BarnBird: Well, that's exactly what happened. Luckily, I happened to be showing the engine bay to a friend and I sickeningly noticed that the front bolt, lock washer, and washer cup WERE MISSING, and the urethane bushing was 50% out!
Naturally had to flatbed it back home, not wanting to risk worse. So I added red locktite to the passenger side bolts and torqued them to 35.
My issue now is that during the transport and return to the garage, the bushing popped out and the shaft arm is now bushing-less, which leaves it dropped onto the inner bushing sleeve.
Aside from removing the upper CA completely and re -installing it, any shortcut thoughts on getting it back together? Havent done anything yet. Figured I'd get the weight off it an remove the tire, maybe jack the arm up/down to re aligh it and get it back together...
'68 400HO Coupe, 4 spd, 259 interior, Windward Blue. My other car's a Johnson 15 outboard on a '61 Starcraft rowboat... Just sayin'.
Once you jack up the lower control arm up and get the weight off the upper control arm with the tire off, the upper control arm should move around pretty easy. Looks like the metal outer shell is still in the control arm, so you should be able to tap the bushing back in fairly easy. If not you can get some threaded rod, screw it into the shaft and use a nut and fender washer to pull it back in place, just make sure you have the bolt and washer on the other end of the shaft.
Hope it goes back together easy for you. Just yesterday we noticed on my son's 68 Nova that all his alinement shims came out on one of the bolts and making a popping noise. I guess we need to check all the frontend bolts every now and then on these old cars.
Maybe what 69racer said will work for you. In my opinion having done many of these over the years in rear-wheel-drive gm's as a working mechanic I always just pulled the upper control arm to work on it in a vice. It's literally a 15-minute job barring frozen bolts. just have a jack or stand supporting the lower control arm/spring, keep track of the shims on each bolt and don't use a Seperator/pickle fork as you take a chance of tearing the ball joint boot if you do. Just use a pry bar under arm while you hit the spindle were the ball joint stud goes through with a Hammer. If you have an air chisel with a flat bit, it works even better. I personally have always found it a fight to press the bushings in and having it out gives you your best advantage.
Hi All, So 69Racer's plan, luckily for me, worked fine. Taking off the wheel. blocking up the front end, and diddling with the jack under the lower control arm worked the upper CA into a mostly centered position. Loosening the other bolt on the shaft gave me some room to use multiple length 3/8-24 bolts to draw in a little at a time until I could finish with the real bolt, lock washer, and cap washer. A little dab of red loctite and torqued both back to 35ftlbs. Did the same to the other side. I'll be watching these bolts whenever I pop the hood from now on....
'68 400HO Coupe, 4 spd, 259 interior, Windward Blue. My other car's a Johnson 15 outboard on a '61 Starcraft rowboat... Just sayin'.
So, you didn't replace the bushings with new? If not, I guess I should have been clearer in my post. The way that separated and the abuse it took while slowly coming apart has clearly compromised it and for such an inexpensive part it would have been best to replace it.
They were new. I just forgot to finish torque them when i set it back down. I drove around with only snugged-up bolts. Luckily its not on the road much...
'68 400HO Coupe, 4 spd, 259 interior, Windward Blue. My other car's a Johnson 15 outboard on a '61 Starcraft rowboat... Just sayin'.
Glad it worked out easy for you. On the urethane bushings I always separate the urethane part from the metal outter shell, and install the shell into the control arm then press in the urethane part into the shell along with the cross shaft. I have the control arms off the car when I do it with my press.