Rear Wheel Play
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 281
Likes: 4
From: Holbrook MA
Rear Wheel Play
I was checking underneath my "new" 77 C3 and noticed a bit of play in the rear suspension. When pulling and pushing on the top and bottom of the rear wheels, one has maybe 1/4" of play and the other has a little more. Is this correct, or what needs replacing? Thanks in advance!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 6,355
Likes: 425
From: Seattle Area WA
Ted, if you can move the rear wheels at all, the wheel bearings are shot and this requires removal and rebuilding of your trailing arms. Not a cheap job and they can be a bugger to remove, often requiring the aid of a sawzal to cut the bolts out of the frame.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
Have a helper rock the wheel at 3 and 6 o'clock while you look from underneath. Make sure it's not the whole trailing arm moving.
Rock again at 12 and 6 o'clock and see if the movement includes the half shaft and diff yoke as Melwff said. It might simply be strut rod bushings.
Rock again at 12 and 6 o'clock and see if the movement includes the half shaft and diff yoke as Melwff said. It might simply be strut rod bushings.
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 281
Likes: 4
From: Holbrook MA
Well, I had a friend wiggle the tire vertically and it looks like a wheel bearing. The movement seems to be between the yoke and the trailing arm. There doen't appear to be play in the strut rod bushings, and the trailing arm doesn't apear to be moving. Any other test to be sure it's a wheel bearing before I tear into it?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,428
Likes: 5
From: Japan
If you're talking about physically removing the yoke assembly from the trailing arm it's not like removing front wheel bearings where you just spin the spindle nut off and pry a grease seal off of the brake rotor...the upright has to be disassembled from the trailing arm then the yoke has to be pressed out of the upright.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 6,422
Likes: 591
From: McHenry Illinois
Read this, it will give you an idea what you're up against.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-shimming.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-shimming.html
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 281
Likes: 4
From: Holbrook MA
Thanks for the responses guys. I'm not going to tackle the bearings myself, I'm ordering a rebuilt unit from Van Steel. The problem I'm having is that the bearing assembly, although unbolted, doesn't want to pull out of the trailing arm. I've removed the parking brake shoes and removed the four nuts that hold the bearing assm in place, and the spindle nut and yoke came off no problem. It just seems that the unit is rusted in place. I don't want to damage the unit since I'll need it as a core, any tricks to help get it apart?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 6,355
Likes: 425
From: Seattle Area WA
If you are buying rebuilt arms from Van Steel I don't think there is any need to take these apart. You need to either use the special tool that bolts to the trailing arm or use a shop press.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 281
Likes: 4
From: Holbrook MA
I'm not getting the arms, just the bearing assembly. They have a lip which fits thru the trailing arm and 4 bolts hold it in place.
It's unbolted but it doesn't want to come out of the trailing arm.
It's unbolted but it doesn't want to come out of the trailing arm.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
Lots of PB blaster,put trailing arm on 2 jackstands,1 stand will go in the end of the trailing arm,put the yoke back on with nut,put a block of wood on the yoke,get a 6 pack,now wail away.
edit- guess I better add ,this will get it started breaking away from arm,then remove the yoke and knock it out the rest of the way. The weight of the bearing assembly is whats working for you here.
edit- guess I better add ,this will get it started breaking away from arm,then remove the yoke and knock it out the rest of the way. The weight of the bearing assembly is whats working for you here.
Last edited by ...Roger...; Jun 6, 2011 at 02:56 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,483
Likes: 459
From: Lititz PA
Since you have the half-shafts out, check the end play on the differential side yokes. When everythig is new they should have .005/.010 of movement. Mine had about .12 and I had it fixed by Van Steel.
John
John