1973 Camaro Type LT

Front Subframe and Suspension Disassembly (June 13, 2006)

This page documents the removal of the front subframe and the disassembly of the front suspension. When I removed the front subframe, I noticed that the front crossmember was dented and cracked on the bottom. I also noticed that the subframe would not sit level on the jackstands. I then went and banged the dent out of the crossmember and beat it back into place. Once this was completed, the frame sat level on the jackstands. I still have to clean the subframe and repair the front body mount holes. I also have to clean the control arms and install bushings and ball joints. I also need to clean the spindles and modify them for the 97-04 Corvette (C5) brake upgrade.

Status photos as of 6/13/2006:

Here are pictures of the subframe with the engine and some of the steering linkage removed.


Here are a couple of shots of the engine after it was pulled from the subframe.

Here are some shots of the subframe stripped of everything. It still needs a thorough cleaning. There is 30+ years of grease and road grime on it.

Here is a shot of the damaged crossmember. It looks like it took some shots over the years. I have since banged the dent out and straightened the crossmember.

Here are some pictures of the front body mounting holes. These are rusted and will need new metal welded in.

Here is the subframe sitting on a set of jack stands. The subframe sits level in these pictures because I banged out the crossmember damage. Fixing the crossmember damage require some persuasion from a 10 pound sledgehammer and a big pry bar. I still need to weld the area back up.

Here are some pictures of the control arms. The first picture shows them with ball joints and bushings still installed. The second two pictures shows them both stripped of ball joints and bushings. You can also see that the upper arms are partially cleaned and nearly ready for POR15. As a scary side note, the lower ball joints popped out with a hit of a hammer. I think I need to replace them with the oversized replacement ball joints when the time comes.

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