Seeking advice.

[Mike_The_Grad]

Hey all,
I'm currently working on my dads 1964 c10 LWB. Lots of work.
I'm concentrating on the front end suspension, steering and brake components. The plan is to replace all but the control arms. New front drum Brakes(shoes,drums,spring kit, wheel cylinders, brake hoses, and complete brake line kit.) Suspension and Steering(ball joints upper and lower, inner/outer tie rods,pitman arm(non-power steering),idler arm,upper and lower control arm shafts, 3"drop springs,drop shocks, shock relocators, inner outer wheel bearings.

The only work I've done so far is remove the cut drop springs the PO "custom" made(they fell out when I jacked up the front end.) Grind the rivets off the upper ball joints, remove both front hubs from the original drums, and that's where I am.

How should I go about removing the rest of the stuff so that I dont have to back track because I did something when i should have done something else first. I have a lot of tools. Ball joint press, grinder, torch, air impact, drills, BFH, chisels, punches, basically all except a welder, but can get one if needed. What would be a appropriate procedure to follow to get it all tore down? I plan on cleaning up the control arms,(blast and paint) and replace all other items with new moog, or poly bushings.
I have everything already to do the front brake stuff, and wheel bearings, drop springs, and drop shocks with shock relocators. I still need to order ball joints, tie rods, control arm shafts.
I'm not interested in opinions on anything else about the truck. I already handled the rear end. I'm just going through each part at one time.(rearend, front end, interior,engine, etc.
Here's a few pics to show what I'm working with.
Thanks in advance.

[Mike_The_Grad]

Damn sideways pics!! Sorry.

[PGSigns]

Pull it all and clean and inspect everything. if it looks good put the new parts in that piece and move to the next part. Take a wire wheel and get the rust off the spindle and take a look at where the seal runs and look for pitting. You need smooth surfaces for the seal and the bearings. I stamp a number or letter on all the parts from a side when I pull it and stamp the frame with the same number. Helps when sorting parts to assemble the sub assemblies and what side they came from. Just makes stuff quick and fool proof as sometimes I have stuff apart for months. I assemble the three major components on the bench. The two control arms and the spindle assembly. Then the lower goes on first, then the spring, then the upper, then the spindle last.
Jimmy

[franken]

I'm not sure 64 is a candidate but I'd research a crossmember swap to a 71-71 or square to get disk brakes. Spending money of front drums seems like a waste when squares are so common in the scrapyards. Then again it probably gets you into a 5-lug conversion so maybe not. I guess I talked myself out of the swap in one post.

[Mike_The_Grad]

PGsigns,
Thanks. I like the idea of stamping parts for reference. And good idea on the spindle. I'm the one that took everything apart and it didnt look like that when I did, but time changed that. Lol. The truck was running and driving. But you know how one thing leads to another.... "hey, let's do an oil change, replace radiator cap, belts, let's rewire the entire truck, we should use that C-Notch kit the PO gave us, oh you want to swap the 250 for a 292? ,oh we need to build a fresh 292, yes it would look cool with a dual single barrel intake and ceramic coated headers with a 4 speed.

Franken,
I wholeheartedly agree with you on a front disc swap. My dad is set in his ways with his truck. 292 inline6, 4 speed granny low, no power steering, no power brakes, no disc front, slammed, with a 3/5 drop, c-notch. All I can say is ok and do the work.
A few more pics.

['63GENIII]

I used to think I was a pretty good wrench even after finding a "couple of extra" parts on the workbench when I was done.

One day while helping me work on the truck, my 11 year old started taking pictures of what were were working on (rebuilding the door weather stripping and installing power windows) so that "you don't get so mad when you are putting it back together". . I take lots of pictures as I'm working now. They've been super helpful almost every time since.

I also like to take notes and make drawings especially when Im removing shims and such from A Arm mounts, hardware / springs from the drum brakes (i can never get those thing back in correctly) and little things like that which could be a little harder to remember how the looked and don't seem to want to go back the way they came out.

I don't get too worked up anymore when wrenching

Looks like a pretty cool project / pandoras box

From oil change to restoration...... you're in good company here

[Mike_The_Grad]

63GENIII,
Your post is absolutely how I approach anything I work on. It took me a long time to get to that mindset and attitude towards wrenching. When I took apart the front end of my 72 c10 after an accident I had back in 2005. I was only 19 then. It wasnt until 2014 that I worked up the gumption to even start attempting to figure out how to go about fixing the mess I created. I just started taking out every bolt and nut I came across and threw them all in one bucket. All the while telling myself " I'll remember where they go." well I've since rebuilt the front clip of my truck twice. I still have that bucket with some bolts in it. LOL.

Now I tag and bag, snap pictures from every angle, some with flash some without, draw out which way springs go, use firewire on sub assemblies. Paint marker on non visible parts, the notes and drawings I make go into the new box of parts and the box gets a label "front brakes" "passenger side" etc.
The "system" seems to work so far, as long as no one else goes through the stuff or moves it without letting me know.

My question was more related to should I remove ball joints before the brake stuff, or should I remove the control arms to press out the ball joints or do it on the truck. What can I put on the truck now that wont get screwed up later because I'm working on something else nearby. And how should I put it all back together? Brakes on the spindle on the bench, or on the truck after new ball joints, etc.

And thanks for the support. Much appreciated

[Mike_The_Grad]

Another question that the "search" function hasn't answered.
I installed the CPP bolt in c-notch kit. All went well. I did have to remove the factory track bar mount in order for the drivers side bracket to lay flat on frame. Now my track bar bracket wont lay flat on the frame. Should I just use metal of the same thickness as the c notch in order to get my track bar mount "flat" with the frame? If I go this route I wont be able to utilize the factory side of the frame rail hole to strengthen the mount(unless I drill a new hole.) Any body have any ideas? If u need pics let me know and I'll snap a few