C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

[John F.]

Do all 16 bolts on the cross member go in the down direction?

How about the 4 on the lower A Arm shaft? do they go up or down?

[Jerry W.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

frame to rail...outboard bolts....down

frame to rail...inboard bolts up

a-arm shaft bolts down

62 pic attached

[Dan P.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

is the bolt direction the same on a 57

[Mike M.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

is the bolt direction the same on a 57

controversial. not sure anyone knows for certain but i've always had the head of the bolts facing mother earth.mike

[Joe E.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

I just took apart a July 56 Corvette and it had all the bolts going down.
I did a 62 last year and they were inside up and outside down.
Both of these cars were original and had never been apart. I have done both 59 and 58 and they were like the picture shows with inside up and outside down.

[Don Y.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

is the bolt direction the same on a 57

If I recall correctly from '58 on the bolt orientation was different from the '56 & '57 due to the bumper bracket location points on the frame. That is where the "inboard one way, outboard the other" comes from.

[Tom P.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

frame to rail...outboard bolts....down

frame to rail...inboard bolts up

a-arm shaft bolts down

62 pic attached

Jerry,
That is a beautiful frontend, but my question is, IF, as it is understood, the chassis received black paint all over BEFORE body drop, wouldn't ALL the fasteners AND inspection paint markings be completely blacked out?
On a "supposedly correctly" restored car, the inspection paint markings look very nice and the brand new fasteners also look great, but as I understand, none of this would be seen if covered with black chassis paint.
And the second part of that question is, if everything was covered with chassis black during the trip down the assembly line, is there a deduct for exposed new fasteners and inspection paint markings?
Just curious for my own information.

[Jerry W.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

Tom....No Black Out ?....The car will be for GO....not for SHOW....Just couldn't see painting all that nice new stuff with Black Out

[Tom P.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

Tom....No Black Out ?....The car will be for GO....not for SHOW....Just couldn't see painting all that nice new stuff with Black Out

Excellent! I like that!

[Troy P.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

My understanding from studying assembly line photos is that the bare frame arrived on the line upside down and it was already painted. That's why the frame stencil is upside down. Then the front end assembly, which was also already painted, was dropped on and bolted in, upside down. So from that sequence it would seem the bolts would not be painted.

Also the assembler could put the bolts in from either direction. But logic would dictate that he would do whatever is easiest as far as what direction was chosen. Also different assemblers could well have a different feeling about what was easiest for him in terms of getting the bolt, washers, nuts and impact wrench on. That may have even varied depending on him being right or left handed. So I doubt there is a definitive answer. Best to take notes during disassembly and just return it the way you found it.

[Terry B.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

If it matters my "untouched" 62 is inside up outside down.

[Edward M.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

My 56, #2117, has never been apart. All of the frame to front suspension bolts are pointed down.

[Chris H.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

Here are photos of mine before disassembly. Not sure though if they were ever touched before but I doubt it.

[Chris H.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

Four more pics.

[Chris H.]

Re: C1 Front Suspension - Bolt Direction (59)

one last one