Looking for some info, have a '61 which needs front end attention. Does anyone know if it is possible to replace the upper inner control arm shaft without having to drop the cross member? While doing some homework on this, I find the shaft has two different diameter threads, larger at the front of the car, smaller diameter towards the rear of the car. any tricks or hacks to remove said shaft? I have read Tom Parsons incredible document on the repair of the cross member out of the car. I hope I can change without having to remove the cross member. appreciate the info

 

Current thread has a write up by Tom Parsons on rebuilding the front end. Article is written with the cross member removed from the car but it is a great write up on what's involved rebuilding the front suspension.

The ones I have done were removed from the car but I think it can be done in the car - consult the ST-12 manual. Others will chime in with their knowledge.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-bushings.html

Tom

 

I did mine in the car. No big deal.

 

FIRST OF ALL, why do you feel you need to remove and replace the upper/inner shaft?
Is there a lot of loose play at the bushings on each end?

LAST, yes, it can be removed and replaced in the car. TOOOOOOOOOOO EASY.
Let me know.

 

after further inspection, the control arm bushings are frozen inside the control arm. movement was happening by the control arm shaft rotating inside the cross member itself. we have 1/2" of slop or more. this project will start with cross member control arm bushings for starters.

 

The upper-inner shaft is supposed to be so tight in the spring tower, that it is as though it is welded (but not). The bushings (big nuts) are internally threaded and screw onto the ends of the shaft until they bottom out in the holes of the upper A-frame. Those bushings (big nuts) ROTATE freely (or should) on the cross shaft. IF NOT REGULARLY GREASED, OR IF IT HAS SAT FOR MANY YEARS, the bushings may have seized on the threads of the shaft------------------NOT GOOD. ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. repeat, ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL of the suspension joints of these early frontends are metal-to-metal joints--------------------THERE ARE NO RUBBER BUSHINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thus, the ONLY protection for the joints (and king pins) is GREASE-----------REGULAR GREASING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CANNOT ADEQUATELY EMPHASIZE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Generally speaking, there are no (or almost none) frontend shops that are intimately familiar with these prehistoric suspensions. IF THEY ARE REGULARLY GREASED, THEY WILL OUT LAST US. Yes, yes, yes, greasing these primitive suspensions is messing. Get a big handful of rags, thoroughly each joint and wipe off the excess. LIVE WITH IT!
I am 80yrs old and started working on these frontends back in the mid-60s. I'll be gone some day, so you guys need to learn to become proficient getting them rebuilt.
If anyone needs a copy of my article on rebuilding these front suspensions, or rebuilding a 49-54 car or 53-62 Vette steering box/column, email me and I'll attach a copy. twparsons6@gmail.com

Oh ya, it's gonna cost you, you gotta come help us get the A26 flying.

 

I just bought a 2006 HHR with 229,265 miles on it. The truck it replaces is a 1992 GMC Sierra with 335,000 miles on it. I don't buy used Chevy or GMC without having 100,000 miles on them. The HHR has a steering problem that comes in at around 10 mph. The code shows that it needs a steering column, but I don't think so. If the steering works very well on idle or up to 10 mph, what is shutting off the assist motor? The previous owner put in a new motor and didn't help.

 

Tom... so much good info as always !!! I have a 59 and a 62. On both, the grease fittings on the upper shafts are not seized, but I do nt seem to be able to force any grease past the zerk fitting. It is on my 'to do list' to investigate this further. Again... I need to investigate further, but my quick having someone bounce the front end while I was looking / listening / feeling for any slop in the bushings seems that they are not worn out. But that of course will be short lived if I cannot get any grease past the zerk fittings. Seems only the uppers are having this problem... both the 62 and the 59. Any thoughts ?

 

Unscrew the grease fitting and see if you can get them to flow grease. If no grease will flow through the fittings, then the grease has probably become old and solidified. Maybe they can be leaned out. Otherwise,replace the fittings.
BUT, if the fittings do flow grease then just keep trying to get grease to go into the bushing while someone is bouncing the suspension.

