Changing C2 Trailing Arms

[Matt T.]

Hi Guys,

I'm hoping someone can help me. I have a 67 coupe that needs the trailing arms replaced. The wheel bearings and hopfully the spindle appear to be OK. My question is, can I simply press out the spindle, un-bolt the the bearing housings and other parts from the trailing arm, then re-assembly everything with a new trailing arm, without going thru the process of re-shimming the bearings?

Any help is appeciated.

Thanks
Matt

[Michael G.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Hi Guys,

I'm hoping someone can help me. I have a 67 coupe that needs the trailing arms replaced. The wheel bearings and hopfully the spindle appear to be OK. My question is, can I simply press out the spindle, un-bolt the the bearing housings and other parts from the trailing arm, then re-assembly everything with a new trailing arm, without going thru the process of re-shimming the bearings?

Any help is appeciated.

Thanks
Matt

Matt,

From what I know process is not that simple. As you most likely aware a tolerance will need to be met with regard to bearings and shims fittment. You might get lucky, press out the old components, install new and your your good to go....or not. Measurements need to be taken in order for all parts to fall within this tolerance.

[Joseph S.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Matt, The trailing arm bolts to the inside of the spindle support. If you can get the nuts off the studs and separate the spindle support and caliper support from the trailing arm you won't even need to press out the spindle. You will just need to remove the cotter pin, retaining nut and flange from the spindle. Leave the bearings and seals in place!!

Good Luck, Joe

[Matt T.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Thanks Michael & Joe,
Is it possible to get to the nuts under the spindle, without removing it? I haven't started to disassemble anything at the moment, but researching the job and looking at pictures on the net, there didn't seem like there was enough room.

Matt

[Joseph S.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Matt, If you remove the E brake shoes the nuts are easily accessed.

Joe

[Roger P.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Hi Matt,
I rebuilt the rear suspension on my '65 a couple years ago. I was given the advice not to mess around with this project myself due to tolerences, special tools for pressing bearings & bushings, etc. Take off your trailing arms with eveything intact (spindles, rotor, etc.) and send them to either Van Steel or Bair's to be properly inspected and rebuilt. It's not cheap, but it is well worth it. Bair's will send you shipping boxes so you can pack the trailing arms for safe shipment. If the trailing arms can't be salvaged, they will sell you new or rebuilt ones. Even if the bearings appear to be good, change them anyway. The rotors also need to be indexed on the spindles. I'm not a mechanic, but I am handy and do a lot of my own work. However, the guys on the TDB convinced me that this should be left to the experts. Once you do this job right, you won't have to worry about it again for another +/-50K miles. Since I drive my car about 1K miles a year, hopefully I won't have to deal with it until my 100th birthday !!

Good luck,
Roger (50141)

[Matt T.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Thanks again guys,

Unfortunatly Roger I'm in Australia and sending a set of trailing arms back and forth to the states is cost prohibitive. We don't have anyone I can find here that rebuilds these arms. On the plus side I work in a large maintenance workshop and have access to both the right equipment and guys who know their stuff. So providing I can work out a satisfactory way of swaping the trailing arms over I'm sure we can do it at work.

Thanks
Matt

[Gary R.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Matt
If you remove the spindle you have to replace the bearings as they are pressed on, or should be, and will be wrecked in the process- most times.
If you do not know the history of them or they are virgin arms then I would replace the bearings now. I have a virgin set of arms here now and they didn't feel bad but there was no grease on them at all, NOTHING left.
If I get a minute I'll post up some pictures as I'm sure the guys would like to see these.

You can replace the spindle assembly but you have to remove the spindle flange, the parking brake shoes, then the 4 nuts and probably will have to tap out the support. If you're going to go through all the work you're better off rebuilding the arms now. Replacing bearings does require some special tools you can either buy or machine up. The procedure used by some is not the same among all and the final endplay/bearing setup/rotor runout may not be as expected from some places. If you have the desire and the parts/tools, etc then you can do them. Read over my rather long thread on this process on digital corvettes to see what it's all about. Can someone do this at home-yes, how good it comes out is another story. The guys that attended my seminars and I coached did a pretty darn good job of it.

