C2 Rear Cross Member Removal Help

[Frank C.]

I have dropped the rear suspension from my car, and want to replace the bushings in the rear crossmember. The shop manual says that after removing the two bolts, the cross member should drop. Mine does will not drop even with a pry bar and a fair amount of pressure. It flexes but will not come free from the frame.
Is there another step I am missing?

Note: I have posted a picture of the differential carrier. There is a sticker AN that is on the crossmember side of the carrier this was neat to find. My differential is a AN 3.55 posi unit.Frank

[Wayne W.]

Re: C2 Rear Cross Member Removal Help

Get a bigger pry bar. Seriously, and put the bolts back in a few threads to catch it when it comes down. Don't be bashful.

[William K.]

Re: C2 Rear Cross Member Removal Help

Be careful, larger pry bar and safety glasses. When mine released I fell forward hit my head on the frame and received 10 stitches.

[Frank C.]

Re: C2 Rear Cross Member Removal Help

Wayne thanks for the help. I did get my cross member down. I used two methods one for each side:

Here is my feedback. Adding longer bolts is key for saftety. The cross member is heavy, a search of the archives reveals that members have had the cross member drop on them and causing injuries ranging from from stiches to bruising.
1. Pry bar with 7/16 coarse thread bolts 3" long
2. Puller with 7/16 coarse thread bolts 3" long

From my experience, the puller worked best.

Thanks to those who posted here to help me, and to those who posted in the archives with the safety and puller option

Frank

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[Michael G.]

Re: C2 Rear Cross Member Removal Help

I believe when mind broke loose sounded something like......POWWW@@!*#!!!!

[Chuck G.]

Re: C2 Rear Cross Member Removal Help

I still have a scar on my right leg as a souvenir of the last crossmember I was involved with.

Since I'm a big guy, and can put a lot of weight/muscle? into it, I was chosen for the task. I was using a 6' breaker bar. When it popped, I went flying about 3' and landed on a pile of metal in the corner of the garage.

Got a NICE gash to prove it.

Chuck

[Michael W.]

Re: C2 Rear Cross Member Removal Help

If it's not too late- it's highly unlikely that the cross member bushings actually need to be replaced. I've seen several sets that were cut in half after removal and aside from from nasty but meaningless surface cracking, looked like they were made yesterday. Not worth the effort to replace them.

[Duke W.]

Re: C2 Rear Cross Member Removal Help

If you smear a film of silicone grease on the rubber before installation it will be a lot easier for the next guy to remove.

Duke

[Patrick B.]

Re: C2 Rear Cross Member Removal Help

If you smear a film of silicone grease on the rubber before installation it will be a lot easier for the next guy to remove.

Duke

I find it easier to remove a rear by taking down the crossmember with the rear still attached. It was hard to break it loose the first time, but I coated the metal "hat" with silver anti-seaze. It came loose pretty easy the next time I changed rears even though it had been together over 20 years.

[John H.]

Re: C2 Rear Cross Member Removal Help

Using a puller for that chore can be a disaster - the end of the puller center bolt bears on the weld nut inside the "sombrero" formation on the frame, and if that weld nut breaks loose, you get to pull the body to repair it. Use a BIG pry bar instead, like Rick shows below.


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