xSSelerate

Just wondering if I can use ramps to do this, or is a floor jack and stands required?

Hawk

Good question, I was going to do my rears this weekend but I was going to use 4 jack stands. 2 for the body and 2 for the axle. I was thinking that if you use ramps the body could move and make it harder to line the lca's with the bolt holes. Anybody know?

xssive

iTrader: (123)

With the LCA's you are supposed to install them with the rear end unloaded. Just use 2 jackstands to support the rear body , and a jack under the rear end to help maneauver it up to the lca's when reinstalling. Tighten the bolts with the rear end loaded or jack up to normal ride height.

xSSelerate

Everyone on LS1.com is saying that you can't do it with ramps, but the guy from installuniversity.com just emailed me and said you could with no problem (so long as you do one at a time and replace each one as soon as you take it off).

So now I am really confused. <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">

Red2000SS

[quote]Originally posted by xSSelerate:
<strong>Everyone on LS1.com is saying that you can't do it with ramps, but the guy from installuniversity.com just emailed me and said you could with no problem (so long as you do one at a time and replace each one as soon as you take it off).

So now I am really confused. <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0"> </strong><hr></blockquote>

I just installed mine on ramps 2 night ago. So yes you can do it. I'm not sure what the problem is supposed to be... I assume maybe it is that the rearend may shift around some, and with the weight of the car on the rear axle, it could be hard to budge anything into proper position to get the bolts holes to line up perfect.

I also jacked up the front end and supported it so it was almost as high as the rear - my car was basically level, just raised about 6 inches or so.
I had no problem lining everything up. Make sure you do one at a time - unbolt one & replace it before doing the other one. Drivers side fit perfect - hold up the new one & slide the bolts in. Passenger side was maybe 1/16" off of being perfectly aligned, so I grabbed a 36" quick grip bar clamp I had and used it to pull everything into perfect alignment.

One other anomaly I ran into is that my Helms manual states that the bolts should be installed facing outward - bolt heads on the inside, nuts on the outside of the car - well mine came factory installed from GM the other way <img src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" border="0">

I put mine back the same way they came from the factory, but I can't see how it would make much of a difference.

The Helms manual make a point of saying that it is important to tighten the bolts only when the suspension is at curb height, so if you support the vehicle by the frame, you're supposed to put a jack under the differential and raise it to where the suspension is at normal curb height postion before torquing the bolts. If you support the vehicle by ramps under the rear tires, the suspension is at normal curb height. I think the only issue is that if the rear end shifts at all you might have a hard time lining everthing up. I didn't find it to be a problem. The bar clamp I used worked great. I do have a large assortment of hammers in my garage, up to and including a 16 lb. sledge that I didn't even have to use <img src="graemlins/gr_judge.gif" border="0" alt="[judgement]" /> <img src="graemlins/gr_judge.gif" border="0" alt="[judgement]" /> <img src="graemlins/gr_judge.gif" border="0" alt="[judgement]" /> LOL

<img src="graemlins/fluffy.gif" border="0" alt="[Fluffy]" />

AAron

i did it on my car i had no problems but on my friends car they came out of alignment <img src="gr_emb.gif" border="0"> but a little muscle and i got them on <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">