ariba

Hello
I am planning to change the stock rear bolts to 8'' . I have a dumb questions
1. Is it ok to change the bolts without raising the car and without taking of the rear tire?
2. If I have to use the vise-grip clamped onto the rear spring, Where is the best location to put it?
I am planning just to jack the rear leaf to take of tension, Dose this work?

This is what I bought from a eBay seller

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1963-1982-C...53.m2749.l2649

Thanks

ignatz

The full weight of the rear of the car sits on center arch of the spring and that weight is transferred to each of the bolt's two nuts. Minimally you have to support the car somewhere else or it is just going to collapse. I've never tried what you are describing but once you remove the nut the tension in the spring is going to be released. Possibly you understand this but the way you describe it is backwards. A jack on the spring is there to slowly release the tension. If you just unscrew that nut you will likely hurt yourself. And it will be much safer to have the entire car sitting on jack stands.

I don't know how you see the vise grip being used. You will more likely need it to keep the bolt from turning while you unscrew the nut. I've used a block of wood under the end of the spring sitting on a floor jack to control the spring. To reattach the spring you raise the jack and wood support until you can screw a nut back on. Very likely the car will lift off a jack when you do this.

Suggest you think this through carefully, there are significant forces at work here.

LB66383

I suppose it can be done that way, but it makes me nervous. If the jack slips while the bolt is out, the car is coming way down until the trailing arm hits the bump stop, That would be scary. I would put the car on a jackstand and remove the wheel/tire to change out the bolt. Clamp a piece of wood to the bottom of the spring with a C-clamp or vise grips. Clamp it as close to the end of the spring as you can while still leaving yourself enough room with the jack to get access to the nut/bolt. Have you also considered replacing the cushions on the bolt while you're at it?

ariba

Thank You IGNATZ & LB66383
I just got my 2 Jack stand out of the storage is it enough to have only 2 jack stand for the rear?
so I will have the 2 jack stands left the rear of the car and the jack will support and release the tension on the leaf. will it work?

gkull

I just did another rear spring job. First off the eBay bolt seller is smart. I can go to the local nut and bolt store and buy those same bolts and nylock nuts for under 5 bucks each. If I buy the whole boxes of them it is 3.4 bucks

Measure from the floor to the center of the wheel fender well then jackstands under the frame rails. use the floor jack under the end of each spring end to take the tension off the end bolt slightly and remove the nut and bolt. I used a box end wrench on the top and a socket on the bottom. Stick the new bolt in and run the nut on till thread comes through. Once done put the tires on the ground and push down on each fender a few times to settle the rear springs. Measure each side and adjust each nut to get the rear ride height. Take it for a drive and remeasure.

if it is a mono spring I fold a couple of shop rags over the floor jack to protect the spring

gkull

I didn't even remove my tires to change out my differential you guys make 15 minute jobs into a monster

I did a big arch steel and I had to put the floor jack out side the nut next to the tires

you don't have to jack up your car, but it does help take tension off the springs with the tires hanging down. A vice grip might keep the floor jack lift pad from sliding up a steel leaf arched spring

ignatz

Given that 'ariba' has never done this job before, I think that advising him to understand the forces at work, think it through, and be careful is sound advice. Yes, when you've done something numerous times you find ways to make the job easier. But there are certainly opportunities for this job to go south in a hurry with a corner of the car suspended on a jury-rigged jack.

gkull

That is why I said to put the jack stands under the car frame. And yes I gotten so used to the low arch mono springs that I forgot recently the tension on a big arch 9 leaf steel. The car was up on blocks to the frame. Everything was undercoated and very rusty. I was using penetrating oil and breaker bars with pipe extensions on it just to crack the bolts and nuts loose. I used a box end wrench on the top of the bolt and a ratchet on the nut with a breaker bar. When the nut cam off and no floor jack under the spring to catch it. the spring end slapped down into the cement as fast as a mouse trap. Don't work on stuff when your mind is on other stuff and tired.

ariba

I did had a shop replace them 2 years ago, but looking at them now I am seeing a little spread crack. I did bough a new rubber cushions but when I received them it felt like hard rubber close to a poly NOT like the OEM. I felt if I changed them they will raise the height and stiff the ride. Probably I will keep the old ones.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/63-82-Corve...53.m2749.l2649

ariba

I don't know to laugh or cray
I felt It's very dangerous and went to a new mechanic. He latterly Fu... Up the Vett. I was with him when I he installed the first bolt OK but when he went the other side I started hearing cracking It was the bottom of the fender behind the front driver tire and the rocker panel moldings bent. I ran to take of the Jack that was on the Leaf and shouted and screamed lower the car. And he did
in the end I felt changing the bolt is not that hard. I feel very bad and sad 48k miles clean car 2 years restorations and this happen to it. This is the second thing happen to me this month from a dumb mechanics, first I almost died from a wrong rag joint install ( it slept) and now this. I a most think that this vet is cursed or I am having a bad luck. But in the end I want thank God nothing worse happened

revitup

The procedure for working with Corvette rear leaf springs is simple and foolproof if done correctly. The process has been written up numerous times and explained properly on this site alone many times. This screw up should never happen unless this common process is not understood or completely ignored. Which was it?

ignatz

From my post previously

so the car tilted on the lift?

Tonio