[William P.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Thanks again guys,

Unfortunatly Roger I'm in Australia and sending a set of trailing arms back and forth to the states is cost prohibitive. We don't have anyone I can find here that rebuilds these arms. On the plus side I work in a large maintenance workshop and have access to both the right equipment and guys who know their stuff. So providing I can work out a satisfactory way of swaping the trailing arms over I'm sure we can do it at work.

Thanks
Matt

If you work in a shop with the equipment and expierenced guys you can do this. It is not rocket science. You can find step by step instructions somewhere on this site or on Corvette forum .
Bill

[Matt T.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Hey thanks Gary,
great thread, that makes the process a lot clearer. Could you please let me know who sells the setup tools?

Thanks
Matt

[Joe L.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Hi Guys,

I'm hoping someone can help me. I have a 67 coupe that needs the trailing arms replaced. The wheel bearings and hopfully the spindle appear to be OK. My question is, can I simply press out the spindle, un-bolt the the bearing housings and other parts from the trailing arm, then re-assembly everything with a new trailing arm, without going thru the process of re-shimming the bearings?

Any help is appeciated.

Thanks
Matt

Matt-----


As others have described, you can remove the spindle assembly from the trailing arms without even needing to remove the spindle from the support/bearing housing. However, you can't do it without removing the rotor from the spindle to gain (limited) access to the parking brake mechanism. If your rotors are still riveted to the spindle, I do not recommend separating them.

In any event, I would regard the need to replace the trailing arms as an opportunity to replace the rear wheel bearings and properly service the assembly. If the rear rotors are still riveted to the spindles, it's likely the wheel bearings have never been serviced. Even if the rotor rivets have been drilled out, that does not necessarily mean the rear wheel bearings have ever been serviced. You may very well be "living on borrowed time". You absolutely do not want a rear wheel bearing to fail on the road. All sorts of very bad things ensue.

[Gary R.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Matt
Many of the common tools are sold by every vendor, the only ones I use are the setup tool & spindle knocker. I no longer try to press the spindle out, it is much easier and safer to drive them out with a 5 lb hammer. It will not damage anything- unless you hit something with a missed swing! I have a spindle press tool & spindle install tool but don't like them and never used them. I also have the bearing splitter made for the outer bearing removal, although a quality puller set like the Snap-On assortment will work. Do not cut the bearings off the spindles as some do, you don't want to heat the spindle. You will need a dial indicator, 0-1" with a 2" face is what I use. Also spindles do not warp and bend like some rebuilders claim- unless they were impacted hard. I hear of a lot of guys being sold spindles when they may not need them.The spindle flange will have runout, they all do but that is not a big deal at that point. The rotor will have to be set up for under 003 runout. The only time I replace spindles is if they have rolled threads, impact damage, or undersize journals.

Good luck with your build. Take your time, I would pull them and do them completely but that's your call. CHECK your new parts very carefully sometimes new parts do not fit and you have to make the adjustments before you start to assemble them.

[Mike E.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

This my first post....So please be kind

Here are a couple of decent videos on rear wheel bearing replacement. It’s on a '63 drum brake car but bearing replacement itself should be the same. I changed both on a '79 when I was in my early 20's and it wasn't too bad a job. Back then they didn't have the setup tool which makes shim selection much easier. In the video he uses a puller to press out the spindle as Gary said the spindle knocker seems like the way to go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-omVhOrjrE&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6sibCy0l2g&feature=plcp

Mike

[Gary R.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Hi Mike
Thanks for sharing that link and welcome to posting. I must say that fellow has a nice shop and looks like he does a lot of vintage cars. I suspect he is very knowledgable in many of the older cars, but building vette trailing arms is not what I'd have him do. There were many issues I saw in that video that would really screw up the first time builder and procedures like that lead to arms being done again. I've had that type of work come my way many times and it wasn't pretty. Anyone who attended my seminar last year should be able to spot the issues.

I'm not trying to kill this guy, in fact I like his manner, but if anyone is going to build their arms please do not attempt to do them like that. Just one hint, I never saw a dial indicator and that was just the start. The good thing is it does show the parts of a 63-64 arm for those that never saw one apart.

If that fellow is a member here,sorry again I was not trying to attack you but there is just too many holes the procedure shown.

[Mike E.]

Re: Changing C2 Trailing Arms

Your right now that I think about it...The lack of a dial indicator was puzzling....IMO it's the most important part....It looked like he was just setting them by feel. Isn't correct preload on the bearing key?

Mike