Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Starting my front end suspension today on the Convertiable

dashboard · 2K+ Club

Hope that works well for you Jim. I would not start until every component has arrived, been inspected and is on your work bench.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Everything is out. Now to remove the bushings and send the arms and springs to the powder coater. Hope to have them back by January 1. Going to start the unpleasant job of cleaning the undercarriage and steering components. Then I can paint and start to reassemble.

-- Edited by jim larson on Saturday 3rd of December 2022 02:47:02 PM

BLyke · 1K+ Club

Hope it goes well, I'm still debating on doing the front end on my 71.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Knowing what I know from going through the disassembly, I could do it in 1/4 the time.

Lost in the 60s · President

jim larson wrote:
Everything is out. Now to remove the bushings and send the arms and springs to the powder coater. Hope to have them back by January 1. Going to start the unpleasant job of cleaning the undercarriage and steering components. Then I can paint and start to reassemble.

-- Edited by jim larson on Saturday 3rd of December 2022 02:47:02 PM

Have them put tape in the bushing holes, so they don't build up a heavy layer of powder in there. I've had to grind all that out to get new bushings in...

Lost in the 60s · President

BLyke wrote:
Hope it goes well, I'm still debating on doing the front end on my 71.

Perfect January tech session, membership payment, pizza and pot luck dessert event !!

Replacement for the Brunch...

We'll have that front end stripped in NO time. If it's anything like the last time the crew was at my place, your car will be stripped to the bare frame, all the way to the firewall for an engine overhaul too...

-- Edited by Lost in the 60s on Sunday 4th of December 2022 09:57:11 PM

BLyke · 1K+ Club

Lost in the 60s wrote:
BLyke wrote:
Hope it goes well, I'm still debating on doing the front end on my 71.
Perfect January tech session, membership payment, pizza and pot luck dessert event !!
Replacement for the Brunch...
We'll have that front end stripped in NO time. If it's anything like the last time the crew was at my place, your car will be stripped to the bare frame, all the way to the firewall for an engine overhaul too...

-- Edited by Lost in the 60s on Sunday 4th of December 2022 09:57:11 PM

You might be on to something, or you might be on something

Something to ponder, its likely that I live the closest to Karls former place, but the proposed meal will be a big step down

Are you a "Subject matter expert" on the process? I'm just starting to search the web for videos

Lost in the 60s · President

Bruce, if the people involved with other front end rebuilds/replacements come to this, you would have all the help, knowledge, experience and tools you could hope for.
Just Stan alone, has a wealth of experience, along with myself, the C&C rescue team, Bob W and many others.
If this is something you are truly interested in, shoot me a call or a PM and I'll get the ball rolling.
Yes, the meal would be a serious step down, but we WERE rather spoiled by Karl.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Bushings and ball joints out. With the help, garage, and tools from my friend Duane and a former student. I just had to use Duane's parts washer to get things a little clean for the powder coater.

-- Edited by jim larson on Monday 5th of December 2022 12:56:14 PM

Lost in the 60s · President

Nice !! Great to have some tools and help to make this easy. I LIKE that tool he has to prevent the arms from collapsing. I use a piece of exhaust pipe and a similar pulling tool.

dashboard · 2K+ Club

I welded this kit up from 3/16” pipe.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Nice job as ever Kevin. Well parts are off to the Powder Coater. Typical product from China. Cheap low grade bolt to go into the cross shaft. Former student cut off the section that was striped by the nut And welded on a bigger et threaded part and bigger nut to make it work better, though not pretty.

-- Edited by jim larson on Tuesday 6th of December 2022 09:38:07 AM

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Hopefully these are the last parts to order. Discovered the PO had not put these back when the ball joints were changed. And he had some of the linkage apart to put in a repo idler arm and I think a PS pitman arm and didn’t put in or lost the seals for the center link. It appears the tie rods and seals are original

. https://www.inlinetube.com/products/inl11097

jim larson · 2K+ Club

The Vikings were so bad, I decided to finish priming the steering components. Came in to catch Cook scoring a TD. Now to finish went the cast iron paint arrives? Maybe I should wait until the next game.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Just got more parts powder coated. P&L plating , wabasha, mn the owner is a former student. He just hand delivered them today. If your thinking of coating something you may want to check them out. Boy a lot easier than cleaning and painting myself.

