Ok, I have everything removed from the T-arm except the emergency brake cable. Peeking into the area where the bolt goes through the frame to hold the T-arm looks extremely tight. I can foresee trouble pushing the bolt through in order to pull the arm out. Anyone have a suggestion on how get at this sucker and get the bolt out?

 

Good Luck, if you are very, very, very lucky, you'll be able to push the threaded portion through by tapping it by placing the end on a chistle on it and hitting it with a hammer. After you get it flush, take an old cheap-azz phillips screwdriver, bend it 90 degrees and try pushing it the rest of the way through. If it won't go, then start trying to pull it through from the head side, I was able to get an oversized box-end wrench over the bolt head and by yanking and pulling get it through. I was very, very, very lucky!
Many have no luck at all and end up having to saw through the shims and bolt on both sides of the TA with a Sawzall. Plan on breaking many blades and getting very pizzed off during the job. I helped a buddy do his and it was no fun at all.
Some people are brave enough to try and cut the bolts and shims with an torch, I'd be very, very afraid to do that. Fiberglass with burn like gasoline soaked rags it you get it lit off. If you have to do that have a couple of fire extinguishers and a water hose handy, as well as masking off anything that can burn with flame resistant welding cloth.
A prelude to any attempt is to soak everything in PB Blaster repeatedly for several day before you attempt to remove the bolts.
When reinstalling, the bolts, put everything in position, use your bent cheap-azz phillips to align the holes and the TA bushings in place. Then thread a piece of heavy fishing line through the cotter key hole in the TA bolt and tie it so the knot is at the tip of the bolt. Then thread the fishing line through from the inside of the frame through the TA and frame mount. Use needle nosed pliers to position the end of the bolt into position and gently start pulling the bolt from the outside, if it is stubborn, make sure the holes are still aligned with your bent cheap-azz screwdriver and keep pulling. Tap the head of the bolt with anything you can fit inside the frame. I had little trouble getting the bolts in using this method. It took me about 10 minutes on each side and most of that was getting the TA in position with blocks and jackstands and aligning the hole. The pulling/pushing through of the bolt was anti-climatic.
Here's a picture that shows the TA with the fishing line threaded through the frame and TA.


This is a picture with the TA in postion and the bolt installed by pulling and pushing it through.

 

:iagree:
You can't get more detailed than that. I did mine with the body off, so any tips that i have would not apply.

CAN YOU SAY WD-40.

 

Good Luck!!

I had to cut mine out, shims, bushings and bolt... I would not recommend this at all, it is very scary and stinky. If I had to do it again, I would have bought a sawzall just for the job.

:iagree: with smokehouse69, and the fishing line is a very good idea. I will definately try that next time. The bolt is a little difficult to get into the hole, and to get your hand or a wrench behind the brake lines. I have removed and installed the T-arms a couple of times now, and it is still a PITA.

On a separate note...

If you have to replace your trailing arm bushings, you need a special tool, it may be chaper to have them done at a shop.


:cheers:

 

I bought a set of poly-urethane bushings from Zip (I think) after I got the old bushings out by drilling out the flare on the bushing retainer, I drilled around the rubber portion of the bushing and dug the rest of the bushing out. Leaving the shells in the TA. The poly bushings came with a flaring tool that allows you to put the bushing in the TA and then use the tool to flare the center bolt guide to the backing plate. When it is done, the whole thing looks and works exactly like the stock bushing, except the bushing is now PU instead of rubber.
If you use poly-urethane make sure you grease them up inside and out with water proof marine lubricant. Not marine grease, but the really sticky slimy stuff often called whale snot. I got a tub of it from a boat shop.
No squeaks when you use that along with black Poly-graphite bushings.

 

I haven't pulled mine yet, but I'm getting close. I'm wondering if a sawzall is the way to go, or would a diamond cut-off wheel be better for removing those bolts?

mark

 

The cutting wheel would certainly work better, the problem is getting a die grinder or side cutter in the small amount of room. Maybe one of the 1-3/4" wheels on a dremel tool with a flexible shaft might reach in there, but you'd have to try it first to see.

