1980 razz

ive been seeing alot of info about front suspension rebuild kits from various manufactures,,..theres 1 at zip for $136 for the whole set thats seemslike a great deal..how hard is this rebuild..can it be done without a lift..can the front end be lifted enough to do this job?? if it can be done without a lift how hard is it to do and how long will it take?ive replaced my rotors and calipers,radiator frame support,and a few other thing ,but would this be chewing of more than i could handle?? any special tools needed for the job?...my vette really doesnt handle good at high speeds.it seems to wander a little,will this help the problem..thanx all.... :confused:

dsagers

I did mine in the garage a few years ago. Included ball joints, A Arm bushings, tie rods, idler, etc...

Use good jack stands as you will doing some hard pulling and pounding, and you don't want the car to fall just as you give it enough impact.

Wasn't easy and was not fun, but the labor quotes from local shops were shocking.

I did have a neighbor shop press the bushings out and in of the A arms.

Eric 96

Not hard at all. You will need some "suspension forks" to seperate the ball joints. I bought a kit from PST (Performance Suspension Technologies) a few years ago, and it was complete, and came with step by step directions. I did the entire job alone. One afternoon to disassemble, took the control arms to a shop to have the bushing pressed out, and the old ball joints drilled out. I repainted all the parts while it was disassembles, so I had a couple days of drying, then one afternoon of reassembling. COUNT YOUR SHIMS AND THREADS when you disassemble so you can get the alignment close enough to drive it to a shop so it can be properly aligned when you are finished. You will save $$$$$$ in labor if you do this yourself...and you can do it!

8T1-7T9 BIONIC VETTE

1980 razz,
I have a complete front end rebuild kit (rubber control arm bushings/all 4 ball joints/4 tie rod ends and tie rod sleeves/heavy duty idler arm/etc) New from Vette Brakes still in the plastic bags and in the box.....I'll let you have the complete set for $150.00......The set cost me $199.00 plus shipping to Hawaii. :seeya Cappy

DavidOrr

Razz,

It's not really that difficult, the biggest problem is time and $$$. If your like me, once you get in there you will find several other things that you should do at the same time. Air tools will help, as will a press. If you have not already seen it, check out the following link. I have tried to capture all of my rebuild up to now and document it in fairly simple terms. For lack of a better phrase it's kind of a "Corvette Front End Rebuild for Dummies" site. The reassembly is not yet completed - I had run out of money and needed additional parts.
http://24.28.237.140/Corvette/Front_...20-%20Main.htm

Hope this helps - David

Paul L

Just a tip. The front end kits do not come with the tie rod adjustment sleeves. That is a separate purchase.

1980 razz

thanx all and david that is a great link with step by step instructions uve put together..im sure it will come in handi,looks straight forward but the coil spings look like they might be a bit* of a bitc*..we will see..thanx all for the input :cheers:

1980 razz

paul where do i get these rod adjustment sleeves and how much? any idea?

8T1-7T9 BIONIC VETTE

1980 razz,
I'm sure the sleeves are in this kit....go to Vette Brakes catalog page 35. Kit #41551 This is the kit I have...it says 4 tie rod ends, and tie rod sleeves....could there be more tie rods & sleeves that I am not aware of????? :seeya Cappy

Paul L

ZIP has them. But with respect to that sponsor, they can be purchased more cheaply at a local auto supply store such as Autozone. I believe they are "Chevrolet" parts.

Paul L

You are absolutely correct. But that kit is $199.00. That was my point in an off-handed way. You can buy a kit for $137.00 but make sure it has all the parts for the job. Pay now or pay later.

bigvette1

Here's a suggestion for you on the front end rebuild. Go to the Eastwood or J.C. Whitney catalogs and look up the video "Rebuilding your Front End" by Greg Coloti. Great tape on the subject.

Or give Art Dorsett at VanSteel in Florida 727-561-7399 a call and order their video on vette Brakes and Suspension rebuild. Takes you through brakes, rear and front suspension for 68-82's. Well worth the money. Good luck and BE CAREFUL ON THE SUSPENSIONS.

Aaron76

I also used the kit from Zip and have no complaints but the hardest part will be the a arm bushings. Don't forget to count the shims on the upper A arm so you can get the alignment close enough to get you to the shop.
:cheers:

One GM A Tech

:smash: Im with big vette on this one be carefull :chevy :seeya