Help! Trailing Arms 81 vette

[Dirty Dan]

Hey everyone, I just bought my first vette, and I started to tear down the rear end. It is in pretty good shape for the price I got. I just got the trailing arms off. I am currently deliberating on dropping the rear end. I'm seeking any advice on this area of the car. Any tips or things I should be watching for?

 

[TimAT]

Check the end play on the side yokes. Don't try to replace the half shaft u-joints without supporting the flange. Driving the joints out can bend the flange. If you do decide to drop the differential, it's heavy so be prepared, when you get it opened up, inspect the case carefully.

 

[Dirty Dan]

Thanks, I wouldn't have thought about the flange. I'm 18 and would have just used brute force haha

 

[Peer81]

If you're planning to rebuild the diff (alu diff so much lighter then the previous iron ones) be sure to read enough about it and check several topics about it (from GTR999). You want to do it right the first time around
Good luck with the 81!

Greetings Peter

 

[Dirty Dan]

I'm on a pretty tight budget, but I ended up not dropping the differential. I replaced all busings, and bearings. I sandblasted trailing arms assemblies after I dissassembelied them. I also had to get new shims (considereing the others were rusted away. I also found that there was no parking brake hardware at all when I took it apart so I had to start from scratch on that. I hate the parking brake on the vette, but I have to have it since this is my daily driver lol. I'm almost done with the install. I also found that my master cylinder was leaking horribly so I did that and the booster (PITA)! The endplay was fine and I also repalced u-joints.

Just thought I would let yall know how it went. Pretty smooth going after I got it all apart.

Thanks, Daniel.

 

[GTR1999]

I'm on a pretty tight budget, but I ended up not dropping the differential. I replaced all busings, and bearings. I sandblasted trailing arms assemblies after I dissassembelied them. I also had to get new shims (considereing the others were rusted away. I also found that there was no parking brake hardware at all when I took it apart so I had to start from scratch on that. I hate the parking brake on the vette, but I have to have it since this is my daily driver lol. I'm almost done with the install. I also found that my master cylinder was leaking horribly so I did that and the booster (PITA)! The endplay was fine and I also repalced u-joints.

Just thought I would let yall know how it went. Pretty smooth going after I got it all apart.

Thanks, Daniel.

Hi Dan
If you replaced the spindle bearings I hope you correctly set the endplay up to 0015"- 002". At 003 you will be able to push the spindle in and start to get a rock in the rotor. It will be in spec, because that is 001-008" but it is best to keep them in the 002 range.