Here’s some pictures of the measurements last Indian 

 

57 minutes ago, JUSTA6 said:

Justa me, but I would use the correct size flat washer for the bolt.  Then Justa tack weld the washer in place.  Too much pressure/stress to have it work loose Justa using lockwashers.  If you ever need to replace the bushings again, would be super easy to grind off the tack weld. Sounds like you got a wrong bushing.  What does your supplier say about it?  Again Justa me but i swear my a arm bushings took bigger bolts then 9/16 even.  1/2 sounds pretty wimpy.

yes i know they sound wimpy but thats what Rock auto sent me and they fit perfectly in every other way, i am guessing things are justA different when your buying in the aftermarket as apposed to new old stock i guess ??🙄

Edited December 21, 20205 yr by 64 kiwi boni

3 hours ago, Last Indian said:

Don’t tell Smokey Yunick that! Those cars dominated NASCAR in the day mate!

i wonder if yunick ran a rear sway bar🙄

43 minutes ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

Oh now thats what i am talking about !!!! thank you.... the helwig one that bolts to the lower control arms would simply put more stress on the bushings each end of each arm, and i think that is wrong

where as connection from the diff straight to the chassis make more sense too me 👍 Thank you 😋

I think that is what the Chevy full-size did as well.

3 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

Here’s some pictures of the measurements last Indian 

 

yes i know they sound wimpy but thats what Rock auto sent me and they fit perfectly in every other way, i am guessing things are justA different when your buying in the aftermarket as apposed to new old stock i guess ??🙄

I don’t like that kind of clearance! IMO you’re JustA asking for trouble! So looking at it I see two remedies! JustA’s idea is a good remedy! I would use at least 1/8” thick washers with a fairly close 1/2” hole, .510 to .515. Then tack weld them in at less three places! The other would be take a grade 8, 9/16 bolt that is long enough that when it goes all the way through the unthreaded part sick’s out past where you would put the nut. The turn down the shaft of the bolt down to .510 to .520. At the head end of the bolt leave a 1/6” wide step that’s .565 to .570. At the other end you will have to thread the new bolt size to 1/2” thread. The machine a special nut the has a step on it to match the .573 bracket hole, but a little smaller.

I hope that’s clear as mud! If you need a sketch let me know & I’ll make one!

3 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

i wonder if yunick ran a rear sway bar🙄

No they did not, but they tended To run soft rear springs with stiff front springs! This made the car sit down in the back which has a stabilizing effect when cornering!

I completely agree last Indian 

the 9/16 bolts have less than 10 thou clearance 

1/2 bolts have a whole 1/16 !!!!

i think your idea are good 

but maybe I should be emailing Ames and asking if they have these bushings with a 9/16 sleeve 

I could press these bushes out and see if a engineering shop can drill them out 

but it looks to be hi tensile steel 

 I have emailed Ames, but i see from their catalog that next to lower bushings ( ps181d) for 64 is the word "disc" so i am thinking what i have is 65-70 bushings that suit 1/2 inch bolts. 

 And i have been all over the inter net and it looks as if these bushings fit multiple gm products and are all 1/2inch 

Edited December 22, 20205 yr by 64 kiwi boni

5 hours ago, Last Indian said:

I don’t like that kind of clearance! IMO you’re JustA asking for trouble! So looking at it I see two remedies! JustA’s idea is a good remedy! I would use at least 1/8” thick washers with a fairly close 1/2” hole, .510 to .515. Then tack weld them in at less three places! The other would be take a grade 8, 9/16 bolt that is long enough that when it goes all the way through the unthreaded part sick’s out past where you would put the nut. The turn down the shaft of the bolt down to .510 to .520. At the head end of the bolt leave a 1/6” wide step that’s .565 to .570. At the other end you will have to thread the new bolt size to 1/2” thread. The machine a special nut the has a step on it to match the .573 bracket hole, but a little smaller.

I hope that’s clear as mud! If you need a sketch let me know & I’ll make one!

No they did not, but they tended To run soft rear springs with stiff front springs! This made the car sit down in the back which has a stabilizing effect when cornering!

Last Indian, the inner bush sleeve looks to be cold rolled steel,as i can see it has a gap in the tube roll, is it machinable  ??

11 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

Last Indian, the inner bush sleeve looks to be cold rolled steel,as i can see it has a gap in the tube roll, is it machinable  ??

Not being a solid tube, its expandable.  Force a 9/16 bolt through it and expand the gap.  Replace bolt with a new one, good to go.  All the tube does is force the outside edges of frame to stop contracting at the point where the rubber is. A small gap will not alter what the tube is suppose to do.  Justa my 

3 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

Not being a solid tube, its expandable.  Force a 9/16 bolt through it and expand the gap.  Replace bolt with a new one, good to go.  All the tube does is force the outside edges of frame to stop contracting at the point where the rubber is. A small gap will not alter what the tube is suppose to do.  Justa my 

oh my by gessus!!! JustA your on to it!!!!! that will work perfectly!!! 

i can take the arms off find a old 9/16 bolt and using my press, open up that inner sleeve the 1/16 it needs .... your sooo right it wont impact the job it has too do at all!!!👍 thank you mate

16 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

Last Indian, the inner bush sleeve looks to be cold rolled steel,as i can see it has a gap in the tube roll, is it machinable  ??

