jacking up body to change body mounts

[wrc3]

Ok I have read most of the posts on body mounts and they have been real helpful, but no one talks specifically about how they have jacked up the body.

So currently I have either snapped off or loosened all the body mount bolts and I was planning on jacking the left side up and put jack stands under the chassis. But how should I proceed to get the body up enough to pull the old rubber off and put the new ones in?

Any particular parts of the body that are stronger than others?

Does the body have enough flex to be lifted in just one place near the specific mount I am changing at the time?

 

[Yoda]

wrc3,

I'm planning to attempt this same project this winter.. I will be taking notes, hopefully there is an easy way to do this... I'd appreciate any information you can provide.

Thanks
Bud

 

[mike weyman]

you can put a piece of lumber across long and wide enough to disperse the weight,and lift slowly off with a jack across the middle. you was it hard to disconnect the a frame for the windshield?? mike

 

[wrc3]

you can put a piece of lumber across long and wide enough to disperse the weight,and lift slowly off with a jack across the middle. you was it hard to disconnect the a frame for the windshield?? mike

I am not pulling the body completely off, only lifting it enough to change out the rubber mounts, so I haven't had to pull the windshield.

 

[zwede]

Here's a guide I wrote when I replaced mine:

http://www.corvetteforum.com/techtips/viewsubtopic.php?SubTopicID=210&TopicID=3

 

[drduckster]

Great step by step info, I am planning this as a winter project. Tks, zwede

 

[Vette/Berlina-coupe]

-wondering why bother repadding...

-although i can understand going around and religiously retorquing the body/mounting-bolts every decade or so, -am wondering why anyone would really care about replacing the original rubber-pads, so what if they squish-down a bit from original thickness, aren't there more important things to attend to...
~Bob vH
RESPONSE: -oh ok, -if it is thus so important to cushion the body, then why not loosen the body-bolts (how many are there?) enough to obtain say a 3/8"-gap, and then using a chaulking-gun go around and inject a layer of black-silicoln there between, then after 24hrs retighten the bolts; --wouldn't that achieve better results than just a few lil'rubber-pads?? Please advise... ~B.vH
:eyeroleeek:dance

 

[Yoda]

-although i can understand going around and religiously retorquing the body/mounting-bolts every decade or so, -am wondering why anyone would really care about replacing the original rubber-pads, so what if they squish-down a bit from original thickness, aren't there more important things to attend to...
~Bob vH

hehehehe Bob, I've done everything else, well with one exception, I plan to replace the front springs this winter, I'm still debating whether to go to "A Frame" upper and lower control arms. The rest of the suspension and running gear have been R&R'd, interior done and painted in May.

Bud

 

[wrc3]

-although i can understand going around and religiously retorquing the body/mounting-bolts every decade or so, -am wondering why anyone would really care about replacing the original rubber-pads, so what if they squish-down a bit from original thickness, aren't there more important things to attend to...
~Bob vH

Well I am redoing the entire interior and 4 of the bolts are most accessible now while everything is out. Additionally the rubber on my isn't squished in most places it is non-existent. It has either rotted away or split so much that it is not even there. I don't want the shock on the chassis to be delivered directly to the body and then start seeing some nice stress cracks...

 

[Paranoid]

-although i can understand going around and religiously retorquing the body/mounting-bolts every decade or so, -am wondering why anyone would really care about replacing the original rubber-pads, so what if they squish-down a bit from original thickness, aren't there more important things to attend to...
~Bob vH
RESPONSE: -oh ok, -if it is thus so important to cushion the body, then why not loosen the body-bolts (how many are there?) enough to obtain say a 3/8"-gap, and then using a chaulking-gun go around and inject a layer of black-silicoln there between, then after 24hrs retighten the bolts; --wouldn't that achieve better results than just a few lil'rubber-pads?? Please advise... ~B.vH
:eyeroleeek:dance

Now that sounds like my kind of "fix." Still wonder if it'd work? Maybe let it set for a couple days.

 

[wrc3]

-although i can understand going around and religiously retorquing the body/mounting-bolts every decade or so, -am wondering why anyone would really care about replacing the original rubber-pads, so what if they squish-down a bit from original thickness, aren't there more important things to attend to...
~Bob vH
RESPONSE: -oh ok, -if it is thus so important to cushion the body, then why not loosen the body-bolts (how many are there?) enough to obtain say a 3/8"-gap, and then using a chaulking-gun go around and inject a layer of black-silicoln there between, then after 24hrs retighten the bolts; --wouldn't that achieve better results than just a few lil'rubber-pads?? Please advise... ~B.vH
:eyeroleeek:dance

Well you are certainly welcome to try that, but the bolts, at least both rear ones will probably just snap off when you try to loosen them because they are so rusted. Additionally the brackets will also probably just fall apart because of the rust. So then you will need to jack it up all the way to pull the pads to be able to put new bolts in which brings us back to square one. I guess you could just let it go until rust eats all the way through the bolts, and then on to the bracket welded to the frame, but then you know have some nice rust on your frame. Which does become a big deal.

 

[76okievette]

I have been reading this thread and now am wondering about my mounts on my 76. I have not rust that I can see anywhere so I am not to worryied about rust but don't know about the rubber detoriating, how do you inspect these mounts, can you see them from under the car?

 

[wrc3]

I have been reading this thread and now am wondering about my mounts on my 76. I have not rust that I can see anywhere so I am not to worryied about rust but don't know about the rubber detoriating, how do you inspect these mounts, can you see them from under the car?

Ya they number the mounts 1-4 front to back on each side so you have total of 8. You can see both #4 mounts if you get up under the rear of your vehicle and look behind your rear tires. You will see a metal bracket cradled around the corner of part of the fiberglass and you can see the rubber there. Mine was pretty much gone and it didn't look like I had much rust, but both brackets ended up being shot and the bolts snapped off. The rubber on my other mounts was in better shape, but not still not good. The other mounts you can't really see without pulling off some stuff, but you can get an idea about them from the #4 mounts which probably be in the worse condition because they are the most exposed to the elements.

 

[frank_nesta]

Did you notice and change in the door gaps after you changed out the mounts?