Trying to make Junky perhaps just a little bit Funky...

[DD1]

Quick update.

Spent most of the weekend cleaning and blasting parts. I really need to setup a vacuum system for my blasting cabinet. I switched over to Coal Slag media in the blasting cabinet this weekend (from glass media) and it helps a lot. The Coal Slag does not produce as much dust; with the glass media I had to keep a window open behind the cabinet. With the slag, the debris that escapes is heavier and just goes down.

I blasted everything as best I could. The spindle was the most difficult with all the sides and curves. I did not make them rust free, but rust-free-enough. I painted the top of the parts with Chassis Saver, and will work on the bottom of the parts over the next couple of days.

[crakarjax]

Nice, it's so much easier working with clean parts!

[mattfranklin]

Looking great.

On that AC Delco mystery... I'm trying to wherever possible "keep my GM car all GM," like the ads back in the '70s or '80s used to say. But I'm increasingly disappointed by them. It looks like they are just putting their name on parts made by others. Kind of milking the brand. About a year ago I ordered some brake hoses. The outside of the box said all GM, but on the inside I didn't even a hint of GM markings. All of the marking on the hoses indicated it was a Chinese company. The parts were fine -- fit, finish, machining, quality were totally fine -- they have come a long way. But I really wanted the "GM" or "AC Delco" ink on the part because of the appearance and not "SUN HONG." If I wanted the other parts I would have ordered from them. You shouldn't pay a premium price for a box.

[DD1]

Originally Posted by crakarjax

Nice, it's so much easier working with clean parts!

Thanks! It really is easier. I finished painting the other side last night and they look really nice. Just need to finish cleaning the frame where the arms attach.

Originally Posted by mattfranklin

Looking great.

On that AC Delco mystery... I'm trying to wherever possible "keep my GM car all GM," like the ads back in the '70s or '80s used to say. But I'm increasingly disappointed by them. It looks like they are just putting their name on parts made by others. Kind of milking the brand. About a year ago I ordered some brake hoses. The outside of the box said all GM, but on the inside I didn't even a hint of GM markings. All of the marking on the hoses indicated it was a Chinese company. The parts were fine -- fit, finish, machining, quality were totally fine -- they have come a long way. But I really wanted the "GM" or "AC Delco" ink on the part because of the appearance and not "SUN HONG." If I wanted the other parts I would have ordered from them. You shouldn't pay a premium price for a box.

Thanks, Matt!

You are building from a rather unique perspective, so it makes sense that you want all the same parts on your truck. I went with AC Delco because I trust the brand and I did not want to spend extra money on the Moog name. Seems like I made the right choice there.

I don't care if one tie rod end says Moog and the other 3 say AC Delco; it's not worth the hassle of returning/exchanging it with Rock Auto.

Another interesting event is that I ordered replacement lower arm U-bolts from Amazon; they arrived 4 days late and with damaged packaging (I will be calling to get my 1 month free Prime extension). You would think with a envelope that was ripped open and re-taped that I might be missing a part. Instead my u-bolts came with an extra nut - they added a part to my order!

I dropped off the right side rotor to the local shop to be cut. I think someone changed the rotor and pads at some point, and then the truck ended up sitting around. Both are in pretty decent shape. I had already bought replacement pads, but might scuff and re-use the ones that came with the truck.

Not looking forward to cleaning the other side, but will hopefully reassemble this side and start taking apart the other side this weekend.

[DD1]

Made a little more progress.

Installed the ball joints and the control arm shafts... hmmm, I guess that's really it.

Tried to rebuild the caliper and failed miserably. Damaged both of the seals I both. Gave up and ordered rebuilt calipers from Advance Auto.

Followed the advice on the forum and screwed in the shafts one turn at a time on each side.

Spent some time over the past few days trying to clean up the area where the control arms attach. Got some oven cleaner this morning and tried it out. Worked pretty good on the easy to get to spots, and okay on some of the harder areas.

Painted the hump the upper control arm attached too (I don't know what it's called).

Really hoping to get this side done and wheels on the ground tomorrow. Think I am going to power-wash the other side before I take it apart.

[DD1]

Today I installed the upper and lower control arms and torqued everything. I would have gotten more done, but I had to go to the in-laws for mothers day.

Wasted time going to Advance Auto, Harbor Freight, and Ace Hardware.

