Upper control arm ?

Red 409 63 impala

Well Known Member
My latest screwup!!! The upper control arm shaft I installed looks wrong on the passenger side. When I I try install the shock the upper shock bolt is hitting the upper control arm shaft. It appears the shock bolt is not coming out in the section where the mount opening is the highest. I have not tried the driver side yet. The left and right side shafts are the same part number. I am thinking maybe I have to reverse the shafts in the control arm. If someone could shoot a picture I could compare it.
thanks.10D8712E-15DE-410F-9B3B-6893A90D416F.jpeg0990C809-9663-4AE3-BDAA-F621C219D3EF.jpeg0990C809-9663-4AE3-BDAA-F621C219D3EF.jpeg
 

Red 409 63 impala

Well Known Member
Another thing I noticed was the supports were not symmetrical. Mine have the longer side toward the front, placing the control arm closer in the rear. The assembly manual is not clear if this is correct.
 

ragtp66

Well Known Member
The distance from the hole in the shaft where it attaches to the frame to the end of the shaft is different. I cant remember if the shorter goes to the front or toward the firewall. The back of the control arm will hit the top of the frame if they are installed wrong. ASK me how I know :facepalm and yes you are correct the service manual mentions nothing about it.
 

Junky

Well Known Member
Be very careful not to even slightly bend the ears, because if you do, the rubber bushings will wear out more quickly, and will squeak with every bump. Also, if you are doing the uppers, might as well do the lowers, and save having to do the alignment twice.
 

Red 409 63 impala

Well Known Member
Problem continues..I purchased KYB 4550 gas shocks..cannot get them to bolt in. The bottom mounting is at an angle so the bolts will not line up. Thought I could just move it with vice grips, but will not move. Had to put back the old ones. As in the pictures they hit the support shafts. Every thing Looks correct, but shock top bolt still hitting support shaft. I did notice in the pictures from BSL409 there are some washers between the support shaft and frame mounting bolts.1BE4B72F-FBFC-47D8-A104-64F301DBA76A.jpegD24B8FD9-4C80-45C8-81F0-A0FAA765B3C8.jpegD24B8FD9-4C80-45C8-81F0-A0FAA765B3C8.jpeg1BE4B72F-FBFC-47D8-A104-64F301DBA76A.jpegD24B8FD9-4C80-45C8-81F0-A0FAA765B3C8.jpegD24B8FD9-4C80-45C8-81F0-A0FAA765B3C8.jpeg
 

Jim Sullivan

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
:yupThe correct front shocks only have a stud that comes up through the frame hole and is bolted solid. The rubber bushings are encased in a steel shell and is not visible when installed. I just replaced the shocks on my four door, and the only reasonably priced shocks I found that were correct, were Monroe's. I wanted to use KYBs, but they had the newer style mounting bushings like yours and the frame hole would need to drilled larger.
 

ragtp66

Well Known Member
:yupThe correct front shocks only have a stud that comes up through the frame hole and is bolted solid. The rubber bushings are encased in a steel shell and is not visible when installed. I just replaced the shocks on my four door, and the only reasonably priced shocks I found that were correct, were Monroe's. I wanted to use KYBs, but they had the newer style mounting bushings like yours and the frame hole would need to drilled larger.

I agree with JIM went through same mess. BOTH front and rears are not correct. The Monroes are exactly the same dimensions as the originals. The rears were too long and the fronts were nowhere close to right on the KYB's . They should look like these.blob:null/cb4d11d4-1a23-42eb-bb97-824fa3ebd56c
 

pvs409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 11
As stated above by Jim, Factory style front shocks do not have a rubber bushing on the top of the a frame( the end of the shock stud is only about 1 to 1 1/2 inches above the surface of the a frame).
Also as stated the upper shock mounting is steel to steel for under the a frame mounting hole. I recall that Monroe shocks have the correct mounting on the all the 61 to 63 restorations I have done, as noted here.
 

Red 409 63 impala

Well Known Member
Again you guys bailed me out. Not one supplier that sells KYB shockes mentions anything about the shocks not fitting correctly. Spent a few hours trying to figure out what I did wrong. I was going to buy Monroe (cheaper) but heard good things about KYB shocks...Oh well.....
 

Junky

Well Known Member
I looked at the part of the shock that sticks out the top of the upper control arm today, and noticed that there was no rubber bushing either. I have no idea what brand they are. Will check that out, when I get around to replacing the lower control arm bushings this winter.
 

Red 409 63 impala

Well Known Member
How can a company like KYB sell an item that is wrong for a particular application. There are enough Chevrolet’s out there to not do this. I have ordered Monroe shocks that are supposed to fit correctly.....We will see.
 

Red 409 63 impala

Well Known Member
I jumped the gun about the shocks. Should have checked the assembly manual. It shows the shocks being installed with just a lock washer and a nut on the top of the upper mounting. Now how can some shocks be sold that. Are completely wrong.
 
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