Body Bushings: [Archive] - Chevelle Tech

: Body Bushings:


ssmonte
Jun 29th, 04, 11:58 PM
Help People:
I desperately need an answer for this one to finish my car a 1965 Malibu 2 dr HDTP. I had to have the trunk floor and rear body mounts replaced due to corresion that the previous owner either missed of ignored. Since I purchased an entire set of bushings I decided to replace the remainder while I had all running gear out of the car and had completely stipped the frame where accessible and the under side of the body to bare metal looking for anymore hidden surprises.
The two bolts behind the front wheels are rung off so they have to come out and therefore I need someone to tell me how to do this as I have not been able to jack the body off the frame far enough to get to the portion of the bolts that are left not high enough to get the old bushing and metal sleves out.
I have disconnected the steering coupling front brake line and battery ground all running gear is out except new 12 bolt that I just put back in this week. The under side of the car is spotless as it has been stripped and painted so now is the time to do this.
Whet else do I need to take off the car to be able to jack the body up off the frame and how do you get to the two nuts in the rear that turn with the bolts as these two are new and were put in with my new trunk floor and rear body mounts by a body shop.
Help someone please I have 15,000 dollars worth of new parts waiting to go back on or in this car including a stroked roller engine and level III 700R4 trans.
Its blowing my mind that something as simple as rubber bushings and sleeves have me stumped. Yes the gas tank is out but the bumpers are still on the car can that be the culprit.
HELP< HELP< HELP

136679ss
Jun 30th, 04, 1:37 AM
I just did this myself, and although not the first thing you want to hear, when you do this it is a good idea to have the bumpers off of the car so when you lift off of the frame you do dont scrape any fresh paint since Im assuming you dont have a lift and will be doing this probably one or two at a time by lifting in sections. first when you change the bushings its a good idea to do a complete side at a time with the other side loose so the side your working on has a little more leverage to tilt, or "play" if you will. the ones behind the front wheels that have spun should be easy to get to by removing the inner fenders to give you some room to work with to cut the nuts off, or air hammer is what I used. the ones under the passenger compartment and the rear frame rails (in the trunk) require you to cut the floor to remove. thats the crappy part, but necessary. simple to do if youve got the right tools. (cut off wheel, or even simpler and less clean up a dremel with a small cutting disk ((this is what I used, and it made welding up the floors a snap)). the spots in the passenger compartment where the bushings reside underneath is easy to identify by the small hump required for clearance of the bolt. the problem you are experiencing is this. from the factory the nuts used to hold the body bolts in the bushings are welded to the pans, and years of deterioration have caused the rust to free those nuts causing them to spin. word to the wise when you replace these things make damn sure you weld the new nuts and washers to the floorpans after you tighten, just in case you have to go back later. I cant remember whether or not I had fuel or brake lines on the car at the time, but dont believe it makes any difference as they get bolted to the frame anyways, if you have to replace these items as well, now woud be a good time as one piece fuel lines go in a lot easier with the body up off of the frame. hope this helps. jason.

ssmonte
Jul 1st, 04, 1:08 AM
Jason:
Thanks a ton and you were right on about the spinning nuts only I managed to cut a slot in the floor brace on the rears large enough to get a chisel in to cut thru the box that held the nut in place and now can get a wrench on the nuts to hold them. I am going to just put a temporary cover over these openings I made using some aluminum and epoxy.
Today I disconnected every thing and removed both bumpers and was able to jack the body high enough to get all the old bushings out on the drivers side but had no luck getting the rung off bolts out by the front wheels, going to try to drill out tomorrow as the nuts have not loosened and I cannot get anything on them good enough to force them out.
If that does not work will have to do as you suggested and remove fenders as this is keeping me from getting 15,000 dollars worth of running gear in the car so I can ride for a change instead of laying under it. I hesitate removing fenders due to them having a good paint on them and the fact that they are in correct alignment with good gaps.
I was almost embarrassed to ask for help on this as you would think something so simple would not be so hard.
Thanks again and good luck with your car.