got the entire rear suspension installed today. The rebuilt trailing arms, half shafts, and strut rods from Van Steel came out GREAT and we got those, the differential, new KYB GR2 shocks, and the Van Steel composite leaf spring installed along with the Muskegon Brakes on the rear.
Muskegon supplied an entire "Super Brake Kit" including the calipers, pads, rear hard lines, front / rear flex hoses, master cylinder, and brake fluid.
we also got one of the #4 body mount cages from the underside of the body swapped out today.

next week we should have the complete front suspension and front brakes installed along with the drive shaft, install the other #4 body mount cage, and a few other items on the body that we need to do. By the end of next Sunday we should have a rolling chassis again and the replacement frame should be off the stands and back on it's own wheels. Hopefully a good day on the following week and we should have the body dropped back on (fingers crossed).

Here are pics from today:
http://www.vetteclub.org/1980_Project/projectpics7.html

 

Lookin' good Barry!!! Thanks for the update

 

Looking good.
Well done.

 

Let us know when you do the radiator....

Just kidding....looks good...nice work...

Rich

 

Awesome job man....sure was alot of cracks in that old frame.....wow

 

thanks guys
Yes, there were a lot of MAJOR cracks in that old frame!!

Rich, i'm sure you know i've plenty of practice on the radiator......
Actually, the rad came out pretty easy on this one - we will see how easy it will go back in.

reassembly is so much easier and more fun that disassembly - working with a clean, freshly painted frame, mostly new or rebuilt parts, etc makes it a breeze.
Simply amazing how fast and easy the trailing arms go back in compared to getting them out!!
The thing that bugs me is that we had found "Bubba" work on the leaf spring install duting disassembly and made fun of it but after inspecting the differential carrier we realized why it had been done that way and we really didn't have a choice but to dublicate the same method. We hate pulling a "Bubba" but without more time and money of which we have neither, to replace the differential housing there was no other alternative. The two rear mounting holes were completely stripped and elongated as the pictures show and way too much to install a helicoil so we had to reverse two grade 8 bolts and install them from the top down rather than the bottom up and use nuts to hold them - they are suppose to go up from the bottom and screw into the threaded mount holes. We also had to grind off one side of each bolt head to get it to fit. The third bolt (not shown - toward front of differenting housing) also has the mounting screw hole stripped that that one we can still retap and install a helicoil in which we will do next week.
This fix may not be "correct" and not pretty but it will work and it will hold.

 

That's going to be one sweet ride when you get done.

 

well, I wouldn't go quite that far........
It will be safe and roadworthey and it should drive and handle like new with the suspension and all rebuilt but as for being a "sweet ride" it still will need a lot of bodywork, paint, and basically an entire interior replacement before it looks good.
We are just getting it to be safe for the road to drive, he will be responsible for the cosmetics as he can afford to do it.

 

Looking good.

 

Thanks!! you guys have been a huge help and it's VERY, VERY appreciated.
The rebuild service on the t-arms, strut rods, and half shafts was great. Man, they looked good when we opened the box and those powdercoated t-arms even makes the freshly sandblasted and painted frame look shabby!
Can't wait to drive this thing when it's done (if Mike lets me!) to see what kind of difference the composite spring makes compared to the stock multileaf unit on my '78.

It was a pleasure to stop by your booth at Carlisle and meet Art and Paul.

Thanks again for everything guys!!

 

great job

 

thanks

we still have a long ways to go though.
This Sunday we will have the complete front suspension back on and it will be nice to have it as a rolling chassis again on it's on wheels. That will make a nice project progress milestone.

 

Looking at the trailing arms made me want to go home, take mine off, and send them to Van Steel! Great work on them, they look brand new! This has been a fun project to help with... your Corvette Club is a great group of guys! I know Mike really appreciates it and he's learning a lot too! Like you said... after doing a project like this, it makes doing other stuff to the car seem easy.

See you Sunday!

 

That's one lucky kid. You and your club are very generous.
Could that differential housing have been TIG welded, then helicoiled?

 

hi Dale
nice to see you jump in. You have been on here since '01 and I've never seen you post before I don't think. At least not that's I've noticed.
You have been a great help all along and Mike is lucky to have you.
BTW, I heard today that a replacement core support has been arranged and on it's way so that's great news, and a new exhaust system is being worked on so hopefully that will work out also.

BTW, just went to your site. your car looks good! nice work on it. no wonder you know what your doing and have been such a great help

 

I'm not a welder but I'd imagine that it may be possible to TIG weld that area and than install helicoils but I can't say for sure and unfortunately welding is a skill that all of us working on this project are lacking in.
The third hole that isn't seen in the photo isn't quite as bad as the two shown in the photos so that one we are retapping and installing a helicoil in.
As "Bubba" as our method may be on those two rear bolts it WILL work and hold and be safe and that's the important part. If Mike, the car owner, wishes to have a skilled welder work on that differential in the future to repair it as it should be that's up to him.

 

Yes, I agree. You guys certainly aren't making it any more difficult to fix it in the future. I wasn't trying to denegrade your repair and I understand why you did it. I was just wondering out loud.

 

no problem, I understood. We are simply doing the best we can, with what we have to work with, within the limited budget we have, and the skills and abilities we have.

 

Yeah, I do a lot more reading than posting! That's great news with the core support. He's going to have a solid Vette when this project is complete. Then he can focus on the body, interior, and engine in the future.

Are the front suspension pieces going to be ready to install this weekend? It'll be nice to get the wheels back on it!

 

Nice work Barry, glad to see the project moving along.