Help! Removal of rear leafs on '68 Camaro

[BuddyP]

Started to pull out the rear end leafs out of the '68 Camaro, but ran into a problem with the front leaf bolts. The 3 bolts on each side that hold on the steel bracket that houses the leaf spring are giving me fits. 5 of the 6 nuts (that are attached to a metal clip) broke while trying to unscrew the bolts. 4 of those 5 nuts are unable to get to. So I guess my question is not so much how to get the bolts out (since I can just cut the bolts off), but how do I put fresh ones back in? Do I have to tear up the floor just to get at those nut brackets??

[importkiller69ss]

try to support the leafs so they cant fall along with the rear and get a pry bar and pry down on the eye braket..the part with the 3 bolts this will pull it down so get pressure on those bolts and will pull them out...i had the same problem....be sure to get new ones with the clips

[shmoov69]

I had the same problems. I ended up having to drill holes above them in the floor to get them out since I had no real tools to chisel the heads off.
Get new J clips for the new bolts and be sure to get the GOOD J clips and not the junk ones that just have a nut swedged in it that will break off (like yours!) when they get the slightest bit corroded.

[baz67]

No. Once you get the bracket out you will see the access holes to get at the bolts. Here is a not so good pic. If you look at the upper left you will see a rectangular hole above the bolt. After you get the braket out you are looking for three of these and that is where you gain access.

[ahowudoin]

i would like to know where you can get the good j clips. I got some from classic industries that were listed in the catalog for this and they were total crap. You start to tighten them down and they would break.i checked with a paint and auto fastner shop up the street with no luckI took some grade 8 bolts and washers and dropped in the holes pointing down and then put the springs and nuts on.

[importkiller69ss]

the ones i got came with my hotchkis springs and they are really good

[6'9"Witha69]

the ones i got came with my hotchkis springs and they are really good

You must have bought them a few years ago. My buddy stole mine and when I called Hotchkis about where to get them they said they use the CI type ones. : (

[73novaguy]

I ran into the same problem on the Nova (same setup) and when I got the Hotchkis kit, the clips they provided were nice and thick. Had to trim just a 1/16 off from where the clips attach because the new ones didn't seem to go on far enough to get a bolt straight. Also had to perform some voodoo magic with a screwdriver to hold the tabs down otherwise they would go part way on and pop up.

[Steve Chryssos]

It's a common problem. When all else fails, you must very carefully cut the heads off the bolts to get the spring and front hanger off. Then you will be able to easily remove the clip nuts. I used a wiz wheel (which requires an air compressor. Rick's First Gen sells good replacement clip nuts. If you accidentally hack the hangers while removing the bolt heads, be sure to replace them as well.