Yes & no! It’s not, in most cases anyway, cold roll! Usually it’s a tempered steel, so it’s pretty tough! Meaning a standard drill won’t cut it. Also they are never round, which makes it all the harder to drill!

1 hour ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

oh my by gessus!!! JustA your on to it!!!!! that will work perfectly!!! 

i can take the arms off find a old 9/16 bolt and using my press, open up that inner sleeve the 1/16 it needs .... your sooo right it wont impact the job it has too do at all!!!👍 thank you mate

JustA’s idea should prove good! As he indicates, in this type of bushing the only purpose the steel tube & bolt serve is to contract the bracket sides in against the steel tube! Once torqued the bolt, steel tube & bracket side should be married together.

What I would do additionally though is this! Once you press the 9/16 bolt through the sleeve and than back out and replace it with a new bolt, coat the inside of the sleeve with anti-seize & when you install the bolt coat the bolt as well! This is because the bolt and sleeve will have a much closer fit than is typical! That will percipient corrosion between the two more than normal! Which may make it nearly impossible to get apart in a normal manner, if that time ever comes.

1 hour ago, Last Indian said:

What I would do additionally though is this! Once you press the 9/16 bolt through the sleeve and than back out and replace it with a new bolt, coat the inside of the sleeve with anti-seize & when you install the bolt coat the bolt as well! This is because the bolt and sleeve will have a much closer fit than is typical! That will percipient corrosion between the two more than normal! Which may make it nearly impossible to get apart in a normal manner, if that time ever comes.

Great thought Last Indian, thats exactly what i will do👍

Ames got back to me and assured me that their bushings do take a 9/16 bolt... moral of this story, not all aftermarket parts are created equal 🙄 

Love watching your progress on this thread!

"moral of this story, not all aftermarket parts are created equal"🙄 

Understatement of the century! LOL

yip Indymanjoe, i have really had a bum run with after market junk.

it started when i was building my 56 chevy years ago, so much of the gear i was buying here in new zealand was crap, once i bought a whole set of bushing for the A arms, and they where so old they fail within a year.

then i bought a whole floor and 2 rear quarters for a 57 chevy coupe... from gold star... turned up, had made in Taiwan on them, and where never going to fit properly 😡

Got home from the beach yesterday and received a email from ames about their lower bushings for my A arms and i have decided not to dick around and just replace the 1/2 ones i have with Ames version that they assure me are suited for 9/16 bolts.

i bit the bullet and ordered them👍

 today is the big day.... Chassis swap!!😜...well start the Chassis swap, boss wants me to take her too town first 🙄

i have this week before heading back to work and i intend to get as much done as i can

watch this space!

Edited January 3, 20215 yr by 64 kiwi boni

Got to love the fergy tractors,, 

i was going to start the 64 up and drive it into the shed, but i am glad i didnt, the engine has move far enough forward to justA bout disconnect from the drive shaft 🙄

 

and a straight version from my phone...

she looks pretty sad aye😥, bent and sagging.....ohhhh😔

Edited January 4, 20215 yr by 64 kiwi boni

Went to work and removed the remainder of the front clip  

I had bolts that simply had to be cut out , as the front passenger side frame rail has taken the whole impact of the smash 

Then I got her up on the hoist and could really look at the rest of the damage 

Rag joint is buggered 

I had a lot of fun trying to remove the lower bonneville sill chrome trim without breaking it😡😡😡😡😡

Edited January 4, 20215 yr by 64 kiwi boni

The whole engine has moved forward about 2 inches and both engine mounts are stuffed , trans mount trash

you can see how far forward the trans mount has moved 

 

Edited January 4, 20215 yr by 64 kiwi boni

This picture is of the passenger side frame rail behind the front wheel 

I have used a porta power to push the Frame back to where it used to be and you can see what it did to the floor pan .... more details on my idea to fix this later in the week once I have the frame off the body 

I found a shot load of small issues 

trans shifter missing a bush 

Rear shocks are too long and hence the brake hose trying to cut itself in half  

Found that at some stage there was a Tennant who loved walnuts 

Driver side upper A arm is clearly off a earlier model as it’s got grease nipples and solid bushings 

Pulled the starter motor off and thought it was odd that all the bolts on the solenoid where loose ,

so i popped the cap and just like a Chevy starter it was showing wear so I cleaned it up , rotated the power in terminal and gave it a good clean 

Pulled the 8 Lugger front stubs and drums 

sand blasted the backing plates , rust treated them 

and a coat of satin black . They are going back on like this and I will be dealing with brake shoes , springs etc after I get her back on the new frame 

another job for another day 👍

Every nut and bolt bagged and named 

And I have found some dodgee repairs 

like the gas pedal linkage , cable tied and a bit of wire to hold it in the rod instead of the proper ball clip !! 🙄

Day one 

lots of boxes ticked.... oh look it’s.    beer-o-clock 

Can anyone tell me the name of the blue engine paint ? 

I have to pull the sump and get that dent  out if it and it would be great to clean it up and repaint it the correct colour 👍

Looks like you got some fun ahead of you  . Keep up the work!

I use Plasti-Kote #208  Pontiac Blue.  Don’t know if there’s another name for the color.