There are a couple, CorvetteDepot.ca. Western Corvette in Calgary and Northern Corvette in Ontario. They often don't have all the parts one can get from the U.S. suppliers, such as the spring bolts. I've been relying on Western Corvette more since the Covid thing and all the American suppliers are backed up on their online ordering systems. Western Corvette has never had an online order system so they aren't slowed down at all by the Covid thing unlike the American suppliers.

 

I hate to recommend anyone but ecklers is 20 miles from me I'd be happy to go pick them up and I'm sure I can get a better deal on shipping. It may take a while to get it there. You can consider it my contribution to the cause

 

Thanks so much for your kind offer! My husband and I have discussed it at length and I'm not going to win that argument with him, he'll still feel its too much money even just for the bolts and nuts at over $30 CDN. He recently berated me for asking his opinion on stuff he doesn't know while rejecting his opinion on mechanical advice so I don't want to bring it up again with him.

 

Lou....you can put a punch-mark on the bolt threads once the nut is adjusted to suit the ride height you desire.
Then remove the bolt annd clamp it in a vice.
Run the electrc drill at 1/4 speed and use drops of oil on the bit to keep it sharp
It may take a couple minutes to drill thru the bolt

I may have pics in my thread...look at the Table of Contents to fing the pics.

 

Adding to Doorgunner's post,
Spin a nut on the bolt farther than where you plan to drill.
After you drill, spin the nut back off and it will clean up the damaged threads where you drilled.
If you have the correct size die, even better.

 

Oldcarbum, I was taught that nut trick a long, long time ago in construction. I have drilled into a grade 5 bolt, but never remember drilling a grade 8 one. There are grade 5 and grade 8 nuts that have special markings on them. And thank you Doorgunner for your helpful hint. Lou.

 

Go slow, use a good machinist cutting oil and have an extra drill bit or two if they get dull.
A grade 8 bolt is tough but they drill pretty easily.
If you know someone with a drill press, it makes all the difference in the world.
Offer them a cold six pack for the use of their press.

 

So, it turns out I'm not going to be installing the new rear spring at this time. I was talking to hubby about it and he decided he didn't want me working on mechanical any more, I should just focus on the body work. I was all psyched up to go on the rear spring so its a bit hard for me to change my focus mid stream and leave it. Its not easy for me to do something new and I got a lot of good advice on how to do it which I'd prefer to make use of now while its fresh in my mind. Also I figure its a lot easier to do the spring now while the gas tank is out and I can stand up under the car.

Ward's been thinking of early retirement and says I need to get the body done while he's still working and there's money to do it whereas after he retires there won't be money to do it and but the mechanical work costs very little and we can do it then. I guess that makes good sense. The car is going back into storage mid to late October so I havn't got a lot of time this year.

Ward says the trailing arm bushings should be done as well and said those could be a lot of trouble getting out. I figure the car was driving and handling fine so that isn't a problem but ultimately its up to him what I do. So the next thing on my list is to tackle the rear "C O R V E T T E" letters which after three tries still aren't acceptable to me. Fourth time's a charm? Wish me luck

 

Your welcome to use my drill press anytime, I'm conveniently located in central Florida.
My offer for the spring bolts was with me providing bolts and shipping.
But I agree if you're going to do trailing arms it makes sense to do the job once.
Good luck. Stay motivated we are all watching ☺️

 

Thanks 7t9l82.

My husband has a milling machine which I'm pretty sure can be used as a drill press, so I don't think that's a problem.

Oh, I re-read your earlier comment and if I've got you this time you're offering to gift to me the 9/16 spring bolts? Yes, I'd be very happy to take you up on that if that's the case. Thanks so much! I thought you were offering to get us a cheaper shipping cost.

 

Your comment there confused me a bit so I went out and had a look underneath the car and now I see the trailing arms are connected to the leaf spring - I didn't realize that to do the trailing arms you need to take the spring off as well so with my way we'd be removing the spring twice

I wondered why my husband suddenly brought up doing traling arm bushings - now it makes more sense to me

 

Evidentially Ward is looking out for you! You have a good partner there!

I was telling my wife about the mods you are doing to your Corvette. Great work!

 

Thanks OLE442

Clearly Ward knows best I was like "Why the hell is he bringing up trailing arm bushings now?"

 

Down the road, you can set ride height in the rear without drilling and using a cotter pin. Just get the nut positioned where you want it, then put another "jamb nut" on top of the first with Hi-strength Loctite on it. Torque the two nuts to each other and they will never come loose (unless you heat them to 300*F and impact them apart.

 

Ward asked me to remove the nut from the trailing arm bolt through the frame and to give a try and see if the bolt was seized in the bushing. I loosened the nut, but it looks impossible to get at the bolt end which is behind the brake lines in the picture below. Is it possible to get a wrench or socket on this bolt end without removing the brake lines and the brake line mounting bracket (which appears welded on)?

 

From the things I've seen working on my 76 (the first and only Corvette I've owned) it is almost like working on a British car IMO! Things are tight, parts are in different places and tucked inside of out of the way spaces. It helps to be a smaller person, with smaller hands and younger to me(none of which I am....LOL)! It's kind of like certain items were put into the car whilw it was being assembled and then the rest of the car was added around them. Thank goodness I have a two post lift because that's one of the things that saved me some greif when replacing certain items (like the radiator)! I still like owning a Corvette but it's a new/different experience.

 

I see now it makes good sense for us to leave the trailing arm bushings until Ward is retired, then we can re-do all the brake lines that need to be removed to get at the trailing arm bolts. It doesn't cost much for brake line materials, its mostly labour to do it. It looks like a really torturous job to get at those trailing arm bolts.

 

A sawsall makes quick work of those bolts.

 

That sounds like a plan

 

Agree.

My driver side one came out pretty easily however my passenger side was seized. Got the recip saw with a 12 inch fresh blade on it and cut it out and replaced with the new correct bolts which came with new stainless shims.

I spent more time attempting to get the passenger trailing arm bolt out then I did just cutting it out.