 

I had one stubborn one last time I greased the front end. I cranked the air pressure to 100 psi for the Lincoln grease gun, and I used a LockNLube coupler. I had a helper hold the trigger on the gun, then bounced the front end. That did the trick.

 

On my albiet brief look into not getting grease into my upper bushings... yeah.. .1st come to mind is the zerk fittings are clogged solid. So although I did not replace then, I did push a pin into them to compress that check-ball. It seems grease can get past that, but no further. Yesh... next step is actually pulling the zerk fittings.

 

Yes, it is possible to replace the upper inner control arm shaft without dropping the cross member, but it is tricky. The different thread diameters mean the shaft can sometimes be coaxed out from the rear, smaller diameter, side. Loosen all related suspension components first to give the shaft some movement, use plenty of penetrating oil, and gently tap or use a threaded puller if needed. Patience is key, as forcing it can damage the shaft or cross member. While dropping the cross member is easier, careful step-by-step work can let you replace the shaft in place.

 

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for some advice from those who have been down this road before.

I recently purchased a CA front suspension rebuild kit for my 1958 Corvette that includes the king pin set, inner and outer shaft kits, tie rod ends, stabilizer link kit, and related hardware.

The reason I purchased the kit is that I'm currently replacing the radiator, performing a cooling system flush, and upgrading to front disc brakes. Since everything is already apart, I initially thought it made sense to rebuild the front suspension at the same time.

I've spent quite a bit of time reading through the suspension-related posts here, including DZAUTOS's excellent documentation (thank you for making that available).

Now that I'm actually inspecting the components, I'm starting to second-guess myself.

The car drives straight, tracks well, and doesn't exhibit any obvious handling problems. As I've started looking things over, I've realized I'm not entirely sure whether the existing suspension components actually need replacement. The only issue I've found so far is that the front stabilizer link bushings appear to be deteriorated. Other than that, everything seems reasonably tight, and it looks like my dad did a good job keeping the front end greased over the years.

Part of my hesitation is that I know many of the original GM components were extremely well made, and I'm concerned about replacing serviceable original parts with reproduction parts that may not necessarily be better. At the same time, I don't want to miss an opportunity to refresh the suspension while I already have the front brakes apart.

Maybe I'm just getting cold feet, but I'm worried about doing all the work only to end up with a car that doesn't drive as well as it does today.

For those of you who have rebuilt the front suspension on a C1 that was driving well beforehand:

• What criteria did you use to determine whether a rebuild was truly necessary?
• Are there specific wear points I should be inspecting more closely?
• Would you rebuild it proactively while everything is apart, or leave well enough alone if the components check out?

Any advice, experience, or encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Len
1958 Corvette Restoration Project

 

FIRST------------YES, on 53-62 models, the upper-inner shaft--------------------AND ALL OTHER PARTS CAN BE REMOVED/REPLACED on the car.
Yes the upper-inner shaft has 2 sizes of threads, which screw into the tower of the cross member.
The shaft is ONLY, repeat, ONLY removed and replaced from the FRONT side of the spring tower.
TWO methods of removing the upper-inner shaft can be used.
The TWO pieces of the LOWER_OUTER shaft/bushing can be screwed onto the rear of the upper-inner shaft and used s unscrew the shaft. Shown below.







If a lower-outer shaft/bushing is not available, then a big pipe wrench can be used to unscrew the shaft.

When installing the new shaft, the end with the smaller threads goes in first, from the front.
Replacement shafts are .005-.008in bigger. The reason for the oversize is to assure when it is completely installed, the shaft will be solidly fixed in the tower.

I have attached the article I put together a few years ago. It should have all the information and pictures that are needed for a rebuild of the front susp.

 

Len, I'm in a similar situation, although mine does have some slop in a few places. I want to just replace the significantly worn parts, and I'll find old GM boxes with new parts in them to do it, if at all possible.

Unlike most folks who play with old cars these days, I'm firmly in the "don't fix it if it ain't broke" camp.

 

Decided to go for it! I was able to break it down fairly easily, however the lower control arm shaft even though all bolts are off seems to be sealed onto the cross member. This is all new to me, I build software for a living. lol.