frame disassembly
 

while thinking about how i'm going to do the suspension on my C10, i came up with the idea of disassembling the frame entirely. i would do this to eliminate all of the possible ares that could be missed when i have the frame blasted. would i be able to bolt it back together with Grade 8 bolts, or would i have to use the factory style rivets? also, how does one go about installing factory rivets?

i heard grade 5 bolts are actually better to bolt the frame together with

Jeremy, taking the frame that far is a little overkill. I would remove everything that unbolts and leave the rivets alone, besides, the rivets can be a pain to remove...been there done that. Not only that, but when you start bolting everything back together you risk the chance of chipping or scratching your paint even more so cause you will have more pieces to assemble.

I am not saying you can't do it, just trying to make you realize other possibilities.

If you go that route, I would go grade 8 zinc plated all over the place. You can't get grade 8 SS bolts as far as i know and if you use regular grade 8 bolts they will rust and look terrible. Also, make sure to use threadlock or something similar so the bolts won't vibrate or come loose.

Good luck either way. :)

-Jeff

just counted the rivets in my frame.... 92... looks like a lot of work, and the closer i look, the less areas there are to miss. maybe i'll just have it blasted, then let it sit outside for a few weeks, and prep it for POR.

I wouldn't do it either. Just pull it down, if you are THAT determined, as far as it will go (I promised myself to never do that again) and get it blasted. I also wouldn't let it sit in the weather. Once mine came back from the blaster, I painted it that next day. It will stick fine. If you only plan to put POR on it, don't leave it in the sunlight too long, it will colorfast. I topcoated mine, 30 minutes after the last POR application, with Gloss Black enamel.

i've got a friend who is a POR dealer, so A) i can get the stuff at a decent price, and B) my truck could be used as a sales too for his business. we've played with quite a few of the products, and its really good stuff, if used correctly. i was thinking of either topcoating in gloss black, or a metallic blue. i've got the color of the truck narrowed down to either black or metallic blue, so the frame will be whichever color the body is not.

I can't tell you number of things I have painted with this stuff. I agree 100%. Next time I need some (probably soon) you gonna hook me up. :D

another thing i got to thinking about Chris, is with blasting the frame and then set it outside to rust for a few days... when your frame rusts, that rust holds moisture. POR is moisture curing, so the rustier it is, the better it will adhere. as for the hookup, sorry, but he doesnt ship, just sells locally and through car shows and swap meets.