side) holding the body support to the frame. 2 of these bolts were hidden by the frame extension bracket removed in step 8. The other 2 are just rearward from the bolts removed in step 8. 12. Now it is time for the bodymounts. There are a total of 8 mounts. They are referred to as #1-#4 (left and right). #1 is behind the side gills, infront of the firewall. 70-72 owners have it made as the gills remove for easy access. 13. #2 is behind the kickpanels. Remove the sillplates and then the kickpanels. The bolt is now accessible. 14. #3 is behind the door. Remove the rear wheels and then the access plate on the front of the rear wheel well. The bolt is now accessible. 15. #4 is behind the rear wheel and visible after the wheels have been removed. 16. Remove 2 bolts to loosen the master cylinder. Tie the mastercylinder to the alternator so that it clears. You do not have to disconnect the brakelines. 17. Remove the bolts holding the steering column rag-joint together. Don't forget the safety studs. 18. Remove the rocker panels. 19. The body is now separated from the frame 9atleast as much as we need to lift it the required 4"). 20. Place 2 more floor jacks, one on each side, approximately 2/3 back under the doors. Carefully test the rigidness of the birdcage rail by lifting slowly. On mine I had problems with the rail bending, so I had to move the jack back and forth until I found a rigid enough section. 21. SLOWLY lift on all three jacks. As you lift, look in the engine compartment, under the car, etc to make sure everything is moving freely. 22. You will have to lift until you can just see the top of the frame under the doors. 23. Now you can remove all the old mounts. Note any shims that are found. Be aware that shims can stick to the body. They have to be removed as the new mount won't fit with a shim in the way. 24. Mount the new rubber mounts according to instructions. They do not all go in the same way. If shims were used on the old mounts, you can tape the shims to the new rubber mount. Use masking tape. This, by the way, is how the factory did it for ease of installation. 25. All mounts should slide through the holes in the body. If they don't, you may have misaligned panels. On mine, all fit except #3. I had to dremel the holes until the mounts installed properly. 26. Lower body down. 27. Re-attach the front end first, using the highest possible attachment. This is done by lowering the front until the bolt holes line up, install bolts (but do not tighten), lift front as high as it will go and then tighten bolts. 28. re-install all items removed in the earlier step, except the steering column rag-joint. 29. The column will not line up as the body now sits ~3/8" higher than with the solid mounts. Loosen the column where it attaches to the firewall, and also the upper bolts. 30. Push the column down in the engine compartment until it lines up. tighten mounts and re-install rag-joint bolts. 31. Enjoy the new ride!!!

Good Luck
Eddie