I am attempting to remove the T-Arms from my 71 convertible. I cut off the nut from the end of the bolt since I was unable to get a socket or wrench on it. (it was up against the body/wheel well). I have attempted to remove the bolt but the bolt will not budge. I spoke with someone else who has done this as well, and they remembered this bolt coming right out. Lot's of liquidwrench/WD40 have been used. I tryed banging it out and even used an air-hammer on it without resolve. I can get a wrench on the backside of it, but there isn't much room to move, nothing else can get on it due to the brakelines and lack of clearance. Has anyone attempted this and had similar problems. I am planning on stopping by a vette shop here in Denver soon to ask for advice, but figured I'd ask on here first. Could that bolt be threaded into the frame at all. Even if it is, I can't get the wrench to budge this bolt, and I"m afraid of stripping off the head that I can't get my eyes on behind the brakelines and frame. I am not in a position to remove the body at this time. (and yes, I know this sounds like an easy problem but it's not) I've had two seperate friends stop by to help that work on cars much more than I do, and both were stumped by this as well. Thanks in advance for any help on this matter.

 

Heh Heh...welcome to the world of old corvettes. Got a sawzall? Get one, and some 8" blades, good ones. See if you can cut or otherwise remove the shims to get a little working room. Then cut the bolt on both sides of the TA. The problem is that the bolt has rust welded to the sleeve in the center of the TA bushing.

 

I agree with Six completly but I think you should back up and find out why you couldnt get a wrench on the nut.????? That is by far the easiest thing you'll do in this operation.

 

Sometimes the nut is just behind the skirt a bit, but an open end should still go on it. The bolt head is annother matter, I had to dissasemble and bend my brake lines a bit to get in there on the bolt head.

 

Yank the shims, sawzall the bolt.

 

Somewhere I was told 8" was too long and could damage the frame in the back or make things difficult by bending the blade. So I used 6" and went through a lot of blades... But I couldn't get the shims out either.

 

Thanks For the replies. I will try the SawZaw. The local corvette shop pretty much said the same thing except that they would torch it. I"m thinking the sawzaw sounds safer. anyway, I must not have mentioned, I could get a box wrench on the bolt, but with the lack of room, I couldn't move it. I even used a second wrench to get more leverage, but I still couldn't budge it. Another thing I fogot to mention is that The wheel bearing assembly has already been removed, so there is not pressure on the bolt, and I always attempt the removal while the T-arm is at ride height.

 

If you can get the shims out, some 9" Rescue blades will cut through the bolts. Plan on using 1 blade per cut since the original bolts are grade 8. If it's any consolation, I pounded on my TA bolts with an 8-lb sledge hammer (bare frame) and couldn't get the bolts to budge. I could only get the shims out on one side of each TA also.



Rick B.