Hey there Third-Geners, greetings form Australia

Before anyone has a go at me, yes... I've looked. I've looked a lot; Youtube video's, internet searches, manuals and TGO. I read a lot on here and rarely post but this is not a common problem so no, I can't find the answer to my question, so I need to ask. You guys (and girls) might even find this interesting for the fact that it's unusual.

I need a specific piece of info about the sway bar/idler arm bracket on these cars. I'll try to keep this short but it's a bit fiddley so I'll give some info on the car. I have an '86 Z28, it was converted to RHD by 'Superior Auto Centre' in '89 (I can't find a trace of this business now) so it's been a RHD car for most of it's life. It's been in the family for the past 15 or so years.

I'm in the middle of doing a big time front end rebuild and I've hit (another) problem... Being RHD (it complicates things, and...) a few things had to be fabricated/butchered to do the job. The old steering box was removed and a plate was fabbed (crudely) to replicate the Idler arm bracket, to which the idler arm bolts. It's bolted to the frame rail using the three stock mounting holes that I assume were the mounting points for the old steering box. The plate is separate from the LH sway bar bracket, which operates just fine as it would on any LHD car.

On the opposite side is the RHD steering box. Two large metal plates have been welded to the frame rail (inside and out), holes have been drilled through the plates/frame rail and the steering box is bolted on. Directly underneath the steering box is whats left of the old sway bar/idler arm bracket, this is where it gets interesting and I have to go into more detail...

Because the of the conversion and the placement of the steering box, the sway bar/idler bracket has been cut down to fit. It's essentially just the flat piece at the bottom that has the four mounting holes; the two for the bracket-to-frame rail and the two for the sway bar-to-bracket. The bracket is still bolted to the frame rail from underneath BUT, it's also been welded on!! (yay) I assume for added strength. It's only a small portion of weld and it looks like they've recycled part of the original bracket to make it work. It's not welded on on the underside at all, just on the front facing edge by a small triangular piece of material to the steel plate on the frame rail. This would be fine, except now that I'm ready to install new sway bars I've realised that the threads in the bracket are all but completely stripped out.. I can't get it off without taking to it with a grinder!! I don't actually even know how the old sway bar mount was still hanging on to the bracket...

I know this bracket, in original form, is a bolt on piece because I've been looking at them on ebay. (I even found one off an '86 Z28!) So I know it bolts to the frame rail underneath by two bolts but I can't tell if it bolts to the body by the top idler arm bolt or if that bolt simply holds the idler arm to the bracket?? So this leads me to an important question... Does the top idler arm bolt fasten the sway bar/idler arm bracket to the body AS WELL as hold the idler arm to the bracket or does it just bolt the idler arm to the bracket...?? I'm guessing the top bolt does help hold the bracket to the car as well as the idler arm (I know the bottom one just bolts to the idler arm) but I'm kinda hoping it doesn't because that means I can just replace the bracket and bolt a new on on with good threads (even though it'll take some cutting/grinding). Either that or I'll have to drill the old holes out and cut new, bigger threads for new, bigger bolts but I'd rather not do that if I don't have to. That top bolts role governs my next move so I need to know for sure.

Sorry for writing a novel but I always figure it's best to give more detail than less. It's a different animal working on a RHD version of this car, each conversion is different with different problems.

If someone could clear this up for me it would be greatly appreciated. If I could get a look under the hood of a LHD third gen it'd be really easy but that's not likely over here.

Cheers.

 

The idler arm bolts go through the bracket all the way through the frame/body. The bolt heads are accessed through a hole in the right wheel well in a LHD car.

 

these pics help?

 

Hey guys thanks for the reply's and photo's... I'm still not sure from those photo's if that top idler arm bolt is up against the back of the idler bracket or something inside the frame rail that clamps the whole assembly together at the top, it would make sense that it does though... could anyone snap me a shot looking through the access hole in the wheel well to the idler arm bolts...? The plates that reinforce the rail for the steering box on mine has covered that hole over so can see inside it. At this point I'm thinking I'll have to go to the bolt shop, get bigger bolts and drill and re-tap the holes... I don't see much of a way around it... That will get me out of trouble for now...

Thanks for your help...

N