Lost in the 60s · President

WOW, they look great ! and NO powder in the bushing/ball joint holes...

Shouldn't be any problem pushing the bushings in. I brought the press up front from the back shed to use.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Are you still thinking about a tech session? I still have to paint the cross-shafts. Then everything’s should be ready. I want to get that accomplished this week. But I have to sand or blast them first? I have an another OLD set of arms if you might want to demonstrate bushing & joint removal.

Lost in the 60s · President

Been working on planning this for weeks, you better be here...

https://nschevelles.activeboard.com/t69060925/official-january-14th-meeting-tech-session-and-pot-luck-lunc/?w_r=1672716952#lastPostAnchor

Sure you can bring the old arms with, in case we have time for that.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

I will be there. Bob mentioned to me at the Xmass party that he had made special piece out of pvc tubing that he uses on upper CA to install the bushings. It fits exactly between the inner ears of the CA and over the shaft so he can use a press to push in the bushings. If he plans to attend, maybe he could bring it along? I can ask him.

Bobs_Place · Vice President

Yes I do plan on making the meeting and will bring tools.

Lost in the 60s · President

Between Bob, me and my shop press, we should be all set for tools.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

A special thanks to Mitch and Bob for bushing and ball joints install at the recent club meeting. Just finished the frame painting after hours of cleaning, scraping and painting. Finally done

Lost in the 60s · President

That looks great, Jim.

I think you want that lower arm on the other side though ? Oval bushing on the rear ?

And the spring needs to be turned over before install. Open end to the bottom.

-- Edited by Lost in the 60s on Wednesday 18th of January 2023 05:55:59 PM

BLyke · 1K+ Club

Looks good Jim.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Making progress. Installing the springs fought me. Just need to blast and paint The caliper brackets, install the brakes, steering linkage ad sway bar. E

Lost in the 60s · President

This mechanic work wouldn't be any fun if the job didn't fight back...

Good to see you "prevailed".

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Made more progress, caliper brackets finished anx installed along with dust shields. Torque to specs along with steering arms. Also put in the sway bar, pitman arm, center link, and relay arm. Just have to finish cleaning and clear coating the tie-rods.

Then I have to clean and finished the hubs. I am wondering how to finish the front face of the hubs. Thinking I should treat them with some kind of product like Boeschield. And use a cast paint on the part extending beyond the face

dashboard · 2K+ Club

For anyone doing suspension work give Springs and Things a call. It’s a family business, Laura will answer the phone, she is very knowledgeable, Weights with or without air, PS, PB…big block small block. I’ve used Laura on three complete suspension systems and they’ve workout well.
Check out her web page.

www.springsnthings.com/catalog.htm

Lost in the 60s · President

Looks great, Jim,

I bought Boeshield to use on the bare parts I had cleaned in the Evaporust and they look like new. It is a wax preservative substance and claims it will last for many months.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Boeshield would be Easton re - apply to the tie-rods and the face of the hubs. I think I will try it.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

I went with a black fluid film, on the hubs/ rotors. If I ever went with new rotors I think i would try a.caliper paint. W was trying to get away from the wheel chipping the rotor paint. Everything pretty much done. Just need To do a final cleaning and wheel alignment.p

-- Edited by jim larson on Saturday 11th of February 2023 08:02:39 AM

Lost in the 60s · President

That's a new product to me, never heard of it before. Looks good.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Some people apply it once a year or every two years to the how underside of their new or relatively. new car. Sold in up to 5 gallon pails. Applied with their compressed air. Just wash the car before winter, dry the car, and spray the whole underside. Just search Fluid Film for information and video’s.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Went for alignment, bad results. You are only suspose to use the offset shafts if your frame has sunk in to bring you Camber up like from neg 2 to neg .5. A $110 lesson.

Thanks to Bob and Mitch for advice advice, I could just rotate them 180*.; took me a lot of effort on my part, but was able to do that. Still have to torque the rubber bushings/ shaft nuts. Again bad advice from global west, they said I should treat it like a wheel bearing, no. Not if you want the rubber bushings to function as they should?

now to TQ and back the the alignment shop