Bent Strut Rod? Typical?

[Patrick N.]

Question for the historians,

I replaced the rear strut rods a while back on my 68 partly because the driver side strut was bent significantly. There was no other damage elsewhere which was odd for such a bad bend.

I was told that this is fairly common to see on C3's, dealers would do a service on the car after the first 5K and a rear wheel "alignment" was often done by bending a rod. Any truth to this or just crazy talk?

Pat

[William C.]

Re: Bent Strut Rod? Typical?

Dealers and Alignment Shops

[Edward J.]

Re: Bent Strut Rod? Typical?

Pat, with only 5k I would not think they would take the time to bend something like a strut rod when you can make a adjustment with the cam bolts in less than a minute.

Most of the time its from taking a cornor and to much accelaration, fish tailing into a curb.I am sure there are other ways to.

[Jim T.]

Re: Bent Strut Rod? Typical?

My newly purchased 70 was not even a month old when I took it to a Cheverolet dealership because it would not shift out of low (turbo 400).
I walked out of the waiting area and could see my 70 in a service bay raised up in the air.

Where do you think the serviceman put the rear lifting thingies? Yep he used the rear struts to lift my new Corvette. I went right to the service manager and demanded brand new ones.

The transmission was an easy fix, vacuum hose had came off the vacuum modulator.

[Edward J.]

Re: Bent Strut Rod? Typical?

Jim, My years at a gm dealership, I would not put it past the lube guys or a inexperenced mechanic to do something like this, the old two post lifts could pick the rear of a car by the wheels or if it was a straight axle, you could slide a lever to pick- up by the rear axle.

[Patrick N.]

Re: Bent Strut Rod? Typical?

it is an interesting topic as to how much "change" these cars experienced at the dealer. My 88 recieved some damage in its second year when the GM mechanic did not know how to pop the rear hatch and tried to drag my rim w/tire through the front seat.

thanks for the comments-I was always curious if the bent strut rod explination was true or not.

Pat

[Duke W.]

Re: Bent Strut Rod? Typical?

My newly purchased 70 was not even a month old when I took it to a Cheverolet dealership because it would not shift out of low (turbo 400).
I walked out of the waiting area and could see my 70 in a service bay raised up in the air.

Where do you think the serviceman put the rear lifting thingies? Yep he used the rear struts to lift my new Corvette. I went right to the service manager and demanded brand new ones.

The transmission was an easy fix, vacuum hose had came off the vacuum modulator.

This is the most common cause.

Duke

[Gary R.]

Re: Bent Strut Rod? Typical?

I've found both bent rods and T/A's from alignment shops.

[Tom S.]

Re: Bent Strut Rod? Typical?

I took my 69 to the local chevy realer for alingment after rebuilding the rear ssupension. I was told the had a good man. I did not need the car so when I dropped it off I told them no hurry. After a few days I stopped by and they said there man could not do it. I said why is that. I don't know said the service manger go talk to him. I went back talked to the tech.He was about a 19 year old Russian kid who probably never saw a corvette before. He said I can't do it without bending those rods.I said do not touch it I will go elsewhere. Well I could not leave because he left the key on when he parked it and ran down the battery. I finally found a small shop with to brothers who used to race corvettes. When it came out of there it was perfect. The moral of the story be very careful where you take it..

[Gary R.]

Re: Bent Strut Rod? Typical?

How true, I can post pictures of what I've found and had to correct from some places. Pretty scary stuff being done out there these days.