Chassis, Suspension, and Brakes
Front Suspension Restoration
Moving back to the front suspension we will examine and restore each piece one at a time. You had previously checked your spindles, steering arms and the rest of your suspension to make sure they were all usable. At this time very carefully clean all the front suspension pieces using a mild automotive solvent such as kerosene with a soft bristle brush to hopefully expose inspection paint marks. Do not soak any rubber parts such as the seals or tie rod boots in the solvent as it will destroy them.
Soaking will allow you to remove the grease and grime without disturbing the painted on inspection marks if they can still be seen. If found carefully photo document them so that you can replicate them and make note of their color. Once you have the parts completely cleaned, look them over thoroughly again for any defects.
After thoroughly cleaning the spindles, steering arms, and the
rest of the suspension, look for and photo document paint markings
so they can be replicated. It is best to use an oil-based art paint
and sponge brush to reapply these.
Check both upper and lower ball joint spindle bores to make sure they are still round and have not been oblonged from improper removal techniques. Once you are satisfied proceed to remove all rust, corrosion, grit and paint from the suspension pieces by bead blasting or other means. Protect the machined spindle area with duct tape if you are going to blast the part so as to not tarnish the machined bearing surfaces.
Once you have the suspension pieces completely cleaned and documented, move onto restoring these parts. The spindle, steering arm, tie rod ends, idler arm, pitman arm, center link (or drag link as some are called) and coil springs were all natural cast iron when produced. Some people restore these as painted black while the more correct method would be a cast iron colored paint.
With a little time and effort without much expense, you can make
your front suspension look as it did when it was newly assembled
once again. A little extra care in this area will really make a
restoration stand out from the rest.
As with any steel part that is going to be painted, acid wash and prep the part so that it is totally free of any contaminants as well as finger prints that will inhibit the paint from sticking. Hang these parts in an appropriate well ventilated area or spray booth and proceed to paint them the desired color.
When dry add all the various colored inspection marks back onto each individual piece based on the photos you took of them. When completed you will have a very nicely restored and stock appearing front suspension assortment.
| Chapter 4 - Chassis, Suspension, and Brakes © Chevelle Restoration |
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