?
Frozen trailing arm bolt
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 6,938
Likes: 1
From: San Diego CA
Frozen trailing arm bolt
My 68's at the alignment shop and was supposed to be done by 1400 but the alignment guy got everything done excpet for the driver's rear due to the frozen TA pin. He's unable to add the remaining shims in between the two original ones due to the damn bolt which he's BFH hammered on and done anything aside from blasting powder. Anyway I have the max price quote so if he goes 10 hours over it's still the same price. Any ideas how to loosen up the TA bolt?
Other tires had both toe and camber out,,,,,whaaaaay out like the RF with
-5.5 toe and 11 camber, geesh hope there's something left of the tires.
Other tires had both toe and camber out,,,,,whaaaaay out like the RF with
-5.5 toe and 11 camber, geesh hope there's something left of the tires.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Originally Posted by Cali,68,L-79
My 68's at the alignment shop and was supposed to be done by 1400 but the alignment guy got everything done excpet for the driver's rear due to the frozen TA pin. He's unable to add the remaining shims in between the two original ones due to the damn bolt which he's BFH hammered on and done anything aside from blasting powder. Anyway I have the max price quote so if he goes 10 hours over it's still the same price. Any ideas how to loosen up the TA bolt?
Other tires had both toe and camber out,,,,,whaaaaay out like the RF with
-5.5 toe and 11 camber, geesh hope there's something left of the tires.
Other tires had both toe and camber out,,,,,whaaaaay out like the RF with
-5.5 toe and 11 camber, geesh hope there's something left of the tires.
I worked out the old rusted shims then pushed the arm one way, cut off the bolt head, pushed it the other way and finished cutting the bolt, I removed the trailing arms with the bolts still through the bushing.
It is a dirty job.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 958
Likes: 1
From: In the Beautiful Shenandoah Valley of VA
Yup, a sawzall is the way to go. I only had one frozen on mine, but that was enough. He has to dig out the shims like Norval said, then slice through both sides of the bolt. I went through six heavy duty blades. It takes patience.
Steve
Steve
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
Yep, these guys are both right. It took me about 14 saw blades and around 10 hours to do both sides. Removed the whole arm. Tell ya what....I replaced mine with stainless nut, bolt and shims. That's the way to go. Also I givem' a shot of Sea Form from time to time. Taking ne chances for that to happen again. But it's a real job.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,269
Likes: 54
From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
i spent the $59 or whatever it was on a saw from Lowe's and cut the bolts in less than 10 minutes.... the SS replacement bolts incl. shims are $40 - way less than what the shop charges to remove the bolts....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 958
Likes: 1
From: In the Beautiful Shenandoah Valley of VA
Originally Posted by mandm1200
They could save a couple of hours of labor by bending the trailing arm. 
Gee, while I'm at it, maybe I should......
Steve
Bent trailing arm.....
Bent strut rod....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 958
Likes: 1
From: In the Beautiful Shenandoah Valley of VA
Originally Posted by RedBad1979
i spent the $59 or whatever it was on a saw from Lowe's and cut the bolts in less than 10 minutes.... the SS replacement bolts incl. shims are $40 - way less than what the shop charges to remove the bolts....
Steve
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 21,457
Likes: 463
From: Massillon,Ohio USA
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Cruise-In VI Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12
Originally Posted by Steve's74
You were very fortunate. Several hours is more the norm with the level of rust most cars have.
Steve
Steve
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 936
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa OK
The exact same bolt was frozen up on my car too. After two days of alternating between Deep Creep and the BFH, I finally blew the ends off with a torch and knocked it out on the bench. Had to put in new bushings anyway, so no big deal.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 3
From: Canberra AUSTRALIA
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
Dave,
I went to Lowes and purchased a demolition saw blade after getting advice from another CF member. The blades are around $2 a piece and have diamond compound on each side of the blade. It took one blade for each cut ie two blades for each frozen bolt. You need a long blade (about 10" from memory) as the sawsall has trouble getting right in close.
Use some never sieze on the new bolt when you put it in.
Good Luck,
Pete
I went to Lowes and purchased a demolition saw blade after getting advice from another CF member. The blades are around $2 a piece and have diamond compound on each side of the blade. It took one blade for each cut ie two blades for each frozen bolt. You need a long blade (about 10" from memory) as the sawsall has trouble getting right in close.
Use some never sieze on the new bolt when you put it in.
Good Luck,
Pete
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '03,'11
Originally Posted by Cali,68,L-79
Anyway I have the max price quote so if he goes 10 hours over it's still the same price.
What did they quote you 10 hours to do? Just the 4 wheel alignment?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,672
Likes: 1
From: New Cumberland PA
He didn't say the quoted 10 hours to do. They must have various ways of charging. From the way I read it, they charge $XXX if it takes 1 hour, 2 hours, or 15 hours. They make out good on the quick jobs, but wind up breaking even on jobs like this. It's like buying insurance.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 6,938
Likes: 1
From: San Diego CA
Originally Posted by mandm1200
He didn't say the quoted 10 hours to do. They must have various ways of charging. From the way I read it, they charge $XXX if it takes 1 hour, 2 hours, or 15 hours. They make out good on the quick jobs, but wind up breaking even on jobs like this. It's like buying insurance.
What he said.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,269
Likes: 54
From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by Steve's74
You were very fortunate. Several hours is more the norm with the level of rust most cars have.
Steve
Steve
Fortunate ?? not really.... I bought the saw after several hours of frustration with these bolts and shims.... I got the shims out on one side, then I couldn't get the bolt out.... I cut it with the saw (5 minute job)... then on the other side I cut right through the shims and the bolt.... I cut on both sides of the trailing arm and removed the remaining part of the bolt with the old TA bushing...