 

To me the hardest thing to remove on my corvette was the trailing arms followed closely by the 4 bolts under the dash holding the master cylinder.
My shim pack was totally rusted together and I had to chissel them out. After removing the shims I had to cut the bolt off first on the inside of the frame then again cut the head off the outside. I did mine with a die grinder and carbide cutter. It was the pits but I ended up removing the trailing arm with the through bolt still firmly frozen in the trailing arm.
After everything was cleaned up I used stainless shims and of coarse a new bolt with lots of grease. I installed the trailing arm and used a needle nose pliers to install the bolt. It was no problem getting the bolt in with the needle nose. I add the shims after.
I used a laser level projecting to the front hubs to get the indial alignment. I pull my trailing arms at least once every 2 years and with lots of grease and stainless shims it is a breeze.
To me working on the corvette this along with axle removal and brake removal is the 3 worst things the first tim.
For the power brakes I installed shims and now it is effortless removing the power brakes.
For the axles I polished the inside bearing for a hand tight sliding fit so future removal is effortless also.
Good luck

 

Interesting about your poly bushings smokehouse69, I didn't know the inner sleeve has to be flared.

I was going to put in my Energy Suspension ones in, but I wrecked the cones and ended up buying new factory bushings. I bought the factory installation tool, and it worked fairly well with a 10 ton press.

 

Wish I knew about the fishing line. I just finished my new offsets (7 blades to cut the old ones out) and the trailing arms were junk. Art at VanSteel took one look at them and told me to buy new ones.

Get an extra pair of hands and a jack to support it while you are installing the new t-arm. :) Good luck.

 

"the trailing arms were junk. Art at VanSteel took one look at them and told me to buy new ones."

What did he see that made him say that? I have mine out now, and they look fine to me, except for crud and light surface rust.

 

Great idea...........where were you last summer!!! i did mine with my good ole sausage fingers.....lots of scraps to prove it and very angry neighbors......i had to idea i could use the F word in so many creative ways... :lol: :lol: :lol:


Rod :cool:

 

If Art said they were junk - they were junk. I sent mine to Van Steel fully ECPECTING a call saying they were junk - not so!! My rebuilt trailing arms look beautiful (I had them powder coated), I almost hate to get them dirty.

Removal of the trailing arms was the biggest PITA I have had so far working on my 1980. The sawsall worked ok for me. I was able to remove the shims so I only had to cut the bolt.

 

Thanks for all the replys, especially Smokehouse69. I think I feel worse now, knowing what I am up against. Lol. I am gonna soak them some more with WD 40.

I have done the power brake booster from inside the car w/o lowering the steering wheel. That was the biggest PITA so far. Sounds like that is about to change.

 

I think that he had two reasons. The first was the 15 degree bend in the drivers side T-arm. The second (and more important) was the fact that you could poke a hole in the metal just by hand pressure and a screwdriver. :lol: :lol:

I knew that they were junk when I sent them, so I had planned on getting the offset arms from the beginning.

 

Good thread. I will be moving to the saws all phase soon. My shims are a rusted mass as well. How long a blade do you use? Tooth size? Has any one used the bushing tool in mid america to install the bushing and flare the sleeve? Is it worth the $50 or am I better off finding someone with a press?


The saws all is great. I bought one for home project and it has paid for itself many times. Truly the Goat of power tools. Cuts anything. Perhaps the noisiest power tool of all time as well. :smash:


[Modified by adamdinat, 12:56 PM 2/10/2003]


[Modified by adamdinat, 12:57 PM 2/10/2003]

 

I have the bushing flare tool. It works fairly well with a 10 ton press. I would take them to a local corvette shop to have them done. It may be cheaper in the end.

 

:iagree:

 

Ah yes, more T/A war stories. I had to sawzall mine out - severely rusted. One of the bolts was rust-welded to the frame and I broke off pieces of the frame around the hole driving it out. The solution to this is to weld a "doubler" to the frame (piece of plate with same sized hole). I was able to use vice grips to handle/align the bolt fairly easily (same technique worked on two cars). I used lots of anti-seize grease during assembly and soaked with PB Blaster prior to disassembly. I think that you should spend the time to get a real penetrating oil - WD40 isn't the best product for this job! If you're lucky it'll come apart for you, but be prepared to spend extra time in case it doesn't.

Good luck!

 

My TA's will not come out until the body-off resto...