Lower control arm/axle bolts

Discussion in 'Chassis restoration' started by BrianTrick, Sep 23, 2019.

  1. BrianTrick

    BrianTrick Brian Trick

    8A69BFB1-A00B-45B0-964A-A077BBCD5BDD.jpeg FAF484ED-5860-4F8A-8EA5-6E2929A1CB16.jpeg In all my years of doing this,I don’t ever remember seeing bolts like this. An original,unmolested 71 GS chassis had these 2 bolts,one on each side,where the lower control arm bolts to the axle. Has anyone ever seen bolts with a head like this?
     
  2. Matt Knutson

    Matt Knutson Well-Known Member

    I have not. The ones that came on my '71GS455 were the more common/ normal ones. Is your car Flint or ??
     
  3. Duane

    Duane Member

    They are the "72 style" and are all over around here. Is your car a late 71, and was it by chance made in Framingham Mass?
    Duane
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2019
  4. bignastyGS

    bignastyGS Maggot pilot

    I have seen one set on a completely stock late built 71 GS 350 car,but they were in similar condition It was a Framingham car like Duane asked..All of the other cars we parted had the standard looking bolts though..
     
  5. BrianTrick

    BrianTrick Brian Trick

    I can get the date off the frame.
     
  6. UNDERDOG350

    UNDERDOG350 350 Buick purestock racer

    My Flint built car has similar bolts on the front control arms. They looked like a torx bit. I'll try to get photos.
     
  7. gstewart

    gstewart Well-Known Member

    Those bolts were not on my '72 GS when we dismantled the suspension hardware. By looking at the rubber bushings & rust on the bolts, the bolts appeared to be orig. ???
     
  8. BrianTrick

    BrianTrick Brian Trick

    They are definitely original. This chassis still had the original spiral shocks with the original shock bolts that some of you were looking for.
     
  9. Duane

    Duane Member

    They are actually a hex head bolt with a smaller hex head on the end.

    You guys are finding all my secrets.:D
    Duane
     
  10. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    Yea I was gonna rob them off but,....that's actually a 72 chassis btw
     
  11. UNDERDOG350

    UNDERDOG350 350 Buick purestock racer

    These are on the front of my March built Flint car.

    Explain these!!!!

    969.JPG
     
  12. Duane

    Duane Member

    Wow that's even a different bolt. Never saw them before.

    For 70-72 A-bodies
    The "home plant" for the Philadelphia area is Framingham Mass, so unless it was a convert., Stage 1 or GSX, all the cars here came from there. The bolts I have seen would be off the 72 Framingham cars.

    Flint cars often use different nuts/bolts then other GMAD plants, so maybe that is what is going on here.

    It's a matter of jurisdiction, Buick ran the Flint plant, while GMAD ran the other plants, and each bought the parts/fasteners they wanted.
    Duane
     
  13. 1972 Stage 1

    1972 Stage 1 Well-Known Member

    My 72 Stage1 was built in Flint and has the smaller hex head bolts like the ones Brian posted.
     
  14. 12lives

    12lives Control the controllable, let the rest go

    Duane - When did GMAD (General Motors Assembly Division) take over the other Buick plants? I heard they started in Ohio in 1968 at the Vega plant.
     
  15. TimR

    TimR Nutcase at large

    Neither my convertible (flint) or either of the two 72 GS cars I parted (one flint, one fremont) had those style bolts, just the regular style...
     
  16. gsgnnut

    gsgnnut Well-Known Member

    Dismantled a lot of untouched 70 thru 72 cars many were Framingham cars and never seen those before.
     

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