pingdashf

I got my car up on a lift over the weekend and had an opportunity to get some pics of the underside. Here is the collection of suspension shots. The bad news is she is in bad shape. The good news is the rear end looks like it has had some recent work to it including at least one VB&P part.

I was planning on buying a complete front and rear kit from Van Steel or VB&P or Guldstrand, but I still don't know what I need. Any opinion or advice is welcome.



Check out more shots of my suspension here...

My Vette Gallery


[Modified by pingdashf, 12:16 AM 8/12/2003]

Corey_68

5 years ago I changed all the bushings on my '68 w/ N.O.S. After installing the BB I noticed all the bushings were cracked. I MIGHT have put 3K miles on the car in the last 5 years. :rolleyes: That's what I get for buying 35yr old pieces of rubber.

I went back w/ Poly bushings and to me that's the way to go. :thumbs:

sb69coupe

Dear Ping (or Mr Dashf, if you prefer) :D

My front and rear suspension was in about the same condition as yours. Fortunately it's not a high $$$ repair but to do things right it'll take quite a bit of labor and time. A full front end kit is about all you'll need for the front end. Then lots of time with the sandblaster for all the small parts, and a wire wheel for the frame. When you've got everything apart you'll likely start down the "while I'm at it" path and want to replace lots of other parts that are accessible. I replaced my radiator crossmember and core support, shocks, a-arm dust shields, and many other small parts.

On the rear, the same applies. When everything is apart, check the differential side yokes for play and replace them if needed. When you've got the trailing arms out, check the bearings. Lots of time back there to get things prettied up too. Looks like your reat strut rods have been replaced and you've got a fiberglass spring too. At least those parts shouldn't need to be replaced or restored. You may be able to get away with a rear bushing kit back there, adn a lot of time to clean it all up.

Good luck, and let us know what you find as you start pulling things apart. I hope to get my car back together by the end of the month. I started the project in November and have not had a good stretch of time to get it finished. A front and rear rebuild should take a couple of months if you're working nights and weekends on it. That assumes that you want to clean and repaint the frame and all the components while they are off the car.

Shannon

goofygrin

Yours look pretty good compared to mine...

Mine weren't there :eek: :eek: :eek:

It took about 8 hours for the full suspension rebuild but not much prettying...

pra4sun

It looks a lot like mine does. Some of the 33 year old rubber has rotted away. I was told to fix it or I won't be getting another inspection sticker. :nonod:

pingdashf

Paint the frame? Clean the parts? What is this? I had not even considered those things but it sounds like a PITA and something a newbie gearhead can do :smash:

My biggest prob is I don't have a garage or a lot of time. Maybe this'll be my winter(s) project. Do you have any pics or advice from how you did it? I guess i'll need to become intimately familiar with my suspension compontents. Any suggested reading? Any parts (like compressing springs or such ) that shouldn't be done at home or by a newbie?

-Carson

NHvette

If your front is all stock (likely) - then the biggest hurdle is getting the old
ball joints out. That - and finding a shop that can install the bushings without
the Aarms getting fubar'ed. Other than that - it's all wrenching and cleaning
and painting.

The stock springs do not need a compressor to come out. When I dropped my
lower Aarm, I had the shock still in place (bolted on bottom) and a BF rope holding the spring
from popping out. I didn't need either - but better safe than sorry.

You will need: misc box end and socket wrenches, a good pickle fork to
remove tie rod ends and ball joints, a BF hammer (at least 2 lbs),
perhaps a propane torch, and definitely a can of PB blaster to soak everything
for a week or so before 'going at it'. Oh yeah - ziplock bags for all the hardware.

:seeya

PS - Did you spray this - or is it "self lubricated" ?



[Modified by NHvette, 11:23 AM 8/12/2003]

77Dream

That dont look so bad, looks just like it needs freshend up a little. I have seen much worse. I have the van steel front rebuild kit (still waiting to be installed) and all the parts look to be top quality steel and excellent craftsmanship. I also went with the poly bushings.

:cheers:

sb69coupe

Carson,

Danger Dave hit it on the head. LOTS of small ziplock sandwich bags and post-it notes. Bag each set of fasteners that you remove, and write detailed descriptions on the note and drop it in the bag. Stuff like "lower shock mount bolts to a-arm" and "Hood hinge to inner fender bolts, short bolt in front hole" You'll be glad to have the detailed notes when you're putting it back together.

As far as the cleanuing and painting of parts, you'll need a good drill with a selection of wire brushes, a sandblaster or access to someone to blast the parts for you, lots of degreaser, and a variety of spraypaints. It doesn't nost much $$$ but it takes lots of time to get things all prettied up before putting it back together. While it's all apart it makes sense (to me, at least) that you should restore all the components so they look new.

Here's some motivation in the form of some before and after shots of my car.










[Modified by sb69coupe, 12:04 PM 8/12/2003]

pingdashf

It is the super rare factory option "01LLE4K". I could sell this car on ebay for 35k.

pingdashf

How many bags/parts are we talking here? 50, 100, 1,000,000? I guess the worse case scenario is I have to have a cruise-in BBQ at my place to get it put back together :)

sb69coupe

If you only do the front suspension, probably ~20 bags or so. Depends on how much you take apart. I fully disassembled my spindles, along with removing the steering box, etc. Rear suspension probably about 10 bags or so.

Don't get me wrong, if you just want to R&R the worn parts without refinishing anything, then it's a pretty quick process. I spent lots of time in front of the wire wheel on my bench grinder cleaning up bolts and stuff.

SLO RDE

Hey, Just My two cents: You can do it yourself and You will save big Money.Buy the right tools for the job:Balljoint forks,Spring compressor I bought a video from Eastwood that helped a lot.Sandblasting is tha bomb it saves so much time and everthing looks so nice and new afterword.Don't mess around with those coilsprings they are dangerous.I had a hard time getting them seeded in right (A lotta people do) put a dab of white out on the edges of the coil spring and you can see it thru the holes.You will know what I mean when You get there.A lot of people pay somebody else to remove the old bushings and they get there C/A back all beat up and bent.You can take them out yourself,Heck most of them fall right apart.It feels so good to be able to say You did it Yourself.Dale

pingdashf

Dale,

is this the video? http://www.eastwoodco.com/itemdy01.a...p_Key1=BookVid

and how much of it applies to the vette, or is it more of just a general over-view. Hrm, maybe I should record the process and sell a video :lol:

NHvette

OK - for my front end dissasembly - I used like 3 bags. :rolleyes:
They are not labelled, but they keep all the hardware from a certain section
in one place.

It sucks cleaning the hell out of this stuff to paint it up, but just think:
It will be another 30 years before you'll have to do it again.
Good luck.
:seeya


[Modified by NHvette, 10:13 AM 8/14/2003]