Got Bad News...

[HammerDown]

Took the Vette in for an alignment, and to get the alignment 100% the rear has to come out > too much end play/wear in the yokes

Over the decades I can and have done a LOT of work on engines and vehicles, but now at 55 with a damaged rotators cuff, laying on my back under that car, wrestling a 'rear' in a small garage just ain't going to happen.

I drove the car home, it's very drivable and showing minor wear to the rear right-inside tire. Of course it isn't going to get better...just waiting for the estimate to R&R.
Oh, and the camber rods need replacing too, bushings are shot and they're at the max of their adjustment.

Any estimates on what that job should cost?

 

[KANE]

Took the Vette in for an alignment, and to get the alignment 100% the rear has to come out > too much end play/wear in the yokes

Over the decades I can and have done a LOT of work on engines and vehicles, but now at 55 with a damaged rotators cuff, laying on my back under that car, wrestling a 'rear' in a small garage just ain't going to happen.

I drove the car home, it's very drivable and showing minor wear to the rear right-inside tire. Of course it isn't going to get better...just waiting for the estimate to R&R.
Oh, and the camber rods need replacing too, bushings are shot and they're at the max of their adjustment.

Any estimates on what that job should cost?

Technically... you could ask a mechanic how many hours of labor the job would take and then ask about his hourly rate. That should get you close. Labor rates will vary slightly from shop to shop- so the hours are really the critical info. Most mechanics use Mitchell Systems and their software for estimating & pricing.

You'll also need to know the cost of the parts to be replaced.

Add it together... and you'll have a decent estimate.

 

[bill81vette]

I haven't taken the rear out yet..
I'm toying with it...just to clean it up and do the control arms....
I don't NEED to yet,but I will do it when the time comes....
PS I'm your age I sympathize with your shoulder,a co worker our age had his rotator cuff just repaired and he was out for 8 months....
I'm a little more mindful of my shoulder now...
did the upper and lower a-arms a few years ago over the course of a week.not a bad job...
you can probably get a price of the parts from the corvette vendors

 

[HammerDown]

Thanks for the feedback...
this shop owner is a long time friend and worked on Vettes & some high-end exotics ALL the time, but haven't really seen him or routinely take my vehicles to him (not even for state inspection) unless it's an alignment or something like this job I just can't do.
Even so, I don't want to ask him a break-down the hours and parts etc as to maybe he thinking I'm questioning his price (if you get my meaning)
He hasn't called back with the estimate yet, so that's why I was trying to get a ball-park what that job may go for. I 'think' his shop rate is $65-$70 an hour.

There was some mention about the yoke-parts in the rear that 'wear' being available in an up-graded "hardened" replacement. I'm sure a 'hardened' upgraded part cost a lot more...at my age (55) and driving the car maybe 3000 miles a year and the OE parts lasting some 132,000 miles and 31 years makes it doubtful I would benefit from them...at least in my lifetime.

 

[HammerDown]

Watched several YouTube vids on the rear and trailing arm removal instal etc...if I only had the shop and a lift with a couple jack stands

 

[HammerDown]

Getting another opinion, this shop seems on the up & up and doesn't think the play in the yokes may be 'excessive' or be the problem...he will inspect for free and give suggestions.

 

[HammerDown]

And so the process begins, it took two hours of careful rigging to get the chassis two-foot off the ground.
Drove the front of the car up on 10" ramps, then carefully inch-by-inch raised the rear.
The backside is sitting on two 6-ton jack stands > for giggles I may swap them for 12 ton stands (bigger foot print)

Tomorrow starts the process of...REMOVING
1)spare tire and carrier
2)wheels and calipers, rotors
3)removal of the exhaust, from the cat all the way back, the catalytic converter is NOT going back in.
4)heavy a$$ multi leaf metal spring
5)1/2 shafts and drive shaft...as I recall, getting to the rear drive shaft nuts SUCK!
6)shocks, camber/strut arms
7)related mount to the diff/bat wing
8)pretty good chance the control arms will be coming down for new bushings too.

