What type of car lift is best when R&R Rear Struts for C2 Corvettes?

[Larry E.]

What the pros/cons on type of car lift to use when replacing rear struts on C2 Corvettes?
Can this job be done with either/or?

Two Post Lift>Lifts the frame
Four Post Lift>Lifts the tires on the car

Maybe it does not make a difference? Comments Please>Larry

[Donald H.]

[Larry E.]

Re: What type of car lift is best when R&R Rear Struts for C2 Corvettes?

Don:Is it necessary to remove the wheels to do this job or could they stay on? Larry

[Donald H.]

Re: What type of car lift is best when R&R Rear Struts for C2 Corvettes?

As I recall, the last one I did we did not remove the wheels, but with the wheels removed you do have more room. But we did use one of the four post sliding jacks to lift the back end of the car. If you have never done this, the hardest part of the job is removing the shock / strut rod mount shaft (picture attached). If these have not been removed for a while, they are difficult to impossible to remove.

They have a flat spot (you can see the flat area in the picture below under the castle nut) that fits them to align into the bearing support, so be sure and DO NOT try to rotate them to break them loose. Most people use a knocker tool. This screws onto the shaft and you use a big hammer to knock them loose. We tried one of these knockers and just could not get the mounts to break loose. A friend of mine ran across a tool that works with a pneumatic impact hammer, also pictured below. This thing works like a champ and is well worth the money.

Don

[Frank D.]

Re: What type of car lift is best when R&R Rear Struts for C2 Corvettes?

It can be done on a four-post lift very safely and with decent access; I rebuilt my whole 63 rear this way...and yes the "shock knocker" tool is vital, some make their own.

[Jack H.]

Re: What type of car lift is best when R&R Rear Struts for C2 Corvettes?

What Frank shows is what I was going to recommend. A four post lift with a jack bridge and some extra jack stands gives you the best of both worlds in my humble opinion. Just be REALLY CAREFUL if you jack up the car with the garage door in the up position so you don't end up jacking the car up into the door...don't ask me how I know.

[Frank D.]

Re: What type of car lift is best when R&R Rear Struts for C2 Corvettes?

What Frank shows is what I was going to recommend. A four post lift with a jack bridge and some extra jack stands gives you the best of both worlds in my humble opinion. Just be REALLY CAREFUL if you jack up the car with the garage door in the up position so you don't end up jacking the car up into the door...don't ask me how I know. <img src="images/smilies/frown.png" border="0" alt="" title="Frown" smilieid="11" class="inlineimg" />

All true, ESPECIALLY on a 63 where the antenna only partially retracts - you don't want to destroy an original antenna! See picture above to observe the problem.

[William F.]

Re: What type of car lift is best when R&R Rear Struts for C2 Corvettes?

Don,
Where can I get this tool?
Thanks

[Frank D.]

Re: What type of car lift is best when R&R Rear Struts for C2 Corvettes?

Don,
Where can I get this tool?
Thanks

Nearly every vendor carries them - this is the one that I use:

https://www.cssbinc.com/corvetteshockmountremovaltool.aspx

BTW - a four post lift has another advantage and that is that you can drop the car
down and get "weight on wheels" for final torquing of components (like the rear leaf
spring perch bolts) with the car still off the ground for easy access.

[Donald H.]

Re: What type of car lift is best when R&R Rear Struts for C2 Corvettes?

The one I show in post #4 came from ZIP. There is the knocker that you use with a hammer (Frank's post). The one I used fits a pneumatic hammer. I've had more success with it than the other.

ZIP has two of the pneumatic/air hammer ones with different size shank. My air hammer uses the .401 diameter and there is also a .498 diameter.

Don

1963-1982 Corvette Air Hammer .401 Shaft Shock Mount Removal Tool (zip-corvette.com)