good now you can scratch that one off your list

 

With all the differential components painted I took them to my differential guy and now I will tear down the rear suspension.

 

Great job you make it look so simple

 

Thanks. The simple parts I can handle. The tough parts though I come to this forum for help or I would really struggle.

 

Looking good jr! I would not have started my rebuild without this forum. Good luck with those trailing arms disassembly - they can be a pita.

 

In your POST#82. It looks like your rear end cover was broken and welded back together.

AND...the differential side yokes....are they new or the old ones.....and if they are the old ones...how much 'in and out' play did they have???

AND BY NO MEANS am I picking at you...but I can tell you that if you are using 'chrome paint'....it will not last and the first time anything gets on it that is solvent based...it will darn near wash off. That type of paint is really sensitive.

Have you done anything to the frame yet??? I saw in your other post you got the body off. Because you really need to be aware of the amount of shims in your upper A-arm mounting points. That is the first place I look when a Corvette comes in for restoration.. Becasue if there are basically no shims...the cradle of the frame needs to be stretched back into position so shims can be added again when it is aligned.

DUB

 

Dub, good eye, no one else mentioned it but yes I found it was welded at one time and the guy did a good job of it.
As far as different yolks that is what came with the car. Are they not original? Im not sure what they should look like.

 

Jr73,

Now that it's all apart, don't you want to get a solid cover? That's a critical area of support. Even if you don't drive like Steve McQueen, just seems to be a really weak link.

Just me.
Steve

 

I would tend to agree with Cavu2u that while you have it apart you should look for another cover. That is a very key part of the rear suspension and it's strength is important. Besides to replace it later you are then messing with a lot more parts and the stink of the rear end fluid.
r

 

JR73,
You might want to purchase the NCRS Judging and Guide book for 73-74,
It will give you some Great info and eliminate alot of guess work. What i mean by guess work is Part Numbers and Finishes for your 73.
Good Luck with your project,
John

 

Im thinking you guys are right I should get a new cover

 

The yokes are original...but that is NOT the point. The ends of these yokes that contact the pinion shaft inside the carrier...wear down due to the poor Rockwell hardness value GM gave them. SO what happens is the 'in and out' play begins to increase and get worse over time....and the yokes can actually begin to flare out and really hard to remove.

All I can comment on is that when you get the differential set-up and new bearings/seals /clutches and OIL and GM additive and PROPER BREAK-IN procedures. IS THAT when I grab the side yoke and push it in and pull it out I want VERY LITTLE movement...and this being no more than .008"...if possible. I know many may 'chime-in' and contradict this...and that is fine. But my philosophy is that when I have something all the way apart...FIX IT RIGHT and to the BEST it can be. I am not a DIY'er....I do this for a living and I feel that my customers deserve the BEST I have to offer....If they do not like that I am just trying to do it RIGHT and wan t me to do it half-@ss...then they can take it to someone who does not give a crap and just 'Band-Aid' it back together like they want it and then tell them "Everything is fine".

So, I put in the new style hardened end side yokes and REPLACE the PINION SHAFT that these two side yokes contact in the carrier. Becasue I would BET that it is scored and worn down slightly and I DO NOT want my new yokes riding against a surface that is NOT PERFECT.

LASTLY...the person building your differential better look at the SPECIAL UNIQUE BOLT that holds the pinion shaft in the carrier. At the end of this bolt that goes into the pinion shaft...I have seen MANY where the bolt is beginning to crack due to being a Grade 8 bolt....which has great tensile strength...but is brittle.

Have you done anything to the frame yet???? What is going on with the amount of upper A-arm shims the car had???. This is no joke. OR at least to me it is no joking matter...especially when you go to align the car and you can't due to cradle collapse and have to THEN have the cradle stretched out when the car is PERFECT. and completed.

DUB

 

Dub, I will start checking on this stuff today. Thanks for helping.

 

I found a really nice cover on Ebay, with shipping came out to around $145. It just came in today. Thanks for the input, now I feel better about it. Anyone want to buy the old one?

 

The 'old one'...in my opinion is either a boat anchor or needs to be recycled. Many be someone will buy it.

ALSO....just be AWARE that you have a GM part again. AND when you go and install your rear leaf spring. DO NOT....REPEAT...DO NOT try to tighten the four bolts all the way...because you CAN break the ears off this cover. You really NEED TO wait until you get all of the car back together and have weight on the rear end and slide under the car AND NOT JACK IT UP and using the weight of the car...this will compress the spring FLAT AGAINST this cover and make it so you can complete the tightening procedure and torque the bolts correctly. UNLESS you are installing a fiberglass spring that is. This is ONLY if you are going back in with a steel leaf spring.

DUB

 

I didnt know that. You may have just saved me another cover. Thanks Dub.

 

There is so much thats not in the Corvette assembly manual. I badly need a shop manual but I cant find a manual that is specific to the Vette. They are all "Chevelle, Camaro Monte Carlo Nova and Corvette. Is there a manual out there which is just Corvette?

 

No: they're all going to be multi-car. Just ignore the non-corvette sections.

 

My buddy loaned me his to look at. Its for 1979 but its only Vette.

 

up until 79 they were multi-car. Trust me: no one makes a 73-only service manual. I've looked: they don't exist. The only possibility is the manuals that come on CD, but I'm willing to bet those are just the Corvette sections out of the standard GM manual.

Get the 73 service manual (ST 329-73) and the 73 Overhaul Manual (ST 333-73). Those 2, along with a 73 AIM and a 73 owners manual will have you set for just about everything you could possibly need to do to the car.

If you're interested, here's a nice list of a lot of books you may be interested in buying.