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Help needed with diff spacers?

4K views 24 replies 6 participants last post by  MDBlackChevyZ85 
#1 ·
Hey guys! I'm working on getting a set of spacers, and figured I would drop the bolts out of the front diff mounts, and wait for the spacers, and the new half shaft to come... or so I thought.

The Problem: I started loosening the bolts, and one appears to have a nut inside the boxed frame, with no apparent way in with a wrench. Is this the same on everyone elses, or did the welds brake off a nut welded to the frame?

HELP!!

Thanks.

***anyone response with a tech diagram would be most appreciated.***
 
#7 ·
Yeah, I've got an old buzz box stick welder at the house.

More so can you access the nut? Get a vice grips on it? Or get a wire welder in there?
The answer is most likely no on all of those. I was using a pry bar and leverage earlier just to try to get the bolt out once it started spinning on me.

I can see the nut through a nickle size hole in the frame. I wonder if this counts as "rust through" under the warranty section.. Can you say new frame??! Never happen though, given my past experiences with Chevy warranty plan. I guess driving through all of those flooded roads back in the day wasn't such a hot idea after all.... oops!

With low light and rainy weather, maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow.
 
#9 ·
Sounds like a plan, but with my welding talents, I will likely just weld the bolt to the nut...haha.

I think I will likely try the other three tomorrow after it stops raining, and then let the weight of the differential pull on it for friction. At least the bolt threads aren't all rusted up tight.
 
#14 ·
only way to do it right is going to be to cut holes in the frame and better weld the nuts in place. they must have tack welded them on a friday afternoon before a long weekend...that bad. i knew i couldnt be the only one.
 
#16 ·
Yeah I was thinking cut a hole with a hole saw/die grinder/sawzall, weld the nut fast, and then weld a patch over the hole.

Well they got a welder in there and a arc welder would be the easiest to get in there and hit a tack on it but I like mig welding cause it is easier to start the bead and can run a bead without running out of rod lol
The nuts may have been welded in place before the two halves of the frame were boxed together and welded.
 
#17 ·
Take a screwdriver in there and try knocking some more paint off around the nut so you can make contact easier. I also like to take the tip of the welding rod and give it a slight whack on the ground to take a bit of the welding rod shielding coating.
 
#18 ·
These are all great ideas guys! Thanks when I get the diff down and actually get some of the work done I will snap some pictures as to what I did and how it worked out.

Anyone know where I can get a M14 x 5 in long bolt to replace the stock one that will be about a 1/4" short with 1" the diff drop? Or what the pitch is on M14 the bolt?
 
#21 ·
Okay guys got everything worked out with a little from family. Installed 3/4" spacers, and used the stock bolts so I didn't have to buy any news ones. Diff drop done, and new half shaft installed. Everything was going well for the first couple of trips out. I took it for a drive through the country side today, and came home to find a new collection of inner half shaft grease all over the newly cleaned and painted parts. Front height on the truck is at center line of axle to fender flare bottom is 39.5" and the back is at 39" at center line of the same. The tires I am running on a set of 15x8 Outlaw II rims are 175/75 R15. Can anyone help me with a stock height for a 06 Z85 LT for comparison to see just how far up the @$$hole mechanic at the lift shop cranked my torsion bars?
 
#22 · (Edited)
Holy crap I just went out and measured my stock 2011 z71 and it's 21.5" from the center of the hub to the bottom of the flare and 22" in the back

And maybe I was reading where your measuring from so I went back out and got 36.25 from the ground up to the bottom of the flare on my all stock truck
 
#24 ·
Okay, thanks for the info. I will get the pics loaded up tomorrow, but I found this post and my tire size is about 3/8" smaller than his. Apparently the mechanic ran my tb's all the way up, because I must be about a 4" lift in the front. With the money spent at this point on the kit, mounting and repairs, I would have been better to just buy the higher lift kit with all the extra pieces from Skyjacker

~T


Ok, I understand now. Sorry for the confusion. The attached pic shows the location.
Since you aren't installing the SM keys yet and are only cranking the torsion bars enough to level the front, you shouldn't need to worry about the bump stops.

You can leave the hellwigs on if you want.

Stock height in front for a Z71 with stock size tires is 35.5" - 36" measured from the ground thru the center of the wheel to the bottom of the fender. For a Z85 it would be about 34.5" to 35.5".
 
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