I have never replaced body mounts before... but apparently the 67 lark I just purchased needs it done. so the questions stand. what do I need to do, what parts will I need, and is there anything that would likely cause problems. all I know is im hoping to replace the bushings with energy suspension polyurethane bushings. ~Christian
The originals are rubber. I just took mine off and need to replace them once the frame is painted. Aren't the modern ones better than rubber? What advantage is there besides being original?
The most common problem you will find is that the frame is rusted around the holes where the mounts rest in the the frame. Usually what happens is the hole "widens" depending on how rusty they are. This can easily be repaired by getting some industrial size washers from your local supply store. I don't know if your question pertains to the removal of the mounts but if so: 1. Remove all of the bolts going through the frame that hold the mounts to the body 2. Without removing the body you should be able to raised the body enough on each side to replace one mount at a time. 3. Replace all the mounts and bolt them up. 4. Have a beer! Regarding poly, I haven't used them yet, but I have a set on order for my 67. It is a convert and I think the extra firmness of the poly will reduce the flex inherent in converts. Good luck with your project. Harvey
thanks Harvey, you made it sound rather simple. im sure the the beer after will be much needed. should have my new bushings on order in about a week in the mean time may as well start ripping things apart still wondering why you suggest original style bushings flyn?
One thing I forgot. Make sure anything that is connected to the body and frame is disconnected before trying to raised the body. First thing that comes to mind is the e-brake cable. It is held to the body and frame and will need to be disconnected. From the frame is the easiest end. Another item is the shift linkage, if you have a column shift. Check for other items, but you will know when the body doesn't lift as easy as it should. Harvey
I got real lucky, no body mount points were rusted out, they are all real solid! Body came off easy. Also still wondering about the advantage of modern versus rubber??? o No:
There is no feed in the modern stuff. Just think about using a mattress with no feed to it and there is the difference.
http://www.opgi.com/product.asp?top...&newflag=0&VendorCode=&grpcode=460&yearrange= SB514K (R) Coupe/El Camino 64-67 SET $89.95 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 S http://www.opgi.com/product.asp?top...&newflag=0&VendorCode=&grpcode=255&yearrange= I got these.They said they are reasonable because they make them themselves.I'm doing it this week, I'll let you know if any issues ray:
Hey there, sorry to say I think you guys misunderstood my buddy. His Body mounts are rusted to nothing, he's not talking about replacing the bushings, hes talking about having new mounts put it. When the seller towed the car to his house and put it down one of the rear coils fell out, and I couldn't figure out how it could just fall out, well we jacked it up and theres no body mounts left, the body isn't hardly connected to the frame, it's just kind of sitting there.
N0---I was right on the money. Find a factory kit for the replacement pucks or the closest repro out there. There are are a lot of posts about this very topic in the database here. Buicks often require a couple more pucks than standard kits. Take a look at George's reference to the rusty frame hole issue. http://www.buickperformance.com/BrokenBodyMounts.htm
Are the mounts in the frame gone or the body side? You might be looking at a new frame, or lots of welding. Pics might help us figure the best approach. - Bill
Some cars need to much work and you are better off finding another. Anyway I bought mounts (rubber) from Ground Up. I needed to get the convertible 14 mount kit because the chevelle only used 10. The mounts were all the same size as where on my 67 Special there was 3 or 4 differnet thicknesses. They are also really stiff unlike the factory ones. Didn't matter to me as they were for a Special W/10 point cage. The core support mounts were puny too. I think wkillgs (Walt) posted a while back where to get the proper ones individually. Ray
Over a year ago I decided to change the body mounts on my '68. It turned into a full body off, clean, repair and paint the frame project. If you have everything disconnected and need to replace the mounting brackets, go ahead and pull the body. It's not "that" much more work. However, as others have said, you need to verify the condition of your frame. If your frame is shot due to rust damage you may be better off starting with another frame. Good luck. David
In some cases it may be cheaper to sell what you have and purchase a cleaner vehicle. Rust issues like this tend to be widespread and not isolated. Skylarks are relatively cheap. Just make sure you inspect the car for issues like this before purchasing the vehicle.
