The Corvette is BACK baby!

"cletus44 aka Clayton Seams" (cletus44)
02/08/2019 at 09:48 • Filed to: None

For the first time since November, the Corvette is back on its own four wheels! ( Well not in this photo because it was dark when I finished but you’ll just have to believe me.) I took all that time to replace the rear wheel bearings, which on a C3 Corvette, is one hell of a task.

The C3 (and C2) use a very odd suspension design out back. It uses trailing arms to locate the wheel longitudinally and these contain the double-set bearings. Replacing them requires the removal and dismantling of the entire rear suspension. The leaf spring, driveshafts, swap bar, shock absorbers, brake calipers, brake rotors, brake lines, and parking brake must all be removed to access. The joke is that they built a C3 Corvette in the day by putting two rear wheel bearings on the shop floor and then built the car around them.

Compressing the spring required this janky arrangement of two jacks, a c-clamp, and a block of wood

This was one hell of a repair job. I was quoted $750/side and the bearings alone cost me $200. I honestly only worked on it maybe one day a week and it was too cold to go into the garage during the polar vortex fiasco. In all, I’d guess I had about 7-10 full days into the repair. It is the most involved and complex car repair I have ever done and I learned a lot of new skills along the way. Now the bearings are hopefully good for another 49 years.

DISCUSSION (25)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/08/2019 at 10:01

Kinja'd!!!

“I LIVE... AGAIN”

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/08/2019 at 10:03

Damn, not looking forward to that. *fingers crossed* Hopefully mine hold on for a while longer. Shit, my car turns 50 this year!

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
02/08/2019 at 10:04

The Cletus-Vette is like that but more scary

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
02/08/2019 at 10:05

It is a major pain the butt. I wish it upon nobody.

vondon302 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/08/2019 at 10:11

Thats a nightmare job. Helped on one about 10 years ago. That just got me thinking about what happened to that car.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/08/2019 at 10:21

one leaf for both wheels?

ingenious

(that said.. i hate leaf springs... heavy bastards.. no fun when you have to empty a truckload of them by hand)

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
02/08/2019 at 10:28

Yup! Transverse leafs were also used in the Opel GT and 289 Shelby Cobra. They are indeed fucking heavy.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/08/2019 at 10:30

welp.. over in europe land i might just be able to get an opel gt for a small price

i shall name it mini cletus :p

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
02/08/2019 at 10:37

That’s so cool! I’ve been a fan of the Opel GT for a long time. I love their mini-Corvette looks. Here in Canada, they are rare and somewhat pricey.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
02/08/2019 at 10:41

The new Corvette still has them. They’re now made of carbon composite and made with a really cool process. The factory that produces them is in my town.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/08/2019 at 10:44

really ratty junkers start at about $1500 here..

just found this one over in germany tho (its just a lil road trip away)

Kinja'd!!!