Red69

Started this past week dropping the rear suspension - couldent take it any more!!! Lots of rust!! So, I did a search on "STRUTS" - and sure enough, there was lots of info on how the lower shock mounts are usually a BITCH!!! Well, both of mine were rusted solid! Starting soaking with BUSTER... for two days... still wouldent budge with a 5lb hammer. Then I hit them with HEAT... got those puppies glowing red.... starting hammering away :smash:and BINGO... they moved about 1/32"... and then it was % !!

So, now I moved to the training arms... again I was reading how the SAWZALL is the only way to go!!! went out and even got several lengths of blades.... Kept hitting those bolts aswell with BLASTER for two days. Got down under there last night and started on the LH side... Well if I'll be... the bolt poped out with a single blow with an 8oz ball. The bolt still had its plating on the shank!! the head and nut were rusted real bad!! Never seen anything like it....

Moral of the story.... HEAT is GOOD!!! :smash: :smash:

Wish me luck on the other side!!
:cry :cry


[Modified by Red69, 12:07 AM 10/15/2003]

Schmucker

What I was worried about with applying heat to them was the heat transfering up the bearing support and into the bearings, heating up the grease and bearings in there. Should I be concerned since I STILL don't have my lower shock mounts out (and YES it has been 10 months since I started my coilover convsersion and YES I'm slow).

SmokedTires

Sounds like you got the 2 most problem areas apart, should be golden from this point :yesnod: :cheers:

SmokedTires

Schmucker, if you haven't invested in a lower shock mount removal tool, get yourself one ;) . I needed one to get my shock mount apart and I didn't have to replace it afterwards (have you priced a shock mount :eek: ) .

bigvette1

If it is like you say ..... not much is going to be reusable. I would get new shock mounts and the entire rear end bolt kit. I know Chicago Corvette sells one for about $150 but it is every last bolt washer etc. for the rear end.

Eddie 70

My mounts just popped right out. I was expecting the worse too and bought the shock mount knocker. It never got used by me. Same for the trailing arms, they just dropped right out. I guess I got lucky is all I can say. :yesnod:

macx

When using the "hot wrench" try heating just one flat on the nut - it expands
in that one area and increases the ID slightly. Heating the whole thing or most
of it can somethimes expand the whole nut and the ID actually gets smaller
as the material has nowhere else to expand to.

Also try renting an electric impact and use in conjuction with the rust buster.

If it comes even the least bit loose, spray it liberally and retighten it, then spray, repeat going back and forth, works the spray into the threads that are newly exposed. Sometimes helps.

l2vette

I feel your pain!! Just completed the entire rear end and suspension rebuild on my 72. The Forum has some good tips, chech out the search feature. Good Luck!!
:cheers:

LiveandLetDrive

This thread scared me, but I just removed and replaced my rear shocks with very little trouble. The head of my hammer snapped off (wood shaft), and my friend and I did not have a 11/16" wrench, but everything popped off quite easily once the nuts were broken loose.

sidenote: Bought the wrench in racheting form, those things are pretty cool, gotta get me a full set. MUCH preferred to continually realigning the wrench. It was actually $2 less than a plain old 2end box wrench :skep: It's Craftsman though, so I figure I can just get a free new one if it falls apart on me.