Went to Advance Auto to get a 1-3/8" socket for the Upper Control Arm Shaft nuts; I needed one to tighten and torque the shaft. Turns out that while the shaft I took off the truck does take 1-3/8", the new replacement shaft needs a 1-1/2" socket. Went back to Advance Auto and returned the 1-3/8". Decided to go to HF and use the 25% Mother's Day coupon to get the 8-piece 3/4" drive set which includes the 1-3/8" and 1-1/2" socket for $32 instead of spending $13 at Advance.

Then I went to Ace Hardware to get lock washers for Lower Control Arm U-Bolts. When I was installing the nuts for the Upper Control Arm that came with the new shaft, one of the low-quality nuts lost some of it's threads. Back to Ace to get replacement 1/2" nuts.

Anyway, we finally got the lower arm installed, upper arm installed, and everything torqued. Fortunately I took a photo of the upper arm shims because I did keep them separate. The pic helped me figure out how it was before. The shims cleaned up nice on the wire wheel.

Hoping to get this side complete before we go on vacation on Saturday. I want to return the Ball Joint Tool Kit as well as I can only borrow it for 30 days. I'll borrow it back when we return home and do the other side. Oh, and I have to figure out where I put the rubber bumper for the upper arm.

I found a lot of info on the torque specs on this site, but the info for the Lower Arm shaft was a bit scarce. I figure it's somewhere between 130 and 190. I compromised and tighten it as much as possible by hand, then used the impact wrench on it, then used a torque wrench to make sure it's torqued to at least 150.

[DD1]

I got the right side control arms, spring, and spindle reassembled. Of course, I managed to destroy the stud for the shock mount in the process. Ordered new ones from Speedway; should arrive by end of week. Hoping to get everything else back together on Wednesday. The next step will be to roll it outside, power wash the other side, and roll it back in.

[DD1]

Finished up the R/S front end today, except for the upper shock stud. Going to try and roll it outside, maybe on Saturday, to power wash the other side before taking it apart.

Had to go to Advance Auto and buy a box of assorted grease fittings since the AC Delco grease fitting provided did not fit in the Moog tie rod I got instead of an AC Delco.

Installed the:
- tie rod
- idler arm
- blasted and painted the brake dust shield, then installed
- wheel bearings
- rotor
- new caliper and pads - keep the original brake pad clip; the new ones with the caliper are not the same.
- Greased and torqued all of the above where applicable.
-Installed wheel.

I apologize if some of these pics seem repetitive.

[DD1]

Quick update:

Made some decent progress today. Took a few hours off in between work and went out to the garage. With my friends help we rolled the truck out to the driveway, power washed the left front end, and rolled it back in. This surprisingly went just about to plan - nothing ever works out this well for me - and pushing it back in was actually easier than taking it out. We were able to stand behind the back wheels and roll them into the garage.

Replaced the shock mount with the one from Speedway; it's slightly smaller in diameter, but should do the job.

Then we re-organized the garage and moved some of the big parts I won't be using to the backyard (old hood & bedside), and made it easier to access the truck.

Then we filled the differential with gear oil.

Next goal is to get the other caliper off so I can get my core charge back.

Before:

After:


Shock Mounts:


I didn't spill TOO MUCH Gear Oil...

[DD1]

Today, I jacked up the truck, took off the wheel, removed the caliper and got my core deposit back, and removed the lower shock bolt - I went with the lower bolt this time to avoid damaging the top shock stud on this side. Check!

Then I removed the cap, rotor, bearings, and dust shield, and cleaned up the rotor so I can take it to get cut.

Now that I allegedly know what I am doing, my goal is to get the left side done in a few days instead of a few weeks.

Then, and this is the part you really want to pay attention to, I separated the lower ball joint from the spindle and released the spring. I was determined not to go through all the trouble I went through the last time getting the ball joint out of the spindle.

This is either a lesson on how to quickly release the lower control arm from the spindle, or a lesson on how NOT to release the lower control arm from the spindle. Probably the second one. ​I got the spring out without the jack and without a compressor.

I took the bolt off the spindle, then took a 2x4 and pounded with a sledge hammer. It did not do much but I think it loosened it up a bit.



​Then I got the fork, hammered it in to get it started, then got the sledge hammer. I stood on top of my stool out of the way, and bashed it with the sledge hammer. Then it just came off.



