Bubba-ism Update #6421
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,372
Likes: 215
From: Peoria Arizona
Bubba-ism Update #6421
I got the new calipers and our rotors today and made a discovery about the old ones. The rear calipers on our '77 were both RIGHT side pieces.
This causes a couple of issues:
1) Brakes lines don't fit because they should both feed to the rear of the calipers.
2) The bleeders end up on the low side of the caliper on one side of the car. Pretty sure air does not go DOWN to well. "Hold my beer while I show you how to bleed these brakes".
Seems some Bubba along the way took the left side line and bent it up to make it fit the right side, then "fabricated" a new left side line which wrapped around the shock and ran to the front of the caliper (which was on backwards).
This may be towards the top of the Bubba list for me (so far).
Pro
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 577
Likes: 6
I gotta say that is a lot of effort to do something wrong. I also agree that's close to the top of the list of dumb stuff I have seen over the years. My favorite though is still cardboard and chicken wire under bondo. Seems in order to build up a severely rusted area they wrapped cardboard into chicken wire and molded it to the desired fit. Then covered it with gobs and gobs of bondo. I was so not fun digging into that and realizing how far down we had to go to fix it. Not a Corvette Bubba though this was on a Chevelle about 15 years ago.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,912
Likes: 266
From: Charleston SC
some people put more effort in doing it wrong than doing it right...really stupid when doing it right takes less time than doing it wrong..."the bubbaism was strong with this one"
my wife's 69 camaro had 1" solder ball with 8 wires going to it...it is now a x-mas tree ornament...I think there would be money to be made if we wrote a book on bubbaism.
my wife's 69 camaro had 1" solder ball with 8 wires going to it...it is now a x-mas tree ornament...I think there would be money to be made if we wrote a book on bubbaism.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 72
From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
some people put more effort in doing it wrong than doing it right...really stupid when doing it right takes less time than doing it wrong..."the bubbaism was strong with this one"
my wife's 69 camaro had 1" solder ball with 8 wires going to it...it is now a x-mas tree ornament...I think there would be money to be made if we wrote a book on bubbaism.
my wife's 69 camaro had 1" solder ball with 8 wires going to it...it is now a x-mas tree ornament...I think there would be money to be made if we wrote a book on bubbaism.
Keep the shiny side up!
Scott
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 74
From: Palatine, Peoples Republic of Illinois
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18
NCM Sinkhole Donor
some people put more effort in doing it wrong than doing it right...really stupid when doing it right takes less time than doing it wrong..."the bubbaism was strong with this one"
my wife's 69 camaro had 1" solder ball with 8 wires going to it...it is now a x-mas tree ornament...I think there would be money to be made if we wrote a book on bubbaism.
my wife's 69 camaro had 1" solder ball with 8 wires going to it...it is now a x-mas tree ornament...I think there would be money to be made if we wrote a book on bubbaism.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 74
From: Palatine, Peoples Republic of Illinois
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Racer
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 406
Likes: 1
From: Maroochydore QLD
Just a couple of hints for you. Put the wheel back on and tighten the studs, make sure you dont get run out with the wheel in place, tightening the studs can cause a slight warp in your disk, it may need shims, also, make sure that the hand brake cable flexible joint (shown in your picture) hasnt moved closer to the tire with all your work, they are real close anyway and can rub on the inner tire. Do all of this before you put the car back on the ground. Ask me how I know these things......
Cheers, Dennis.
Cheers, Dennis.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,372
Likes: 215
From: Peoria Arizona
Just a couple of hints for you. Put the wheel back on and tighten the studs, make sure you dont get run out with the wheel in place, tightening the studs can cause a slight warp in your disk, it may need shims, also, make sure that the hand brake cable flexible joint (shown in your picture) hasnt moved closer to the tire with all your work, they are real close anyway and can rub on the inner tire. Do all of this before you put the car back on the ground. Ask me how I know these things......
Cheers, Dennis.
Cheers, Dennis.
The cable seems to be fine and is clear of the tire. Runout is at .004 right and .003 left with the tire bolted on so should be fine there as well. Good points though! The cable bracket that is welded to the side of the control arm needed to be welded back on (right side). Seems they lost one of the mickey mouse clips and just pinched the bracket around the cable to hold it in place. Well, they TRIED... it broke the welds and the cable was just hanging there.
Also, no return spring underneath at the crossmember - just a bunch of oversized nuts as spacers(?) on the adjustments threads. Handle would not return all the way because of this. Also, NO shoe springs on the right side. One nail was gone and the other was bent over to hold the rear shoe in place - didn't work of course. Pull the ebrake handle and you couldn't get the brakes to release.
My wife says we have started a Corvette shelter and rescue.
Pro
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 572
Likes: 1
From: Cooksville Maryland
DC Area Events Coordinator
I agree, it takes less time to do it right, then to rig up a fix. Maybe I'm older, but I would rather spend the $$ on the right part, sit back and wait for it to get here by doing something else, and then installing the right part. Ugh ...
Pro
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 577
Likes: 6
No that wouldn't work. True the rear calipers have four ports essentially one on each corner. However, the port designed for the brake line has an inverted flare in the port. The brake line itself won't go into any other port, and the bleeders won't go into the flared port.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,644
Likes: 479
From: OK
From what I've seen on my vette it could have been done at the factory.....just sayin.
PS sorry if you worked for the GM assembly plant back in the 70's...oh, what the heck...no I"m not!
PS sorry if you worked for the GM assembly plant back in the 70's...oh, what the heck...no I"m not!
Last edited by 73Corvette; Feb 29, 2012 at 09:29 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,868
Likes: 13
From: Mascoutah IL
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 857
Likes: 1
From: Morrisonville Illinios
I gotta say that is a lot of effort to do something wrong. I also agree that's close to the top of the list of dumb stuff I have seen over the years. My favorite though is still cardboard and chicken wire under bondo. Seems in order to build up a severely rusted area they wrapped cardboard into chicken wire and molded it to the desired fit. Then covered it with gobs and gobs of bondo. I was so not fun digging into that and realizing how far down we had to go to fix it. Not a Corvette Bubba though this was on a Chevelle about 15 years ago.
wro87
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,372
Likes: 215
From: Peoria Arizona
If I didn't already have a Historic Vehicle plate I would do this - no question. Our Historic plates are really cool - solid copper (heavy!) with red letters. Like this one...
And since they started those plates in '77 they all say '77 on them which just happens to fit our Vette. I've noticed that ALL of my neighbors have guessed the year of our car correctly so far.