Problem lowering vette
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,063
Likes: 3
From: tampa florida
Problem lowering vette
So I finally decided it was time to lower the vette. Had no problem lowering the back at all. Lowered the front passenger with ease and then moved to the driver side….Than it began. The only thing I can guess is the previous owner tried to lower the car and started with the driver side….and failed. The 10mm bolt is completely striped. I tried a smaller socket, both metric and standard just to see if I can find a size in between. No luck. Then I moved to the vice grips, just to see if I can get some grip so I could turn the bolt, no luck. So now I am here. The plan so far is to take the bolt out, either cut it or any other tips I may gather.
I plan on replacing the bolt with the c6 bolt, even though I am sure I will get some suggestion just to take the bolt out. I also plan on replacing the passenger side bolt as well, just for good measure. I found some instructions (bellow) from digital corvettes on how to remove to bolt. Seems pretty straight forward but how easy is it to put the bolt back in? Any tips or pictures would be greatly appreciated.
http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/foru...ad.php?t=26211
I plan on replacing the bolt with the c6 bolt, even though I am sure I will get some suggestion just to take the bolt out. I also plan on replacing the passenger side bolt as well, just for good measure. I found some instructions (bellow) from digital corvettes on how to remove to bolt. Seems pretty straight forward but how easy is it to put the bolt back in? Any tips or pictures would be greatly appreciated.
http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/foru...ad.php?t=26211
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,288
Likes: 2
From: Richmond Virginia
Should be easy, just jack the car up then once your jack stand is setup use the jack to jack on the spring itself near the bolt. It should turn pretty easy, if not try spraying some pb blaster on it.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,063
Likes: 3
From: tampa florida
Thanks for the response,
Already tried jacking up the leaf spring and spraying some pb blaster on it. The vice grips just turned on itself, no luck with nudging the bolt. I will not be able to do anything till this weekend. What i am thinking about doing is just keep spraying some pb blaster on the bolt and just pray when i get at it the bolt will turn with the vice grips, other then that i think i may just have to remove the spring and cut the damn thing out.
Already tried jacking up the leaf spring and spraying some pb blaster on it. The vice grips just turned on itself, no luck with nudging the bolt. I will not be able to do anything till this weekend. What i am thinking about doing is just keep spraying some pb blaster on the bolt and just pray when i get at it the bolt will turn with the vice grips, other then that i think i may just have to remove the spring and cut the damn thing out.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 10,030
Likes: 10
From: Prescott AZ
St. Jude Donor '04
Thanks for the response,
Already tried jacking up the leaf spring and spraying some pb blaster on it. The vice grips just turned on itself, no luck with nudging the bolt. I will not be able to do anything till this weekend. What i am thinking about doing is just keep spraying some pb blaster on the bolt and just pray when i get at it the bolt will turn with the vice grips, other then that i think i may just have to remove the spring and cut the damn thing out.
Already tried jacking up the leaf spring and spraying some pb blaster on it. The vice grips just turned on itself, no luck with nudging the bolt. I will not be able to do anything till this weekend. What i am thinking about doing is just keep spraying some pb blaster on the bolt and just pray when i get at it the bolt will turn with the vice grips, other then that i think i may just have to remove the spring and cut the damn thing out.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,063
Likes: 3
From: tampa florida
Just realized i jacked the control arm not the leaf spring, i guess that explains why it was a pain trying to turn the bolt with the vice grips. Will give it a shot this weekend, thanks for the help guys!!
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
The bushing could also be vulcanized to the control arm. Spray the bushing liberally with PB BLASTER and use a metal putty knife to pry the bushing off the control arm.
FYI, when you spray PB BLASTER on the adjustment bolt, only spray on the threads above the spring. In fact, fill up the little trough that surrounds the threads above the spring. Allow it to soak overnight. When you see that the lubricant has wicked below the spring the spring (threads wet), then you'll know it thoroughly lubricated. Mine did adjust by hand w/o a 10mm wrench at that point.
Despite what some say about how easy this project is, cars will vary. Some will have experienced rain/snow that causes corrosion to the adjustment bolt and spring insert. There have been many who reported the insert broke loose within the spring and the adjustment bolt would only spin, if even that.
FYI, when you spray PB BLASTER on the adjustment bolt, only spray on the threads above the spring. In fact, fill up the little trough that surrounds the threads above the spring. Allow it to soak overnight. When you see that the lubricant has wicked below the spring the spring (threads wet), then you'll know it thoroughly lubricated. Mine did adjust by hand w/o a 10mm wrench at that point.
Despite what some say about how easy this project is, cars will vary. Some will have experienced rain/snow that causes corrosion to the adjustment bolt and spring insert. There have been many who reported the insert broke loose within the spring and the adjustment bolt would only spin, if even that.
Last edited by hotwheels57; Feb 22, 2010 at 04:43 PM.
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Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 29,888
Likes: 4,538
From: Bonita Springs, Florida
As long as there isn't any tension and the bolt is not rusted you should be able to turn it by hand depending on condition and age. Once the tension was off, mine turned using only my two fingers. Make sure to use a block of wood between the spring and the jack to protect the spring from damage when jacking. Be careful of the size and placement of the wood so it doesn't get caught between the control arm and the spring when you release the jack.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 10,179
Likes: 2,305
From: Wesley Chapel, FL Las Vegas, NV
I would say 99.9% of the guys that have a problem are due to 2 reasons.
#1 They do not take the weight off the spring
and
#2 They turn the bolt the wrong way a strip the head.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,395
Likes: 4,769
From: BEST Corn-Nation
2015 C5 of the Year Winner
I had a problem with both my front bolts. Wound up taking the spring out. Put the bolts (bushing side) in a vise and using the spring as a lever I got them to break free and was able to get them out. There was no way they were going to turn without doing this. Mine were corroded pretty bad. Hope you have better luck then I did.
