Now I can't remove the rear bearing support...

[Grant W.]

Re: Now I can't remove the rear bearing support...

Yes, I can't remove the support from the trailing arm. I'll have to see if I can find a spindle knocker now.

Patrick

Patrick
The best thing to do is take off the TA off your car.

If you have access to a 5 ton press it is the best way to go. I did this to my 2 trailing arms and it took a hour or so for both sides.

Hammering away with a spingle knocker and not enough room only accounts for bashed fingers and frustration of banging away for an hour.
Just like the BP trying to plug a hole. If they had built it right the first time there wouldn't be a problem.
If any of the nuts are rusted on then a heat with a torch and wahlah!!!
If you were near me I'd do it for you for a pizza. I took my trailing arms to work as we have mechanical shop for our food processing machines.
I never worked on this stuff before and it was straight and simple for a Produce salesman.
Thanks, grant

[Dick W.]

Re: Now I can't remove the rear bearing support...

Two pound stick of 60% usually works

[Patrick H.]

Re: Now I can't remove the rear bearing support...

Patrick
The best thing to do is take off the TA off your car.

If you have access to a 5 ton press it is the best way to go. I did this to my 2 trailing arms and it took a hour or so for both sides.

Hammering away with a spingle knocker and not enough room only accounts for bashed fingers and frustration of banging away for an hour.
Just like the BP trying to plug a hole. If they had built it right the first time there wouldn't be a problem.
If any of the nuts are rusted on then a heat with a torch and wahlah!!!
If you were near me I'd do it for you for a pizza. I took my trailing arms to work as we have mechanical shop for our food processing machines.
I never worked on this stuff before and it was straight and simple for a Produce salesman.
Thanks, grant

I've got the halfshafts out and the strut rods moved to the side.
And, it's still on a lift so access has not been a problem.

Disconnecting the spring and then removing the arm?
Now I've got a problem.

I may roll it onto the cement to disconnect the spring and then roll it back on to finish the TA job.

Once the TA is off it's off to the rebuilder to work on the rest of it.

Leaving tomorrow mid day for BG. It will be Saturday before I can get to it now.

Patrick

[Greg L.]

Re: Now I can't remove the rear bearing support...

Patrick my vote is also to remove the trailing arms but I can see where you are coming from so this might be an idea.

I'd guess that the majority of the rust holding the arms to the spindles is around the four spindle support studs that go through the spindle. Beating the cr@p out of the housing with a lead hammer or using a good sized brass punch 1" diameter should knock it loose without damaging the housing itself.

If that doesn't do it, what about using a carbide cutter on a die grinder to take the heads off of those spindle support studs? I'd think that would do it for sure and then you could easily press out what's left of the studs. Now don't just go and do this with out others commenting on my suggestion because I have never had to resort to this and I don't know how hard it would be to reinstall the new studs into your trailing arms. If reinstalling them is pretty straight forward then this might be your best bet especialy if you're still dead set against removing your trailing arms.

Just a thought.

[Steven G.]

Re: Now I can't remove the rear bearing support...

North Eastern Corvettes exposed to salt certainly creat problems for the rebuilder, my 72' trailing arms were wasted and the shims even rust fused together! Keeping track of the factory shims used was not possible, I'm re-starting from scratch. Steve

[Joe L.]

Re: Now I can't remove the rear bearing support...

North Eastern Corvettes exposed to salt certainly creat problems for the rebuilder, my 72' trailing arms were wasted and the shims even rust fused together! Keeping track of the factory shims used was not possible, I'm re-starting from scratch. Steve

Steve-----


Even though the shim pack was "rust fused", you don't need to start from scratch. Simply clean off most of the rust on both sides of the pack and then measure the thickness of the complete shim pack. Then, make up a new shim pack to the same thickness. It does not matter which thickness shims are used or that they be the same as the original ones used. All that matters is that the shim pack be about the same total thickness.

[Joe T.]

Re: Now I can't remove the rear bearing support...

Hi Patrick (& Co). I finished separating mine. First: Unless you're feeling REALLY lucky I wouldn't try this with the TA on the car without whatever special tools the pros might have. Second: Use a lot of penetrating rust solvent (I used SiliKroil AND WD-40 and anything else I could lay my hands on). Use plenty or lube, beat it between applications and apply more between beatings. Use some discretion in the hammering (just my opinion) a lot of moderate blows will shock and shake it loose and may prevent collatertal damage. Again, be patient. Note in the pictures that my block of wood is a piece of eastern ash, since the 2x4's I tried would crush and split before they moved the support. Keep the TA supports (in my case 6x6's) as close to the support as possible. One of the problems seems to be that this is a machined friction fit and ANY corrosion will bind it TIGHT. If can answer any questionss, just let me know and Good luck. It can be done! If you want some more pictures in case I missed some detail, just let me know?...Regards...joe
PS: With the hammering it took to get this apart, I'd be wary of bending or damaging some other component due to lack of sufficient support while its on the car and not knowing about it

[Richard G.]

Re: Now I can't remove the rear bearing support...

This is one of the very frustrating rebuild jobs on a Corvette.

A really good selection of tools and some experience really help get them apart and back together sans any damage to the parts. Can't tell you how many spindles I have seen damaged by the frustrated mechanic that fails to procure the correct tools to complete the job successfully. The guys that sell pre-assembled trailing arms will attest to this. Most of the sales are to customers that started the repair and quickly got in over their heads.

I own the factory tools to push out the spindle and still have been forced to remove the trailing arm to get the spindle to move without damaging the casting. BTW A 50-Ton press fixed that one. I removed some of the interference fit by sanding a .001 off of the bearing fit on the spindle. This matched the interference fit on the spindle on the other side. Still had plenty of interference fit, I just don’t remember the amount. Never sand the spindle to remove the press fit, it will fail in short order. I only mention this as a warning to others that the spindle can’t always be removed by hammering or even pressing with the factory tooling. Also note his was a rust free car.
I made the clearance set-up easier by building a dummy spindle sans the bearing interference fits. I can assemble the bearings and test the clearances and if not correct easily make the needed changes. I think you can also purchase the same part, I made, if you don’t have a lathe. After the clearances are perfect I press them on. I consider the factor clearances somewhat loose and always shoot for .002 backlash. I also believe this helps with the braking by reducing the run-out of the brake drums.
Rick