What am I looking at to install a new set of body bushings along the frame.Can I lift up the body one side at a time or is this something that has to be done with the body off of the frame ? o No:
Jeff I'm pretty sure I've heard of folks doing one side at a time, but never done it either way myself....
You will need about 1" of clearance. Remove all body bolts/screws. Then do one side at a time. Don't know if you can access the nuts on the front cowl with the fenderwells in place. I swap out the frame mounts by doing body-off restos. It can be done with body on but may take some "effort"
Will the steering column be a problem or will there be enough room that I won't have to disconnect anything?
1" body lift will not affect the steering column. You will not have to disconnect anything except maybe the fuel lines where it goes from hard line to rubber lines then to the tank. Would be a good time to replace those rubber hose sections. :TU:
It's one of the few areas of my car I've yet to explore.Pretty much gone through everything else.How's your car been doin lately Nick?Didn't you just finish up some mods before Temple?
Yup. Temple was the be the debut of my "new" 71 motor, but we were rained out. I've made one trip to the track since, no traction. We'll see what it does this week in BG.
I just finished swapping the body bushings on my 69 convertible. I did it one side at a time, and it was not that tough. I had the front clip off of the car, so I'm not sure about the front cowl ones and whether you can get to them with the fenders on. A word of caution though; soak the hell out of the bolts, bushings with PB Blaster prior to trying to remove the bolts. Also, I used an impact gun to get the bolts out. The trick is not to let the bolts snap. The way I was told to do it (which was the way I did it) was to take the impact gun and bump it a tiny bit at a time tightening it first this way, and then loosening it this way. Do this about six or seven times back and forth before going full tilt with it in reverse. This method worked on all of the body bushings, and none of them broke. If you do break one inside the frame, you will have to drill down from the floor pan area to locate the old bolt and add a new nut to it. Be careful with it and good luck! :TU:
I had to disconnect the Emergency brake on mine. It prevented the car from lifting. Also you have to remove inner fenders to access front firewall nuts. If you are using hand tools the only thing I could get to hold the nuts was an offset box end wrench. Sockets and extensions hit the firewall inside the windows.
like the fella upstairs said....keep em soaked soaked.... I soaked mine for 2 weeks worth and rears and sides still snaped...by hand and by impact...
