Ok, while lowering the front of my '53 wagon, I noticed that the rubber on the upper pivot pins were totally gone, so I got new pins from Chevs of the 40's. I went to put them in today and can't for the life of me figure out how to do it. Of course, the directions they sent me were for '41-'48, which is different from the '49-'54 front end. Here's my question, the rubber bushings have a hole in them, but it's skinnier than the center of the pivot. I tried to drive the pivot pins in from the front, through the control arm, then the bushings, then the upright, other bushings and control arm on the other side, but it will not go through. Is there some procedure I'm missing?
FROM CHEVROLET SHOP MANUAL 1. Remove pivot pin front and rear threaded bushings from upper control arm. 2. Remove seals from ends of pivot pin. 3. Remove clamp bolt from upper end of knuckle support and slide the upper pivot pin out of the knuckle support using a 1/4" Allen screw wrench to assist removal. Installation 1. Assemble upper pivot pin through control arm and into knuckle support with Allen wrench hole in pin to the rear of car. Center pivot pin in knuckle support and install lock bolt, lockwasher and nut and tighten to 30-35 foot lbs. Place new seals over end of pivot pin. 2. Start front bushing onto pivot pin and then, keeping knuckle support centered carefully index bushing threads into control arm. 3. Start rear bushing onto pivot pin and then carefully index bushing threads into control arm. 4. Thread bushings into control arm until heads seat and then tighten to 30-40 foot lbs. torque.
OK, now mind you that this is all from my usually crappy memory. I rebuilt mine about 12 years a go. If I remember correctly, the shaft is tapered and only goes in one way. I think you install the pivot shaft into position first, then the seals on either end, then the upper control arm and finally the nuts on the end of the pivot. I also seem to remember that you have to put both end nuts on at the same time in order to keep the control arm centered. I may have it all wrong, but that's what I seem to remember. Hope it helps. Chris
this is a good message board for you 49-54 chevy questions. http://www.chevytalk.org/threads/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=UBB7 this is for your online manual.... http://chevy.tocmp.com/1949_53shop/index.htm http://chevy.tocmp.com/ http://chevy.tocmp.com/booklets/4909mts00.htm hope it helps.
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