Confidence 'WAS' high on Spring replacement
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Confidence 'WAS' high on Spring replacement
My confidence was high on replacing my rear spring..BUT.. from what I've been reading lately it doesn't sound as easy as it looks.. Wazup with that? Concerns are about breaking off ears? Is that where the three center bolts mount? How delicate is this area on an '80? I thought about using my impact wrench to pull those bolts out.. Should I be concerned? How do you avoid braking the ears if that's what people are talking about? Is it on installation or removal when most brake? Please help boost my confidence again. :confused:
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Re: Confidence 'WAS' high on Spring replacement (Koz)
I believe that you have to have the weight of the car on the spring before torquing those three bolts to their final setting. That way you avoid breaking the"ears" off.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 579
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From: Pflugerville/ Colllege Station TX
Re: Confidence 'WAS' high on Spring replacement (Koz)
I have done it 3 times now and have not broken anything. Just put the weight of the car on the spring before you tighten the center bolts and you should be fine.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 3,201
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From: Clifton Park NY
Re: Confidence 'WAS' high on Spring replacement (MotorHead)
Steven,
I'm one of the members that broke the ears of the diff cover, and got pics to prove it :)
http://home.earthlink.net/~pplt/corv...ffcover1-2.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~pplt/corv...rweights-2.jpg
This happened when I was installing the center bolts with the car on jackstands, as I was almost reaching the specified torque (70 ft-lb). The correct procedure should have been as mentioned above: torque the bolts to 30 ft-lb or something like that, and only torque them to 70 ft-lb with the car on the ground.
Mind you, I believe the correct torque spec for those center bolts for the '80 is a lot less than the spec for the '74.
BTW, I believe we're talking about 4 center bolts, and not 3.
-Pedro
I'm one of the members that broke the ears of the diff cover, and got pics to prove it :)
http://home.earthlink.net/~pplt/corv...ffcover1-2.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~pplt/corv...rweights-2.jpg
This happened when I was installing the center bolts with the car on jackstands, as I was almost reaching the specified torque (70 ft-lb). The correct procedure should have been as mentioned above: torque the bolts to 30 ft-lb or something like that, and only torque them to 70 ft-lb with the car on the ground.
Mind you, I believe the correct torque spec for those center bolts for the '80 is a lot less than the spec for the '74.
BTW, I believe we're talking about 4 center bolts, and not 3.
-Pedro
