69 front suspension rebuild question
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Burning Brakes
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69 front suspension rebuild question
The control arm bushings on my ’69 are dry rotted and I lost a chunk of one on the driver’s side lower this week so I am planning a suspension rebuild this winter. Sticking to OEM spec with rubber. New ball joints, shocks, springs seem fine. Probably buy one of the kits that also include the sway bar parts too. Friend has a shop press and I have been reading up on the procedures, have the shop manual, will rent a spring compressor and have a healthy respect for getting those out without breaking or putting a hole through something. New to this and want to do one side at a time so just in case I have something to compare my work to.
So here’s the noob question I have been chewing on - and it’s not so much about the work itself, it’s about supporting the car while I do it. I know where the correct jacking points are. I can see when after I get the spring out and lower arm out it’ll be a little tight removing the upper arm being close to the fan shroud so I was thinking of lowering the car down again because over the fender looks like better access. Also have a low ceiling in my garage and can’t leave the hood open if it’s up on 4 jack stands and would prefer not to remove the hood. Working alone.
It’s the fiberglass body that concerns me. I’ve had the car’s front end up on 2 jack stands placed under the lower control arms, obviously in this case I’d support them under the jack points behind the front wheel. When doing that I put some large wheel chocks behind the rear wheels and left the car in gear with the ebrake on. Only left the car like that for a few hours at a time.Any problem leaving it like that for a longer period of time? I am probably overthinking it because with some of the old cars (Nova, Chevelle …) I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. Again, it’s the fiberglass body I’m wondering about and just trying to be cautious
So here’s the noob question I have been chewing on - and it’s not so much about the work itself, it’s about supporting the car while I do it. I know where the correct jacking points are. I can see when after I get the spring out and lower arm out it’ll be a little tight removing the upper arm being close to the fan shroud so I was thinking of lowering the car down again because over the fender looks like better access. Also have a low ceiling in my garage and can’t leave the hood open if it’s up on 4 jack stands and would prefer not to remove the hood. Working alone.
It’s the fiberglass body that concerns me. I’ve had the car’s front end up on 2 jack stands placed under the lower control arms, obviously in this case I’d support them under the jack points behind the front wheel. When doing that I put some large wheel chocks behind the rear wheels and left the car in gear with the ebrake on. Only left the car like that for a few hours at a time.Any problem leaving it like that for a longer period of time? I am probably overthinking it because with some of the old cars (Nova, Chevelle …) I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. Again, it’s the fiberglass body I’m wondering about and just trying to be cautious
Last edited by pigfarmer; 09-24-2018 at 09:13 AM.
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pigfarmer (09-24-2018)