41042 or 41043 1963-82 Corvettes
Installation Instructions for
Front Trailing Arm Bushings Kit
7490 -
Telephone: 727-345-5292
READ THOROUGHLY BEFORE BEGINNING!
Kit Contains:
ITEM QTY DESCRIPTION ITEM QTY DESCRIPTION
1
4 Steel Outer Sleeves (only in 41043 Kit)
5 8 .010”-thick
Shims
2 4 Polyurethane
Bushings 6 8 .025”-thick
Shims
3
2 Steel Inner Sleeves
with Washers 7 2 Outer
Steel Retaining Washers
4
4 .005” -thick Shims 8 1 Flare
Tool with 3/8” Flat Washer
and 3/8” x 2-3/4”-long Hex Bolt
1.
Jack up car and place securely on jack stands. Remove rear wheels.
Removal of rear end parts.
1.
Disconnect rear spring from trailing arms. If steel spring, place vise grips about 4”
from spring end. Place jack pad firmly against vise grips and remove nut from spring end
bolt. Slowly lower spring end using the
jack. NOTE: If fibrglass spring, place jack pad on steel
end plate provided for this purpose.
Repeat on opposite side of spring.
Unbolt spring from differential housing and remove from car.
2. Place a jack stand under each
wheel hub to support trailing arm ends.
Disconnect stabilizer (sway) bar from trailing arms. Disconnect and remove shock from each rear bearing
carrier. Disconnect either the outboard
or inboard end of each strut rod. NOTE:
There is no need to remove half shaft.
3.
Disconnect the flexible brake line from each trailing arm and remove
the C-clip that retains the line. Plug
the line to minimize loss of brake fluid.
Disconnect the clip holding the parking brake cable to the trailing arm.
Removal of trailing arm bushings. Do one trailing arm
at a time.
1.
Remove cotter pin that retains trailing arm “toe-in” shims in
frame. Remove shims from frame. Note the thickness of shims on each side of
the trailing arm. (It may be necessary
to loosen trailing arm front pivot bolt for removal of rusty shims.
2.
Remove trailing arm pivot bolt from frame. Carefully slide front of trailing arm out of
frame. Use caution, as trailing arm with brake
rotor is heavy. Move jack to support
trailing arm.
3. Using a
11/16” diameter drill bit, drill out one of the flared ends of the bushing’s
retaining shaft. Remove flat retaining
washer and the inner steel shaft from the rubber bushing. Next, knock out the bushing’s steel inner
sleeve and the rubber, using caution so as not to damage the outer sleeve that
will be reused. Wire brush the interior
of the outer sleeve remaining in the trailing arm and lightly grease for easy
insertion of new bushings. If you’re
also replacing the outer sleeves at this time, then knock out the outer sleeves
from the trailing arm. NOTE: If trailing arm is rusted, it may have a
tendency to spread during bushings removal.
Use a C-clamp to prevent spreading.
Installing new bushings. Do one trailing arm
at a time.
1.
Install new outer steel sleeves (Item 1) into trailing arm, if not
reusing existing outer sleeves.
2.
Install polyurethane bushing and steel shaft (Items 2 & 3) as shown
in drawing. Note there are three (3)
sizes of round shims supplied with kit:
.005”, .010” and .025” thick.
Place shims (Items 4, 5 & 6) between the polyurethane bushing and
the outer washer (Item 7) until there is a light press fit (.005” to .010”)
between the outer washer and the polyurethane.
NOTE: It is recommended that an equal thickness of
shims be used on each side of the bushing.
3.
Crimp the outer washer onto the inner sleeve (shaft), using the kits
Flare Tool. Be sure to use grease on sleeve so as not to split when flaring
(Item 8). This is done by inserting the
3/8” Hex Bolt (with washer) through the complete bushing unit in the trailing
arm resting in the frame. Flare end of
inner steel shaft over the outer steel washer by threading Flare Tool onto the
hex bolt.
4.
Reinstall trailing arm in frame.
Insert front pivot bolt to retain trailing arm in position. Place jack stand back under wheel hub to
support rear of trailing arm.
5.
Car must have rear end realigned to factory specifications. However, if car must be driven before
realignment, reinstall “toe-in” shims and the 4-1/2”-long cotter pin which
retains shims in trailing arm. Because
the replacement bushing is wider than stock, it may be necessary to remove 1 or
2 of the thinnest “toe-in” shims.
6.
Reinstall castle nut and the short cotter pin onto pivot bolt. (Torque pivot bolt to 50 ft/lbs on after car
has been realigned).
7.
Reinstall shocks and strut rods.
Fasten stabilizer bar to trailing arms.
Reinstall spring. Reconnect brake
lines and bleed as per shop manual.
8.
Set car at original ride height.
Install rear wheels. Place car on
ground.
NOTE: It is very important to have the rear end
realigned after installing trailing arm bushings.