Installing longer rear spring bolts
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Merrick New York
Installing longer rear spring bolts
Finally planning to putting in the longer spring bolts today, but wanted to know if I can change them with the car on the ground?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,428
Likes: 5
From: Japan
Not to sound too long-winded, but the answer is....NO! Those bolts are what hold your car up. You'll have to jack the rear of the car, separate the bolts from the spring by using a jack to relieve tension on their ends, then remove them from the trailing arms. Another Corvette's destruction has been spared by its owner wisely consulting the forum....
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Merrick New York
Not to sound too long-winded, but the answer is....NO! Those bolts are what hold your car up. You'll have to jack the rear of the car, separate the bolts from the spring by using a jack to relieve tension on their ends, then remove them from the trailing arms. Another Corvette's destruction has been spared by its owner wisely consulting the forum....
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
Whats wrong with putting a floor jack under the end of the spring,jacking up slightly until the tension is off and the bolt is loose, then removing the bolt and putting the new one in?(The only difficult issue is getting the nut to break loose if its been on there forever.)
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,280
Likes: 4,372
From: Westminster Maryland
What DW suggests works.
I found it SOMETIMES helps to use a c-clamp to clamp a 2x4 block of wood just inside the jack pad on the spring. SOMETIMES the jack pad wants to slide along the bottom of the spring towards the center of the car.
Yes, I'm sad to say I can prove this.
Regards,
Alan
PS: Ask me about getting the bolt through the spring when the chassis is bare. Can you say "Boy, I didn't think it was that light".
Regards,
Alan
I found it SOMETIMES helps to use a c-clamp to clamp a 2x4 block of wood just inside the jack pad on the spring. SOMETIMES the jack pad wants to slide along the bottom of the spring towards the center of the car.
Yes, I'm sad to say I can prove this.
Regards,
Alan
PS: Ask me about getting the bolt through the spring when the chassis is bare. Can you say "Boy, I didn't think it was that light".
Regards,
Alan
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,372
Likes: 223
From: Beecher Illinois
Whats wrong with putting a floor jack under the end of the spring,jacking up slightly until the tension is off and the bolt is loose, then removing the bolt and putting the new one in?(The only difficult issue is getting the nut to break loose if its been on there forever.)
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Merrick New York
DW,Alan & KapsSA - Thank you guys for replying and confirming it can be done without putting the car on jack stands. I've read a lot of the threads in the archive and all of them has pictures with the cars on jackstands. After reading birdsmiths response I decided it might be one of those things I should have my mechanic do. I just didn't feel comfortable (being a novice at this) putting a jack on the springs while the car is on stands. After your responses I'm back to getting my hands dirty and the satisifaction of doing it myself - which is one of the reasons i bought the car.
Thanks again for your response,
Ben
Thanks again for your response,
Ben
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
If you have had the nut off the spring bolt before you wont have a problem.If the nut is original you will probably have to add heat to it.If you add heat without removing the tire protect the tire with a piece of sheet metal.
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Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,404
Likes: 1
From: Ansonia/NYC CT
Drown said bolt off and on a couple days prior to working on it in WD40.
That sucker came off like butter.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,652
Likes: 80
From: Lakeland Florida
Just be careful with the leaf spring. That thing packs a wallop when you get the bolt off. It doesn't look like it at first, but if you dont have the jack supported with a C clamp on the spring.....one slip and it will send a lot of things flying.
kdf
kdf
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,812
Likes: 2,029
From: eastern NC
One other tip on installing longer bolts. I would not recommend installing bolts that position the end of the spring below the level of the rim.
I made the mistake of installing some 10" bolts on my '73 many years ago while autocrossing. The spring was an inch from the sidewall of the tire which looked pretty safe to me.
During one particularly quick turn, the tire rolled under enough to hit the end of the spring and ripped the entire sidewall out of an almost new Goodyear Gatorback. I switched to 8" bolts and raised the spring to the edge of the rim. The tire may roll under, but the rim won't!
Good luck... GUSTO
I made the mistake of installing some 10" bolts on my '73 many years ago while autocrossing. The spring was an inch from the sidewall of the tire which looked pretty safe to me.
During one particularly quick turn, the tire rolled under enough to hit the end of the spring and ripped the entire sidewall out of an almost new Goodyear Gatorback. I switched to 8" bolts and raised the spring to the edge of the rim. The tire may roll under, but the rim won't!Good luck... GUSTO