Okay guys need help. Rear spring question.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,325
Likes: 0
From: Tx
Okay guys need help. Rear spring question.
Okay this is my 1980 vette I am referring to. The idiot I got this car from just had the rear sprng on, I didn't know when I drove it home 400 miles it wasnt bolted in. I got my parts from Van steel, and pretty soon found out the old bolts were broke off in there. How in the heck do I get these broke off bolts out. it is both the long bolts. My guess is they were rusted and broke off. He could have told me. Help please!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,844
Likes: 99
From: Orrtanna Pa.
Re: Okay guys need help. Rear spring question. (Kara)
The 80 has an aluminum rear which will make the job more delicate.I would think you'd need to drill what's left of the bolt and use an easy out,but this may be a giant PIA with the housing in the car.
Can't think of a better reason to drop the rear for a gear change though!
Good luck. :smash:
Can't think of a better reason to drop the rear for a gear change though!
Good luck. :smash:
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 18,478
Likes: 3
From: Quincy IL
Re: Okay guys need help. Rear spring question. (The Money Pit)
you can try spraying rust breaker on the bolts and then drill a center hole and use and easy out, but that's if you 're lucky. usually you have to keep drilling, using gradually larger bits, until the old bolt just about falls apart inside the hole. you might try a torch for some heat, but be careful the gas tank is nearby. the main thing is to have some good drill bits and use a center punch to get the first hole down the center of the bolt, and as you progress to larger bits make sure you don't drill thru the threads. sometimes as you keep drilling the hole wider, the heat from drilling helps loosen everything up.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 4,653
Likes: 6
From: North Royalton, OH
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Re: Okay guys need help. Rear spring question. (Gary79)
:iagree: Stay away from the easy out - last time I used one of those, it broke off in the hole I'd just drilled. Than I had to get the easy out out as well as the bolt. Just use bigger and bigger bits and drill the whole thing out, chasing it with a clean tap when you're done. Won't take that much time to do. :thumbs:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 3
From: Wildwood IL
Re: Okay guys need help. Rear spring question. (BSiegPaint)
:iagree: Stay away from the easy out - last time I used one of those, it broke off in the hole I'd just drilled. Than I had to get the easy out out as well as the bolt.
Eddie
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,050
Likes: 124
From: Wichita KS
Re: Okay guys need help. Rear spring question. (Kara)
I removed the unit from my 1980 and took it to a machine shop. The machist removed the bolt and installed helicoils.
The FIRST question he asked was if I had tried to get it out and had broken an "easy-out" off in the hole. The cost would have gone up $$ if he had to deal with two problems.
In any case I would recommend helicoils. You might also want to check the bottom plate that holds the spring on for damage. I took this as an opportunity to install a fiberglass spring. If your current spring is fiberglass, you might check it for damage.
The FIRST question he asked was if I had tried to get it out and had broken an "easy-out" off in the hole. The cost would have gone up $$ if he had to deal with two problems.
In any case I would recommend helicoils. You might also want to check the bottom plate that holds the spring on for damage. I took this as an opportunity to install a fiberglass spring. If your current spring is fiberglass, you might check it for damage.
