Well, I got bad news from the inspection mechanic today. He says my Vette needs major work to get inspected. He is telling me in needs (4) new radial arms in the rear. I am not sure what he is talking about. I believe he is referring to the rear spindle control rods. Would that sound about right? He didn't work up an exact price, but said it would be more that $1000 to repair. I found those control rods for $160 from an online vendor. Has anyone ever done this job before? I have access to a lift and am a decent mechanic. I am trying to sell the car (that's why he did a really thorough inspection), and would like to repair this and get it inspected prior to the sale.

 

Also, anyone know where the wheel hub alternate part number list went? I was looking through the tech tips and stickies, but don't see it anymore.

 

If it's the 4 control rods ("dogbones") you just have to change the bushings, unless the rods are bent. Not difficult, but it takes some time. How did the inspector determine that they were shot? Is the rubber obviously and completely deteriorated?

 

Thanks for the reply. I haven't had a chance to pick up the car yet. I will get it later tonight and have a look. I saw the bushing kits for pretty cheap. i assume they just press into the dog ones.

After I posted this I realized maybe I should break out the fsm and see what I'm in for.

 

cuisinartvette did a nice article about 6 years ago with all the part numbers for front and rear bearings and i printed it off. used it when i replaced bearings a couple months ago. contact him, he still may have that info electronically, otherwise i can post up the numbers for you later.

 

See exactly what he's telling you you need. If it for a prep for sale and rods with good bushings will do you might consider just used rods. If it's been inspected for a potential buyer you pretty much need it done "his way". I might have a set with reasonably new "Energy" bushings installed. The down-side of mine is that they're red. I'll look.

Post back with the results of his inspection. That's a very reasonable approach to prepping for a sale. It somewhat prepares you for what a less than reputable inspector tells a prospective buyer a car needs. It makes it something that can be discussed and negotiated.

 

I'd be a bit leery of that "Inspection". The rods are just that - rods, with rubber bushings in the ends. Aside from the bushings going bad - not much can go wrong with the rods unless they're bent or broken. If the bushings go bad - you can replace the bushings. $1,000 seems awfully high to me.... IF the bushings were $40/arm (and they're way less than that) - that would be $160 - so the remaining $840 is labor - evan at $100/hour that's a full 8 hour day of labor...

I've replaced the stock rubber bushings in my C4 rear arms with urethane nushings. It wasn't a terribly bad job - do one bar at a time, the hardest part of the job is getting the old bushings out. I believe I used a vice and some sockets to push the old bushings out. Putting the new urethane bushings in was a piece of cake.

When reinstalling - it can be a bit of a PIT to get the bolt holes in the arms to line up - a pry bar, and a small ratchet strap were enough to convince the parts to go back in place.

If you feel unsure about replacing the bushings yourself, get the replacement arms and an extra set of Urethane bushings, take an arm out and go to work on the bushing. If it comes out, do the other one, on the arm then pop the new urethane bushings in and reinstall the arm. If all 4 arms get done, simply return the set of replacement arms. If you have a real problem getting the bushings out - just put in the replacement arms and call it a day.

GOOD LUCK !!!

 

A full set of brand new dogbones is only $139 from Corvette Central. Simple job to R&R them. Even a first timer in a shop with a rack should be able to do them in a couple of hours max.

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb....Z5Z5Z50000050F

While you're in there, get a set of these too: http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb....Z5Z5Z50000050F

The stock bushings will be toast anyways and the aftermarket ones eliminate the eccentric adjusters. Should take any extra time since these need to be dropped anyways as part of the dogbone swap.

 

Thanks for the great replies. I am finally going to make time to pick up the car tomorrow morning. I have been working way too much to find the time during the week. This was a PA safety inspection that is required every year.

I read the FSM, and it doesn't sound like it would be bad as long as you mark everything. I guess then I need to get it aligned too. I can't imagine it would take that long.

 

There is no adjustment for the dogbones, just remove and replace. If you use the strut rods I pointed out, you can adjust them to about the right length before you loosen the bolts for the stock ones. That will be close enough to get you to an alignment shop after you finish. Just drive carefully as it may be "twitchy".

 

I agree with mcm95403. If you just change the four rods that run parallel to the driveshaft - there is no need to realign the car. There is no adjustment possible on these rods.

If you make any changes on the lower arm that has the eccentric adjuster against the rear diff - then you will need an alignment, but that's not what we're talking about here.

 

I did mine over the winter, with the Vette Brakes racing kit. Very simple, and straight forward install, and I disassembled and painted and polished it all. Anyone with any mechanical capabilities will not have a problem. Good luck, and enjoy the ride after, its a major improvement. h

 

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...er-prices.html

 

Because those are bushings they do NEED to be torqued down at ride height, either with the weight on them or holding the suspension up with a jack or something. If you don't your new bushings will have a LOT of stress on them.

 

Its a good idea to not even tighten the control arms till after its back on the ground. h

 

Finally got a chance to check out the Vette a little. I talked to the inspecting mechanic today, and here is the list:

-Front right lower ball joint
-Front left wheel hub
-Dogbones

He was very picky with the inspection, because I am selling the car. He doesn't want the new owner to blame him for a failed component with a brand new sticker on the car. He knows me and these parts are probably worn, but he may have passed some of it if I was keeping the car. Also, he knows I don't drive the car much. I drove only 900 miles in the last two years.

When I jacked up the rear of the car to check the wheel bearing (before I talked to mechanic), it felt like the wheel bearing was bad bc it had up and down movement. The mechanic said it is actually the dogbones. He checked it by prying on them with a prybar. That is also how he checked the ball joint, and I am pretty sure that is the standard test.

So, moving forward, I will be replacing all of the above parts. I am purchasing some vintage racing dogbones from a forum member, I have the front wheel hub already, and am purchasing a lower ball joint from an online vendor. It seems like there is a big difference from the least expensive one to the most expensive. I found a Moog one that is discontinued for $58 that used to be $85. I am going to go with that one.

Thanks for the replies. I can't wait to drive the vette with all the improvements, and I also can't wait to sell it so I can get some garage room back. I recently bought a much larger house with a much smaller garage (messed up priorities I know, but the kids are worth it I guess).

Dave

 

Damned kids...but my oldest has a C6 6-speed, so maybe it'll rub off on them.

Keep the forum posted on how this turns out...