1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

[Frank D.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

The assemble manual only shows the latest reiteration, with the locks.
I was careful to reassemble my car as I found it and have included a picture of its current state.
I believe it to be correct, for an early 1963, except for the u-joint.
Rick
[ATTACH=CONFIG]100456[/ATTACH]

Thanks - rather than install the clearly incorrect later, but much stronger, French locks I went with lock washers and new bolts (as shown in your pic) torqued to 75 ft-lbs with some Loktite on them - no French locks per early cars. I'll recheck the bolts occasionally for safety....but I don't see them going anywhere. Got the rear end and brakes hardware installed this morning, did the final "weight on wheels" torque of suspension.

Tomorrow I will bleed brakes, road test briefly then its off to the alignment shop.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

Thanks - rather than install the clearly incorrect later French locks I went with lock washers and new bolts torqued to 75 ft-lbs with some Loktite on them - no French locks per early cars. I'll recheck the bolts occasionally for safety....but I don't see them going anywhere. Got the rear end and brakes hardware installed this morning and will bleed brakes, road test briefly then its off to the alignment shop.

Frank-------


Keep this in mind: if Locktite had been invented at the time, I doubt that these (and, a lot of other) fasteners would have had any french locks or lock washers.

[Frank D.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

Yup, that's my thinking too.

[Edward J.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

Frank, black phosphate washers and bolts that is what i see for early 63's.

[Timothy B.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

Frank,

If you didn't fool with the trailing arm forward bushings why not just install the same shim pack as before and set the camber with a two foot level.

You could save that coin for a few cold one's before you go out to protest.

[Frank D.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

Frank,

If you didn't fool with the trailing arm forward bushings why not just install the same shim pack as before and set the camber with a two foot level.

You could save that coin for a few cold one's before you go out to protest.

Nothing was done with the bushing and the shim packs have been re-installed EXACTLY as they came out....its interesting as the shop manual says nothing about seeking a new alignment after trailing arm work if the shims are installed as prior to the work.

I don't know how to do the "two foot level" camber adjustment; is that in the manual or a reference link somewhere ?
I have a 2' level and an angle gauge. Or alternatively, what do you think of this device:

https://www.amazon.com/Hanperal-Univ...7280498&sr=8-5

Don't even get me started about the rioters...

[Timothy B.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

Frank,

What I do is get the suspension normalized with the tires set on cheap floor tiles (two per side) with something like fine sand between them to act as a bearing. Get a 2' level and set it up against the tire and plume it vertically and with a rule measure from the rim lip to the level (top then bottom).

Adjust the camber by the strut rod inner bolt to allow a equal measurement top and bottom so the tire sits vertically level. The tiles will allow the tire to move without much effort. Don't worry about negative camber, just get it level and when you add weight in the car it will get slightly negative. You want the tires to wear evenly and you are certainly not doing any spirited driving. After you finish and before you torque up on the adjustment bolt roll the car forward and back onto the tiles and double check to make sure it's good..

NOW, go protest!

[Joe L.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

Frank,

What I do is get the suspension normalized with the tires set on cheap floor tiles (two per side) with something like fine sand between them to act as a bearing. Get a 2' level and set it up against the tire and plume it vertically and with a rule measure from the rim lip to the level (top then bottom).

Timothy------

This is a version of the method I use. My method, which is age-old, is called "grease plates". I use 2 flat sheet metal plates of about 15" square. I apply chassis grease between the plates.

[Frank D.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

I will tackle the "age-old" camber trick this weekend. Got everything bolted up and final torque done; put cotter pins through the shim packs, bled the brakes and rode around the neighborhood for 20 minutes under varying conditions. Car stops straight and hard, rolls true, nothing fell off, so I'm pretty pleased as a first timer for this aspect of C2 work. That's all the test drive I could fit in before the typical round of Florida afternoon thunderstorms.

Sometime, somebody will explain what I do wrong with gravity brake bleeding; I always try it and it always stalls on both my C1 and C2, so it was back to wifey pumping the brakes while I cranked on the bleeder screws.

[Timothy B.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

Frank,

FWIW, when you gravity bleed you leave the M/C cap off so you have atmospheric pressure, you probably already know this though.

Was it the disc or drum brake M/C that uses the check valve?

[Frank D.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

Frank,

FWIW, when you gravity bleed you leave the M/C cap off so you have atmospheric pressure, you probably already know this though.

Yes, I'm aware and that's how I attempted it.

Was it the disc or drum brake M/C that uses the check valve?

I'd have to hit the shop manual to be sure on that one.

[Frank D.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

OK - I'm gonna set the rear camber tomorrow and in a TDB search and in this thread I encounter the phrase "normalize the suspension"; will someone pls explain ? Is that bouncing it up and down or rolling it back and forth? Or both ?

[Timothy B.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

Frank, car weight on the ground, roll forward and back maybe 15 feet onto the tiles. After you make an adjustment do the same thing tp double check it.

[Larry M.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

Normalize the suspension means to ensure that the "K" and "D" Rear Trim Heights in the AIM are within tolerance. This is how the factory did it.....although they use a special frame fixture with the frame upside down when they did it.

Normally with the weight on the wheels you are close to this spec..........but sometimes not. If you torque the suspension bolts outside of this tolerance/specification then you are locking in a ride height that is not normal or correct for the car.

Ed Dollar went thru this awhile back with his 67 car, and had to add some weight in the car to get the correct dimensions. But he was very happy afterward that he listened.

Larry

[Frank D.]

Re: 1963 Half Shaft Spindle Flange Bolt Torque

Normalize the suspension means to ensure that the "K" and "D" Rear Trim Heights in the AIM are within tolerance. This is how the factory did it.....although they use a special frame fixture with the frame upside down when they did it.

Normally with the weight on the wheels you are close to this spec..........but sometimes not. If you torque the suspension bolts outside of this tolerance/specification then you are locking in a ride height that is not normal or correct for the car.

Ed Dollar went thru this awhile back with his 67 car, and had to add some weight in the car to get the correct dimensions. But he was very happy afterward that he listened.

Larry

Got it - thanks. All components are torqued to spec and with "weight on wheels" where called for, with nobody in the seats, spare tire and tub off and 1/4 tank of gas I'll go for the 0* camber and see how it changes with typical drive weight in the loaded car. If not satisfactory my "alignment guy" will straighten it out. I carefully marked the camber eccentrics before disassembly and haven't messed with them so they should be close to what they were I would think...after this work.