Upper and lower control arms

[ZouchaR]

Ok.. so someone please explain to me how to get the control arm shafts out and back in... 63 C10, stock control arms.. Please help....

I have new control arm shafts and bushings on the way...

[Sharps40]

Full front suspension rebuild on a 65 starting at post 557 of this thread, round about the middle of page 23

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=571916

After you get the spindles and springs and tierods off, ya can remove the control arms, the bushings and shafts and reinstall the new shafts/bushings.

Bring big tools, 3/4" drive sockets are wonderful....1/2" drive will do and ya might get them bushings all done with a crescent wrench like I did.

[Clyde65]

It would be a great idea to upgrade your shaft u-bolts to a larger size since they dont make the small stock ones any more and if your rebuilding your shafts, why not replace the hardware that holds them on, you will need to redrill the mounting holes though.

[ZouchaR]

Where do you suggest getting the larger U bolts?? Are they special??

[Sharps40]

Partnumbers and install instructions are in the posts I refrenced for you above. Get em from oreillies.

See post 354 and 355 on page 15 for full instructions and part numbers.

[ZouchaR]

Thanks. I will look.

[ZouchaR]

So with some work and a 24" crescent. It's all apart.

[Sharps40]

Nice. Another man brave enough to attack the suspension with a crescent wrench. Welcome to the Bring Watcha Got Garage club!

Post some photos.

[TexasLS1]

This is great info, awesome write-up Sharps40. Just taggin' this thread for the job in the near future.......

[Sharps40]

Its up in FAQ I believe. Tear into it. Suspension work is fun, if a bit tiring.

[Sharps40]

I think this is a direct link, keeps ya from havin to wade thru an entire rambling build thread.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=599579

[tincan1966]

There's really nothing wrong with the OEM bolts, just get stock replacement parts. It's more of a thing to replace 50 year old bolts, than the size of them.

This is the 11th '63-66 truck I have owned and I've never changed the control arm bolts to anything but new originals. If they worked for the first 50 years, new ones should last another 50.

Too many have seen one fail and panicked that they have to be bigger. NO. they were just old and in most cases were probably a bit loose and caked with sludge around them which traps moisture and causes rust. That's why they break off.

Here's another theory- if you're putting enough stress on your lower control arms to snap off 1/2" bolts- something is not right.

[Sharps40]

I thought bigger was always better...like bolts, guns, beers, boobies, checking accounts, hourly pay, gas mileage, horsepower, torque, french-fries with the meal, etc? There is another way?

[tincan1966]

There's always more than one way to do things, and a lot of the engineering in these trucks doesn't need redone.

The original bolts work just fine, IMO, so that's what I run. Never had a failure.
That being said, I am referring to a stock suspension configuration.
I suppose the argument could be made when adding air bags and changing some of the torsional loads on the components that a larger fastener might be needed, but again, if using new parts, I don't see any problems with running the OEM parts.

How many has anyone seen sheer off new bolts?

[Sharps40]

I was teasin!

[sodly]

I have a question. Can you replace the end cap on an upper control arm bushing without disassembling anything else? The grease zerk threads stripped on one of mine. I have a NOS replacement cap. It would be wonderful if I could just unscrew the old cap and screw in the new one but something tells me it doesn't work that easily under spring tension. Or does it? This is a C20, if it matters.