Midyear Trailing Arm Cotter Pins

[John O.]

Hello Everyone,
I'm reinstalling the trailing arms on my 65 and was wondering if some of you could share the proper way the cotter pins are to be bent after installation. Was there a method to this...direction etc, that the factory used? Also was there a method as to the direction of the bend for the rest of those used in the rear suspension in general?

Thank you,
John Osterholm

[Joe C.]

Re: Midyear Trailing Arm Cotter Pins

John:

If you have the Shop Manual for your Corvette, I believe that there are 2 methods shown.

The one method that I recall, is when pinning a castellated nut. In that case, the manual likes you to bend the upper half of the pin over the top of the nut and the bolt end, so that the end of the pin is oriented a full 270 degrees from its unbent orientation. That's a bit tough to explain, and I hope that you understand my meaning.
In the case of the trailing arm bolts, you should bend each half of the pin 45 degrees each (make a 90 degree included angle)and cut off any excess more than about 3/4".

Joe

[Joe L.]

Re: Midyear Trailing Arm Cotter Pins

John-----

Any AIM has the instructions, complete with diagrams, as to how the cotter pins were to be installed. That's not to say that every one was done that way. But, I believe they should be representative of "typical factory production".

Keep in mind that the frame was upside down when many of these cotter pins were installed.

[John O.]

Re: Midyear Trailing Arm Cotter Pins

Thanks Guys! I'll check out the shop manual and AIM. Must not have looked closely enough at those.
-John