Marlon

Replacing the rear strut rods with standard, correct rods. Got the passenger side shock mount off easy, disconnected the strut rod at the car centerline. Got the outboard rod installed at the shock mount, but the upper rod end appears to be twisted in the diff carrier mount. Can't get the camber adjust bolt thru. Do the rods have specific 'ends' for where they mount? They appear symmetrical. Also: there are two cup washers included in the new bolt kit, but my rods did not have any cupped washers installed when I removed the passenger side just now.

Thoughts?

Bullshark

Raise the rear wheels to thier normal loaded, level position

Marlon

Awesome - Will try it! Thanks a million!

pawpaws toy

Rubber or poly bushings? If poly use the cupped washers. Also easier if you install the top mount first. Another thing is the top mount and the shock mount are not square with each other. That is a reason Heim joints are so much easier to install.

Marlon

Yeah - the top mount and shock/strut mount are definitely not square. If I install the top loosely, the bottom strut rod bushing is about 1/4" out of square with the shock/strut mount. No way to pound the strut bolt thru - you'd destroy the threads and it still probably would not line up! I notice that the previous strut rods were rusty, but likely have been replaced over the years. When I removed them there were no washers/bushings in the top bracket. It looked like there should have been - the strut rod sleeved bushings have serrated teeth on either side and those teeth were creating some wear against the inside of the mount bracket flanges. Clearly there should have been washers to prevent this wear. But likely the installer could not get enough angle in the strut rod alignment to get the bolts thru both ends of the strut rods.
The 1971 C3 Assembly Manual depicts 2 bushings installed on either side of the top of the strut rod mount, inside the center bracket. There were 4 bushings included with my new strut rod top mount hardware, presumably two for each side on the top. The strut rods and hardware are stock replacements, no poly.

I was thinking about removing or loosening the center strut bracket. That should give me enough wiggle room to mount both ends of both strut rods and hopefully enough leveragable movement to reinstall the center bracket.
I considered an adjustable strut rod kit from Ecklers, it comes with a new center bracket. However, my LT-1 is correct thru and thru and I'd like to keep it stock.

Thoughts?

CanadaGrant

The top mount and outer attach point are slightly offset and run parallel to each other for a tight fit. If your old rods were run without the two caps over the serrated bushings it would have bent or compressed the sides of the top mount when tightening up the top bolt making it very hard to get everything together again properly. Try installing the top end of the rod with the caps but don't tighten up the nut then push the outer end around with enough force to get it installed over the shock mount. Use a jack to raise or lower the trailing arm to get it lined up as close as possible but the attach points are offset from each other.

Marlon

ok - will do. thanks!

pawpaws toy

I used a ratchet strap to pull the rod into alignment then jacked the trailing arm up to it. Use an old bolt to center the holes before installing the shock mount.

Marlon

Guys - it's fixed. After thinking about it all day, I had to get under the car and remove the strut rod mount bracket from the car centerline.
I then spread out some newspaper and loosely assembled the strut rods into the bracket. I did use the spacers and white grease so that the strut rods rotate freely in the bracket.
Then slid it back into place over the exhaust pipes. I didn't have to remove the exhaust pipes, luckily they were far enough apart that it simply pulled one down a little to keep it out of the way for my 1/2" drive socket handle. A 3/8" drive socket drive would have been too tiny to tackle those tight bracket bolts.

Then adjusted the camber bolts so i could reinstall the strut mounts back thru the new strut rods and loosely attached the lower strut rod nuts

Now the hard part...

There's no way that the bracket will simply be held up and lined up against the four bolt the mount holes and magically line up with the four threaded bolt holes under the diff carrier. So:

I had to gently lift the axles with small aluminum racing jacks and simultaneously turn the camber bolts with a 3/4" wrench so that I had BARELY enough clearance to start one of the passenger side bracket bolts while pushing up on the bracket with a free hand while on my back. Snugged the bracket bolt just a little and was able to start the other passenger side bolt. Whew!!! Halfway there.

I then had to tap the passenger side of the bracket with a 3 lb hammer to line the bracket up with the driver side bolt holes and bracket holes. Then I was JUST able to carefully start one of those bolts. Tightened it a bit and was able to start the last bolt. BTW: This job would have been fairly easy had the car been up on a lift.

I had a thought that you could actually remove each of the four bracket bolts one at a time and replace each one with say, a 1-1/2" bolt and let the bracket hang there while reassembling the bracket and strut rods while its still under the car. Attach the lower strut rod ends and then replace each of the long temporary bolts with the short factory bolts one at a time!

Tightened all the bracket bolts.

Attached the shocks.

Finished tightening the strut/shock housing nuts.

Tightened up the camber bolts for now!

Done!!! A tough, but doable one man job.

I am convinced the only way to install the factory original style strut rods with the required spacers in the upper strut rod end is to remove the strut rod bracket and loosely assemble on the garage floor. It's easy, but involved.

The other easy way is to replace the factory style strut rods with the adjustable rods.

Since my LT-1 is all stock, I didn't want to drift too far into aftermarket.

I'm done! Thanks to everyone for their help and advice!!!