| Re: Pumpkin swap/u-joints/wheel bearings/suspension junk (PICS!) |
Subject: Re: Pumpkin swap/u-joints/wheel bearings/suspension junk (PICS!) by Josh on 2009/6/10 13:38:32 You can get to the 8 MM bolts for the U-joint straps from outside the car. If you take off the wheel and support the car on the frame, the rear suspension will droop a bit. If you rotate the rear end, as the U-joint bolt reaches about 1 O'clock you can use a long extension and a deep well 1/4 inch drive 8 MM socket to get the bolt. I have a cordless impact gun that I use to swap tires at the track, and I usually use it for those bolts. I just reduce it down to 3/8, use a 20 inch 3/8 extension, reduce to 1/4, and finish off with a 1/4 inch drive 8 MM deep well. Do one at at time, and spin the axles to get to the next bolt. With the cordless impact gun, I usually don't have to put the car in gear or apply the parking brake, but sometimes I do if the bolts are stubborn. Regardless, that is the easies method I've found for those bolts. I made my own beam plates the last time I had the C-beam out. I bought some 1/4 inch steel plate strips from Lowes and used my electric angle grinder to cut them into shape. I drilled some holes in the plates and them used the factory bolts and nuts to bolt the plates to the beam. I took the whole deal to an exhaust shop by my house and asked them to weld the factory nuts to the plates I made. Since everything was bolted together when they welded the nuts on, I didn't have any problems installing the new plates because everything was already located. They worked great, and they were worth the time/trouble just based on the fact that I can do the C-beam bolts now without getting a wrench to the top side. I can hit them with my electric impact and have them in and out in a couple minutes. |
