[Chaparralman1974]

1/20/2023 - 1/21/2023
Frame and Front Axle Cleaning
I had left the front engine crossmember bolted to the frame for the sandblasting operation. The same went for the rear spring mounts at the rear of the frame. At some point, the mounts were removed and gusseted in the back. I imagine that something broke at one point in the trucks’ life and repairs were made. I had looked for replacement mounts, but the ‘67-’68’s seem to have oddball stuff here as well. The mounts are not available in the aftermarket, so I will continue to use these. I did run a flap disk around all of the areas that were missed by the sandblaster (namely the engine crossmember and rear spring mounts), so now the frame is ready for paint. It has been pretty cold here the past 2 weeks, and I need to be above 50 degrees in order for the chassis saver paint to stick, so I will wait for the weather to warm up a bit.
I moved my attention to the new front axle. Basically, I took it all apart for a good cleaning and inspection. As expected, the calipers, rotors, bearings, and likely one of the spindles are toast. The brake backing plates are a little beat up, but nothing that can’t be fixed with a hammer and dolly. The steering knuckles and inner axle ujoints seem to be ok. I will will however be replacing the ujoints for good measure since I am already this far in.
I also did a deep clean on the Spicer HubLoc’s. They look in excellent condition, and with a good cleaning and some fresh grease, should last another 50 years.