Dunno, you tell me. The ones I regretfully installed were as stiff as (insert lewd reference to teenage boy).

Your bushings may be better than the cr*p I got stuck with, but if they're equivalent to stock rubber, there goes all the 'handling improvements' the boy racer crowd think they're getting.

 

53 and 90-95. You may have gotten injection molded poly vs thermal set poly. Both have the same durameter reading but 1 is brittle and breaks down.

 

Are you referring to the play in the rear end? I just bought a 76 project car, and when I took the wheels off today, you can move the trailing arm and shaft assembly in and out approximately 1/8" to 1/4". You can see that the trailing arm moves side to side in the area of the front bushing, and I am NOW concerned with what you stated regarding the run-out. Does the worn trailing arm bushings present with that sort of issue, or is this a bushing and rear-end issue?

 

NO. He's refering to the 2 little stub axles that come out of the sides of the pumpkin.
That said... *part* of that lateral movement of the T/A is governed by the end-play of those 2 stub axles.

Bottom line is that you want the rear end as "tight" as possible. Wiggle that gets dangerous at high speeds, is also "notable" at moderate speeds. Just try to tighten up everything you can back there and don't overspeed the car beyond it's means.

-W

 

Ok...that is the same movement that I'm seeing, and I know which parts you are referring to. The stub axles on mine move in and out slightly, with an audible "thunk". It's when I'm moving it that I also notice the leading TA arm moving, or rather "twisiting" in the spot where the bushing is. So my question is... or should I say questionS....is this is a sign of a worn set of TA bushings AND worn stub axles? How do you correct this issue? Is there is sleeve on the stub axle? I've just never dealt with this before, and not sure what is "normal" play. It seems a little too much to be normal, and I'm wondering if this is an expensive/difficult fix.

On a side note, I'm thinking that the rear spring is also worn and in need of replacement, because when the rear end is up in the air, the spring bolts are loose....like flopping around loose. Maybe the spring bolts are too long, I dunno. I noticed when the car was on the ground, the spring is almost flat, and if memory serves correct, it should have an arch to it.

 

[QUOTE=mydejavooo;1572767158]

So my question is... or should I say questionS....is this is a sign of a worn set of TA bushings AND worn stub axles? How do you correct this issue? Is there is sleeve on the stub axle?

To tighten all that up. You need to replace the T/A bushings, send the stub axles out for the service where they build the ends inside back up with a hardened steel "button". And replace the bushings on your strut rods while you're in there.

With all three of those done it's tighten up. From there you can replace springs, sway bars, shocks etc etc as you see fit.

I bought the $2100 total kit (front and rear) from Zip Corvette and went for the whole thing at once - shotgun method.

-W

 

[QUOTE=Clams Canino;1572767789]Sweet! Sounds like I'm on the right track I guess. So is there a place that you would suggest to send the stub axles off to? And what should a guy be paying for that procedure?

 

All the major vendors have an exchange service. Just get one ones with the hardened stell buttons inserts on the ends.

You really need to get a free catalog from Ecklers, Zip, Corvette America etc etc etc...
And then study them like it was your job.

-W

 

I've already worn out last year's Ecklers catalog...but I didn't focus on the stubs until THIS came along!

 

By the way...are the stub shafts easy to replace?

 

Well I have had my 80 out this past week, and have noticed so "looseness" in the rear end when under acceleration. You give a little "blip" of the throttle, and the rear end would move (what felt like) side to side. Obviously a little on the disconcerting side. From everything that I had read, sounded like TA bushings or the differential pinion bushing. So, I ordered both from Ecklers. They arrived yesterday, and I jacked up the rear....lifting up a bit on the left side of the rear leaf to undo the spring bolt....and the whole left trailing arm is flopping around in the frame pocket like a dead fish!!!!! (Do dead fish REALLY flop around??) I was FLOORED by the amount of movement! There's is literally 3/4-1" of forward and back, up and down movement, and it's almost like there are no bushings in there at all! No WONDER the rear end was moving around!

So I may tackle this job this weekend, but it is a little daunting. The kit I got has poly bushings and SAYS you don't have to drop the TA all the way out. The one question I have......so you put the shims in between the outer washer and the bushing, and then the inner shaft is flared.......how would they either add or remove shims at the alignment shop?? It would seem that once the shims were on there, that they are a permanent addition to the bushing assembly? Am I mistaken on that point?? http://www.vbandp.com/instructions/41042.pdf

I just don't want to mess things up, since I have never done this repair before. I am confident with everything else that needs to be done in order to get the TA OUT, but it's the actual installation of the bushings, cups, and shims in the arm that I am concerned about. Once the inner sleeve is flared....there's no turning back or changing anything, right??

Deja

 

Anyone??

 

The alignment shims are a separate deal from the bushing assembly shims.

 

One you shim the TA bushings per the instruction and flare it - the TA is done.
This has everything to do with bushing fit and nothing to do with alignment. Alignment is done via mush bigger shims to the left and right of the TA assembly in the frame of the car.

-W (headed back to work)

 

 

Has anyone tried Vtech Corvette for trailing arm rebuild?

Thanks

 

This is what my poly bushings looked like - GONE. Just the bolt left. Needless to say it handled poorly. Went back with stock rubber.

 

Maybe you had the brittle ones?

 

Wow. How long were they on your car before the disintegrated like that?