C1 58 Sway Bar Shim & Stripped bolt hole

[Jason P.]

I purchased the sway bar bushing shim plate to frame from Corvette Central and there is no way that these will go under the sway bar bushings and allow me to bolt down the sway bar bushing bracket to frame.

Sorry I don't have a picture but did I possible buy the wrong bushings from CC? The bushings I have fit perfectly under the sway bar bushing bracket to frame without having any extra room. I don't see any bushings that are shorter on the CC website.

Has anyone else run into this issue? What was the solution?

Also I have another issue. When I was tightening down the bolts for the front sway bar brackets, one of the bolt holes appears to be stripped. I tried running a thread chaser down the hole but that didn't do anything. How should I go about fixing this? Using a tap to cut larger threads or use a threaded insert rivet fastener?

Appreciate any help here

Thanks,
Jason

[Joe L.]

Re: C1 58 Sway Bar Shim & Stripped bolt hole

I purchased the sway bar bushing shim plate to frame from Corvette Central and there is no way that these will go under the sway bar bushings and allow me to bolt down the sway bar bushing bracket to frame.

Sorry I don't have a picture but did I possible buy the wrong bushings from CC? The bushings I have fit perfectly under the sway bar bushing bracket to frame without having any extra room. I don't see any bushings that are shorter on the CC website.

Has anyone else run into this issue? What was the solution?

Also I have another issue. When I was tightening down the bolts for the front sway bar brackets, one of the bolt holes appears to be stripped. I tried running a thread chaser down the hole but that didn't do anything. How should I go about fixing this? Using a tap to cut larger threads or use a threaded insert rivet fastener?

Appreciate any help here

Thanks,
Jason

Jason------


The bushings always appear too long. This is true of C2/C3 bushings and I'm sure true of C1 bushings. The bushing retainers must be drawn down compressing the bushings into the retainer. To do this, you need to at least temporarily install longer bolts. After the bushings are fully compressed you can, if you wish, change out the longer bolts one at a time.

To repair your stripped weld nut, I think I'd install a threadsert or helicoil. A threadsert would probably be best for this.

[Jason P.]

Re: C1 58 Sway Bar Shim & Stripped bolt hole

Thanks. I was thinking about doing the nutsert=/threadsert route and thats the route I will go.

[Jason P.]

Re: C1 58 Sway Bar Shim & Stripped bolt hole

Here is a picture of what the bushings look like. It seems like I will really have to crank down on the bolts in order to get them compress and be flat up against the frame. The blue arrow shows the amount of space that will need to be tightened up by the bolts.

I know you said that the bushings always appear too long but does below look normal?

Also, I am not going to be able to use a threadsert since there is a nut welded to the underside of the interior of the frame for this and the hole that would need to be drilled out would be really big. I think I may just try and use a tap to create new threads for the next larger size bolt.

20230727_163834.jpg20230727_163847.jpg

[Joe L.]

Re: C1 58 Sway Bar Shim & Stripped bolt hole

Here is a picture of what the bushings look like. It seems like I will really have to crank down on the bolts in order to get them compress and be flat up against the frame. The blue arrow shows the amount of space that will need to be tightened up by the bolts.

I know you said that the bushings always appear too long but does below look normal?



Also, I am not going to be able to use a threadsert since there is a nut welded to the underside of the interior of the frame for this and the hole that would need to be drilled out would be really big. I think I may just try and use a tap to create new threads for the next larger size bolt.

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Jason-------


Very normal. The bushing has to be tightly compressed into the retainer and around the bar.

[Jason P.]

Re: C1 58 Sway Bar Shim & Stripped bolt hole

OK, thanks for the reply.

[Steven B.]

Re: C1 58 Sway Bar Shim & Stripped bolt hole

Jason-------


Very normal. The bushing has to be tightly compressed into the retainer and around the bar.

Jason Joe is correct this is normal. Just needs cranking down. Like that on my '57.

[Richard M.]

Re: C1 58 Sway Bar Shim & Stripped bolt hole

Jason, Common weldnuts get stripped at those locations. You could simply add a nut and use a longer bolt. This way it won't look "weird" seeing a larger bolt there.

You just need to hold the nut with a long open end or combination wrench when tightening the bolt.

Helicoil the best method as Joe suggested. Invisible when done.