I'm too old for this sh*t...I told my neighbor, "if the car comes down on me, just close the garage door and feed/walk my dog twice a day."

 

[Mac]

You would trust him with your dog? He must be a great neighbour!!

Mac

 

[bill81vette]

you should have a single fiberglass spring....

 

[hotmtrsports]

First off doing that job on jack stands at 25 years old is a pain. Doing it at 55 is ... well I commend you for it . This job is bad enough under a lift!!! AT least under a lift, you've got the full force of the extended breaker bars.

Make sure you are safe under there. The bigger jack stand footprint the better. Those strut rods don't come out easy!

I suspect this will be a domino and "while your there" type project.

KANE: Trying to get a handle on the time this will take using the Mitchell Systems or whichever estimator on a 30+ year old car won't get you there. I would use it as a starting point, but that's about it. Some of those stubborn bolts and nuts that would have taken 3 minutes may add hours to the job. I've had the 4 spring bolts at the mounting plate break. I've had the shock mounts break, etc etc.

I'm not trying to jinx this. Just be prepared to order parts.

With that being said, may the Corvette Gods be on your side...

Chuck M

 

[Peer81]

It's a big job but just keep faith!
If I lived closer I would surely help so sorry for that.
One tip: When your ready to lower the diff do this with an extra pair of hands. It may swing around or tilt and there is no way to controll it if your lowering it on a jack.
Good luck and keep us updated!

Greetings Peter

 

[HammerDown]

Progress is slow, with a bad right rotators-cuff and using a creeper I can only get about two hours work time then I have to quit.
Took too much time to remove the catalytic converter, even with a sawzall, then heat from a torch the two front top rust/welded bolts were a bear to cut and punch out.
AND...wile inspecting things, I noticed the two vertical trans to rubber mount support bolts (at the cross member) are missing! Of course it's the harder to get to bolts.

The 1/2 shafts are out > > > I was surprised what a dial indicator showed for diff-yoke end-play. Seems I can't even trust my local shop for an opinion.

Something is doing on with the driver-side wheel bearing spindle yoke, like rotational slop in the splines...I'll know more tomorrow when I get the rotors & calipers off.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

The 1/2 shafts are out > > > I was surprised what a dial indicator showed for diff-yoke end-play. Seems I can't even trust my local shop for an opinion.

They all have visible play, even when brand new. How much have you got?

 

[HammerDown]

They all have visible play, even when brand new. How much have you got?

With a dial indicator the best I can get is .025 Thought I would have seen 4x that.
To tripple check and confirm I'm getting ready to craw under it again.
Anyone know the GM book spec for an 81?

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

With a dial indicator the best I can get is .025 Thought I would have seen 4x that.
To tripple check and confirm I'm getting ready to craw under it again.
Anyone know the GM book spec for an 81?

0.025" is pretty much equivalent to 'new'. GM never published a spec. or tolerance for yoke end play.

 

[HammerDown]

0.025" is pretty much equivalent to 'new'. GM never published a spec. or tolerance for yoke end play.

I rechecked it several times, this time using a ridged flex mount clamped to the strut arms.
drivers side =.015
pass side =.018

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

I rechecked it several times, this time using a ridged flex mount clamped to the strut arms.
drivers side =.015
pass side =.018

You're good to go with those numbers.

 

[HammerDown]

You're good to go with those numbers.

Thanks for that!
Odd GM never had a "spec" for the end play but, if the front Pinion Seal isn't leaking the diff ain't coming out!

Still pulling trailing arms for bushing replacement, the 9-leaf spring's coming out for either a repack of 'friction pads' or, a mono spring.
Need 2-new camber strut arms (maybe super struts)
I want an off-road replacement pipe for the C-Converter.
And of course I'll be visiting the wheel bearings.

 

[HammerDown]

Another slow day...got the rear 9-leaf spring out, and it's center pin was BROKEN so it came out in pieces!
Then spent an hour plus just scraping thick caked on universal grease off from around where I needed to take more components off.

 

[Peer81]

Just be happy you can leave the diff in! It's a bugger to take out.
But it's still very nice to see some pictures of the project!

Greetings Peter