The Craziest Broken Rear Spring Mount EVER: Super Unsafe 1979 Corvette

I have bought a few C3s, I have worked on a few, and I have never in my life seen the rear spring issue that this 1979 Corvette has. ALL FOUR MOUNTING BOLTS are broken off that hold the rear spring to the differential. The center pin in broken and banana shaped, essentially making the rear spring free to move all around. Can I get it out without much trouble?
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[@nick011182]

Good thing you caught that! I would’ve tried clamping the leaf spring with two C clamps on either side of the differential to mimic the bolts that were missing.

[@bradwhite6491]

Come on Ben claw hammers are for carpenters! 😂

[@dadsvespa]

I'll bet the garage that worked on this car, gives a monthly prize to the mechanic who has the least amount of parts left over after doing a job.

[@gordonmcmillan883]

That's not my idea of a full-floating rear end ...

[@gs3504]

I got a little nervous when you stuck your hand in there on that last bolt. Glad it all worked out OK.

[@DYFEA]

good gracious!!!!! thank goodness you caught the problem

[@macsloan58]

I appreciate how careful you are. Some people wouldn’t think of possible consequences. You are always a few steps ahead of any potential bad crap that could happen. Good job.

[@paulc4213]

Bought a 71 conv back in 1996 from up in Boston, drove it home to Maryland. I didn't know much about corvettes then. Few months later rear wheel bearing when out one night, towed home and it sat for a couple years, doing research and exchanged the differential for a rebuilt 3:55 made that auto trans cherp the tires, rebuilt the trailing arms, heavy duty rear cover one bolt was broke, reused the glass spring, new shocks, bushings etc. 120,000 was on the odometer and title, probably original rear suspension except spring. Oh also heavy duty strut rods. Neighborhood buddy with much more mechanical skills than me, helped me tear it down and reassemble. Oh also installed all new brakes then too, stainless steel lines, rotors, calipers, stainless hoses, manual master cylinder, proportion valve. I was fortunate that the frame, birdcage and body was in very decent shape, again not knowing about frame issues then.

[@arnoldj.rimmer812]

If you are going to go to the trouble of removing the differential rear cover, I would suggest replacing it with a heavy duty cover. The heavy duty cover has more meat where the spring bolts attach. It is not uncommon to see cracks where the bolts attach on the stock units. Also, I would replace the steel spring with a fibreglass replacement. They are available in different spring rates from soft to very firm, makes a huge improvement in both ride and handling, not to mention that the fibreglass spring is much lighter, 8 lbs vs 40 lbs for the steel spring. The fibreglass springs last almost indefinitely compared to the steel springs which have a tendency to fatigue over time, that's one of the reasons why you sometimes see C3 Vettes cruising down the road with the rear wheels canted in at the top.

[@jimh.5286]

I put a heavy duty diff. cover on my '73, along with a fiberglass spring. The fiberglass spring has less movement drag than a multi-leaf steel spring, so the car was a little bouncy-bouncy (even with new stock shocks). I solved that with a couple Koni adjustable shocks. Now very smooth and compliant. Love it.

[@gruberstein]

@@jimh.5286 I was gonna say KYB gas adjust shocks worked wonders on my 71 with fiberglass spring. Much nicer ride.

[@MrRocky1405]

Well done with easy to follow narrative - as usual! 8-)

[@resurrectionmotors2421]

Hello Ben, enjoyed today's video and Tech tips, hope you and yours are doing well with this virus me and my family a good prayer for you God bless

[@tcwascawy1]

Criminies! Beautiful work, the "right of Spring"!

[@321CatboxWA]

@5:36 "And see what it looks like when we get it down " already it's unhappy . @8:07 now it's very sad. Thanks for sharing . well done . nice camera.

[@rogerlee3941]

Man! I was holding my breath on that one!

[@LyndseyMacPherson]

I guess I didn't realise leaf springs were still being used that late in US car manufacture. What a fun peek into this fix. Can't wait to see more!

[@georgemattar1182]

I have owned two C3 cars and worked on numerous others. Thus guy had to deaf. No way he couldn't hear that. Great videos Ben.

[@morgandollar7146]

About 20 years ago the leaf spring on my 1975 Corvette let go. I drove it two miles to a gas station and left a gouge in the road. I replaced it with a fiberglass one. Still have the car.

[@trickyricky12147]

At least it doesn't look bad cosmetic wise. Job well done!

[@geoffquinn3109]

Another great vid corvette.

[@stevediduck9963]

Ben,, don't know who is to blame but thank god you caught this before someone got killed or severely injured. I held my breath while you got those leafs out without getting hurt yourself. I just can't believe the owner could let something go that long. Unbelievable.

