rear spring rebuild advice
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 79
Likes: 2
From: Ft Walton Beach Florida
rear spring rebuild advice
Hey guys,
Does anyone know what's involved in taking apart/ rebuilding the rear spring on a '72? I'm rebuilding everything in the rear of the car (it all started with a leaking pinion seal on the diff.), have removed the trailing arms and everything else for rebuild and am now looking at the spring. I don't think it needs to be re-arched as the ride height/ stance of the car looks about right. I just want to take the spring apart , repaint, and put in new liners.
Does anyone know what's involved in taking apart/ rebuilding the rear spring on a '72? I'm rebuilding everything in the rear of the car (it all started with a leaking pinion seal on the diff.), have removed the trailing arms and everything else for rebuild and am now looking at the spring. I don't think it needs to be re-arched as the ride height/ stance of the car looks about right. I just want to take the spring apart , repaint, and put in new liners.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,283
Likes: 4,373
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi G,
The rebuild is straight forward once the spring is out of the car. The paint and liners are available from many vendors, I like Quanta Products.
Notice there's 1 less liner than you'd think! None at long flat leaf.
Regards,
Alan
The rebuild is straight forward once the spring is out of the car. The paint and liners are available from many vendors, I like Quanta Products.
Notice there's 1 less liner than you'd think! None at long flat leaf.
Regards,
Alan
Last edited by Alan 71; Nov 21, 2009 at 01:14 PM.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 79
Likes: 2
From: Ft Walton Beach Florida
Thanks Alan. Is there anything special about removing the center bolt in order to disassemble the spring?
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 492
Likes: 3
From: Temecula CA
When I did mine, it was rusted through and in two pieces anyway. Nothing special that I could see, other than it will be under a bit of tension as you unthread it. The replacement bolt that I ordered was much longer than it need to be, making it easier to get started. I trimmed the excess length after I tightened it down.
I suppose you can use a c-clamp to hold the leaves together, remove the nut and bolt, then release the tension by loosening the c-clamp.
temvette72
I suppose you can use a c-clamp to hold the leaves together, remove the nut and bolt, then release the tension by loosening the c-clamp.
temvette72
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,283
Likes: 4,373
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi G,
T72's info is right on about watching the length of thre bolt. I was able to save my center bolt with some rust buster but often they're so rusted the nut twists off. Good luck with yours.
Regards,
Alan
T72's info is right on about watching the length of thre bolt. I was able to save my center bolt with some rust buster but often they're so rusted the nut twists off. Good luck with yours.
Regards,
Alan
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 79
Likes: 2
From: Ft Walton Beach Florida
When I did mine, it was rusted through and in two pieces anyway. Nothing special that I could see, other than it will be under a bit of tension as you unthread it. The replacement bolt that I ordered was much longer than it need to be, making it easier to get started. I trimmed the excess length after I tightened it down.
I suppose you can use a c-clamp to hold the leaves together, remove the nut and bolt, then release the tension by loosening the c-clamp.
temvette72
I suppose you can use a c-clamp to hold the leaves together, remove the nut and bolt, then release the tension by loosening the c-clamp.
temvette72
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 79
Likes: 2
From: Ft Walton Beach Florida
Thanks Alan. After I'm done with the spring I'm really looking forward to putting everything back together after I get my rear end pieces back from rebuild.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,112
Likes: 28
From: Florida
It's really not worth fooling with the old bolt. There is a reason new bolts are so long. A 6 or 8" center bolt is less than a dollar at a truck supply. 
If using a new bolt, make sure the head is shallow enough to not protrude in mount, otherwise you could pop the casting. You can grind the head down to fit recessed.
I didn't replace the liners, they hold a lot of moisture. You can see the rust pits in the old leaf. Depends how much rain your car will see. Check to make sure yours a good.
If using a new bolt, make sure the head is shallow enough to not protrude in mount, otherwise you could pop the casting. You can grind the head down to fit recessed.
I didn't replace the liners, they hold a lot of moisture. You can see the rust pits in the old leaf. Depends how much rain your car will see. Check to make sure yours a good.
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
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Is the old spring still adequate? The easiest way to repair it is to take it to a truck spring shop and let them rebuild it right. I doubt you have the size vise you need to take it apart [or reassemble it] properly.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 79
Likes: 2
From: Ft Walton Beach Florida
The spring is adequate I think - the ride height looks good. Mainly I just want to clean it up, paint it, new liners, etc. I was thinking a couple good c-clamps would hold the spring together when I took the center bolt out. Is a big vise required to do this?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,283
Likes: 4,373
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi G,
I'm not sure what 7T1 is referring to, I took my spring apart and put it back together without an special tools. Once the trailing arms are dissconected the spring is in it's relaxed state... it comes apart easily. (at least mine did)
Regards,
Alan
I'm not sure what 7T1 is referring to, I took my spring apart and put it back together without an special tools. Once the trailing arms are dissconected the spring is in it's relaxed state... it comes apart easily. (at least mine did)
Regards,
Alan
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,088
Likes: 181
From: NC
2022 C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified
BILL SR
Last edited by lakebumm; Nov 22, 2009 at 05:53 PM.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 79
Likes: 2
From: Ft Walton Beach Florida
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,223
Likes: 174
From: Fort Wayne IN
