I somehow left some bolts out of the volare suspension under my 56. Now that the suspension is otherwise together and the front fenders are on the bolts are difficult if not inpossible to put in. There are four bolts per side that hold the part on that is located beneath the upper cnntrol arms. The part has the hole in it for the upper end of the shock to stick through. I put the two lower bolts on each side in but not the two upper ones on each side.It looks like I might have to seperate the upper ball joints from the spindles to raise the control arms to get the bolts in. If so the front fenders will have to be removed. I always check and recheck everything before the first drive ,I just wish I had checked the front suspension a little sooner. Thanks .

 

Well that stinks, thought these sort of things only happen to me. Always too eager to get it on the road.

 

Stuff happens. You need not sep the ball joint. Just remove the two alignment adjustment bolts and let the upper control arm slide outward away from the inner fender then swing it around and out of the way. Then the 4 bolts that hold the "hat" to the chassis are very accessible from under the outer fender. I did this to re-paint a hat and removed only the tire/wheel assembly. All this is assuming that your inner fenders are trimmed with normal clearances to allow movement of the arms during normal up/down travel.
Jon

 

Jon, You appear knowledgeble about Volare clips, and I have 0 experience with them so I'll ask you, I intend to replace all that is replaceable on the Cordoba clip under my '55 prior to installing Fatman 2" dropped spindles. a-arm bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, etc... All of it. Prolly Energy Suspension. Is it a huge job? I am reasonable mechanic with all tools. Thanks.

 

Jim, I am far from an expert on Volare as it is my first and it is a different set up than the Cordoba. However, I just use my past experience from my past life as front end/brake mechanic. I actually prefer the Cordoba over the Volare but Gibbon was shutting down as I was starting my build. I believe the Cordoba to be an easier rebuild as well. You must always start by getting a drawing. I would remind you to relieve the tension on the torsion bars before anything or it wont come apart. Then mark the location of the bar in the socket that rests in. The rest is like most ball joint equipped car. You will need the typical tools plus a ball joint separator ( pickle fork) and the tie rod remover tool as well. Start at the grease (dust) cap and work you way in toward the center of the truck and lay out the parts as you remove them. If you have never done this type of work before, then just do one side at a time and copt it to re-assemble. Nothing there should be intimidating, just apply common sense and take your time. Use safety equipment and always work with jack stands under the chassis so the A-Arms hang down. When you get started, do not fail to ask for more help on a step by step basis and you wont be overwhelmed. We will be here. I loved chassis work as it paid well and I enjoyed it. The parts suppliers also loan the specialty tools at no cost. So...get started and have fun.
Jon

 

Thanks for all the input. I actually was able to get the right side in by removing the wheel and tire with the jack under the lower control arm. I had to back off the two lower bolts that hold the hat on to align the upper holes. This evening I plan to tackle the left side.Thanks again.

 

Glad to help, that's why we're here. Glad to hear all worked out for you..
Jon

 

Welcome to rebuilding your own truck. It is very common for most of us to see the need to disassemble something at least once before we get it right. I've even had the unfortunate situation of disassembling something only to find out that it was right the first time. Good luck, John

 

thanks Jon.