[@arizonaguy7574]

7:10 The multi use hammer... It can build a house, it can fix your car and attachments are coming to make Julienne fries!! :)

[@larryh9933]

you need to make more videos on this car repair

[@jonlowing7907]

That's the first time I've seen a rear suspension setup like that on a modern-ish vehicle. I've seen front springs oriented similarly on vintage trucks and tractors but not at the rear. I would have liked to see the repair outcome.

[@winstonwong3326]

Drill a small pilot hole for EZ outs for the deep bolts. Use a hand rotary cutter and grind a 3/32” wide slot and impact wrench the flush broken studs out.

[@dcallan812]

Not a great setup. Good job someone found it before the spring sprang.

[@saxongreen78]

A good shop woulda refused to work on it until the owner approved the spring repair...scary stuff.

[@michaelstratton6701]

That's one of the first things I fixed on my c3, although mine wasn't that severe

[@pfdrtom]

Hey, Ben, how's it going? SerpentZA sent me to say hi and thanks! Just subbed you!

[@tomaasen2657]

I also exprienced that the bolts were broken on the rear spring. The car had scratched the ground with the body (I didn't see it when I bought the car). Check for more damages on your car.

[@JerkingwithJesus]

ive gotten out deeper snapped off bolts that go into the chassis. but i am Canadian and we deal with a whole lot hard to deal with problems than any American person has ever dealt with when it comes to cars and problems like this

[@aboutmyfathersbusiness8324]

The stock differential cover lower tabs tend to break off as well. I thought that was what happened. I would suggest to the owner a "heavy duty" aftermarket cover. Put one on 25 years ago after my tabs snapped and have never looked back. P.S. dont forget the limited slip additive haha

[@angelonicassio7131]

Cool.

[@CravingClassics]

That broken center bolt is probably why it stayed in place as long as it did. Lucky guy

[@lenscap8925]

Couple of big "C" clamps would have kept the leaves together, there are some rebuild leaf spring videos on YT to watch...stay safe

[@jayyoung5423]

I bought my first c3 at 21, a 1968 converitable. I learned that car top to bottom. Replaced my own rear spring, strut rods, bushings and so on ...this after hours of research....what happened here was a hack with no clue, sold a car a risked someone's life, unbelievable.

[@michealrobinson]

Wow! That's scary! A piece of that thing could have flown off and into someone's windshield!

[@e.z.hernandez6378]

Center drill with a cobalt or carbide drillbit then a really good easy out.

[@yasser_khouader]

this reminds of that sound " time to do some sketchy shit and hope i can get away with it"

[@Beandiptheredneck]

That’s just insane. How did no one look at that and think that doesn’t look right

[@donhenderson5100]

Good find and great info. Yes, I would consider upgrade to 1pc spring. Is this a '79?

[@jimh.5286]

On my C3 the bolts weren't broken or missing, but the mounting ears were broken off the differential cover. Prob. solved with a new, beefed-up cover.

[@dldrc1871]

My 80 had all the bolts broken off too

[@mikeypl1957]

YIKES!

[@daviddeming5179]

Ben.! Can you do a vid on installing a Sidepipe Exhaust system on C3's? I have a 79 l82 4speed car with long tube hooker headers and need to know what the right system would be to install.

[@FloridaClay]

Scary!

[@jeromestcharles7680]

I found 4 bolts to the strut rods bracket on the differential gone. Dang

[@paulc4213]

Heavy duty rear cover and fiberglass spring

[@318overwatch9]

And that ladies and gentlemen, is what doing burnouts that have alot of wheel hop will do. Yikes, that was disaster just poised to happen.

[@johnmilner7603]

I would have used a bunch of C clamps to hold all the leafs together or even chains with nuts and bolts.

[@MM-fq3ys]

Nice! Well now that you’re into it, might as well do it all! No sense in putting any of that back together without changing the rear diff oil, gaskets, r&r those broken bolts or replace the rear diff cover, rebuild the rear spring, put it back in place with all the rear bolts, ubolts, etc and replace all the rear rubber on the links and do a rear camber alignment. Hoorah!

[@winstonwong3326]

Michael Marks need to lube the rear wheel joints too

[@conradkenneth5216]

Greetings from the international space station!

[@MechamMachoTA]

Exact thing happened to my 78 Vette on the road. The bolts all sheared off. Had to tow it home. How common is that and what is the cause? I was lucky and able to get all 4 of the broken bolt remains out by using a reverse drill bit. They came out very easy.

[@lancewilcox3944]

How do you recommend torquing down the 4 spring bolts on a 79.thanks

[@AncientAudiophile]

My guess is that these bolts were tightened at the last brake/suspension repair. Too much torque and the bolts stretched and finally broke. It is very easy to overtorque the bolts with pneumatic tools.

[@thx113868]

Are you in a new garage? Nice lift.

[@johnwaddell4107]

Just a suggestion but would two u bolts bolted around the spring have been safer?

[@OutontheRanchwithDrLee-xb4lo]

Ben.... How necessary is the jack/brace under the nose? Do you do that every time? I must have been lucky; never done that...

[@TheCorvetteBen]

Better safe than sorry, especially with the differential coming out

[@OutontheRanchwithDrLee-xb4lo]

@@TheCorvetteBen Gotcha! Thanks....is there any way to tack-weld a rod onto the broken bolts in the diff, and unscrew them from below? Or are they broken off too short?

[@TheCorvetteBen]

They are broken off inside the hole, meaning you can't weld anything to them

[@OutontheRanchwithDrLee-xb4lo]

TheCorvetteBen oh well, at least it will be good content for your channel ! Lol

[@aboutmyfathersbusiness8324]

I think it would take alot to flip that car on its nose...

[@zeth15943]

Weld a nut to the broken bolt works every time

[@TheCorvetteBen]

Hard to do when the bolts are recessed into the holes

[@philipstreechon4523]

Hi do they have motor vehicle inspection in Texas

[@rontex1234]

I'm a bit surprised you felt the need to jack up the second side since all the pressure was off the spring by that time,,,,,,

[@TheCorvetteBen]

You are right but it was habit really

[@davebutler2776]

C3 needs the fiberglass spring rides and handles better

[@howardscott7521]

At least the ears are still on the diff. I've seen a few broken ones. Not fun...

[@jeffreyhaynes5774]

Chain the leaf spring to the rear end.

[@stereolababy]

ben needs a ratcheting wrench

[@junkorbust9498]

Easier and cheaper to visit the parts department out back.

[@WanderingSeneca]

The big question is who put new exhaust on that thing and didn't notice the jacket up spring?

[@stuartclarke6079]

Try easy out ( some type of tool that freads into the broken bolt)

[@benfrowd4123]

Hey Ben, really enjoy your videos, I'm trying to buy a vett to bring to Australia. I'm currently on a thin budget because I'm only 22 but that's growing slowing every day. I was trying to get one off Hotmusclecars.com is this website known for scams, cause after a while I realise the vett was listed multiple times in different states, cheers. Keep up the good videos

[@roadwarrior1450]

No Spring Sprang because Spring Sprung

[@jeffkuipers1030]

i all ways wanted a c3 vette but the wife said no so i have to keep a happy wife.

[@paulmoss7940]

My ol lady said the same thing.I don't miss her,Love my vette.

[@bullieboi]

Hey, I am first!

[@andyzamone5578]

You should have kept that Oldsmobile...

[@TheCorvetteBen]

I can always buy another

[@steves4639]

back with a fiberglass monoleaf?

[@SIERRA-dx9wm]

Believe you can save 30 lbs. over the steel ones.

[@winstonwong3326]

I think the mounting is slightly different.

[@SIERRA-dx9wm]

@@winstonwong3326 Yea some, Save 32 lbs and come in three spring rates. Can be quite a bit more costly.

[@stevedouglas5443]

Why can't you get t broken bolts by drilling, or easy out without removing the differential?

[@TheCorvetteBen]

You could BUT the newer covers have a more heavy duty design. Also it'll take much less time to swap covers than drill holes

[@Guitarmanjhc1]

Dangerous is right. Why didn't the owner know about this issue? , is that why he brought it to you?

[@13garage._]

Wouldn't it be easier , if you took off the exhaust?

[@TheCorvetteBen]

It might be but it's welded all the way back which means I'd have to cut it

[@13garage._]

@@TheCorvetteBen welded. Wow unheard backyard technologies .

[@genegeneish]

Not a big deal. Someone did not know how to take apart and snapped bolts. Only needs a new cover and bolts. Ask me how i know. C3s are not that difficult to work on.

[@jacklyons2557]

That was slap terrifying from start to finish. What could go wrong with unmoored leaf springs under tension? You should have at least told us how long it took you to go from "that's not right?" to "Holy SHIT!" All the ways this car could have gone fatally wrong and it ends up with you. OK, so maybe there is a god . . . .

[@TheCorvetteBen]

That was what happened when the customer brought it over to look at a squeak

[@jacklyons2557]

@@TheCorvetteBen Some squeak. Got to wonder what kind of collision -- and how it happened -- that sheared the bolts. Blame it on a PO? I'm telling you, I got some religion . . . .

[@TheCorvetteBen]

The differential has been rebuilt. My guess is the dude who did it torqued the leaf spring bolts with an impact gun. That weakened them so they snapped eventually

[@SIERRA-dx9wm]

Former mechanic must have been a drunk, Don't worry about the noise, it will be fine. Now pay me and go away.

[@reptilian6413]

wow am i the 1st post lol