It's a GOOD thing I stood above it, the spring did not leave the control arm, but something flew out and tore a hole in my air hose. I don’t really care, I was going to replace it anyway because it's cracked and worn out anyway. If you try this yourself (not recommending it), I would suggest you give yourself a lot of clearance.


​It's a good thing we power washed this side of the truck. It was even dirtier than the other side. Going to power wash the individual parts once I get them off. This image is after being power washed while on the truck.



And of course, I found the rubber bumper that I misplaced and ordered replacements for. It was sitting on my workbench covered by stuff.

[mattfranklin]

Looking good! Yes, those springs can be dangerous. Glad no one was hurt.

[DD1]

Originally Posted by mattfranklin

Looking good! Yes, those springs can be dangerous. Glad no one was hurt.

Thanks, Matt! I took precautions by staying far out of the way. Have not done much in the past month. Been busy riding and working on the motorcycle, and get stuff done around the house.

Hope to have some progress to post soon.

[DD1]

It's been a while since I posted any progress, but in the past month I have finally setup a vacuum and dust collector for my blasting cabinet. I used the Dust Collector brand Home Depot sells.

I also finished blasting and painting the control arms and spindle for the left side of the front end. I also painted some of the frame, mostly the top, with Chassis Saver.

I got a $9 spray gun from HF and tried it out on the control arms, spindle, and frame and it worked pretty well.







I completely destroyed the paint can I got from Home Depot that was holding the rest of my Chassis Saver paint. I could not get another one on a Sunday because the closest one is in Bergen County NJ and they are closed by law on Sundays, and I was not going to sit in Sunday traffic to get a $3 paint can.

The specs for Chassis Saver say to keep it in metal. Well, I poured the leftover paint in an empty soup container from the Chinese restaurant. We will see how well it holds up. I should probably go check on it.

[swamp rat]

Keep pressing on!

[Putzer]

Originally Posted by DD1

It's been a while since I posted any progress, but in the past month I have finally setup a vacuum and dust collector for my blasting cabinet. I used the Dust Collector brand Home Depot sells.

I also finished blasting and painting the control arms and spindle for the left side of the front end. I also painted some of the frame, mostly the top, with Chassis Saver.

I got a $9 spray gun from HF and tried it out on the control arms, spindle, and frame and it worked pretty well.







I completely destroyed the paint can I got from Home Depot that was holding the rest of my Chassis Saver paint. I could not get another one on a Sunday because the closest one is in Bergen County NJ and they are closed by law on Sundays, and I was not going to sit in Sunday traffic to get a $3 paint can.

The specs for Chassis Saver say to keep it in metal. Well, I poured the leftover paint in an empty soup container from the Chinese restaurant. We will see how well it holds up. I should probably go check on it.

careful when you open it...i put mine in a cheap container and it built up a lot of pressure. When i opened the lid, it blew off across the garage..

[DD1]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Keep pressing on!

Trying too! Thanks, Mike!

Originally Posted by Putzer

careful when you open it...i put mine in a cheap container and it built up a lot of pressure. When i opened the lid, it blew off across the garage..

Thanks for the tip. Read this too late. Fortunately, I did not have that problem when I opened it to check it. It seems ok, but I did not try to use the paint.

[DD1]

Today I installed the... totally forgetting what they are called... the rod thing with the bushings... oh yeah, the control arm shafts, into the upper and lower control arms. Installed the upper and lower control arm ball joint, BUT... made a mistake on the lower ball joint. I was doing so well, I kept on tightening the installer much longer than necessary and damaged the ball joint. Fortunately, I found a replacement on Amazon for under $10, which I will be able to install on Wednesday.

[DD1]

Got the damaged ball joint out tonight. Went way faster than I expected. New one should arrive tomorrow. Will be much more careful installing it. At least I know I can get a 3rd one delivered by Friday if needed.

[DD1]

In my last post, I showed my bonehead mistake with the ball joint. I got the 2nd ball joint and made the same bonehead mistake again - I tried to install it with the rubber boot on instead of removing it.

2 ball joints later, I realize something even worse. I figured I would install the ball joint and then just use the boot from the next one. Then I realized that the install and removal went WAY too easy. Then I realized I can install and remove the ball joint by hand.

Just to make sure I was using the right part, I went to Autozone and got two different brands of ball joints. Yep. I need another control arm. Going to return the 2nd (or 4th if you are counting) ball joint to Autozone today (returned the 3rd yesterday).

I have a couple of requests out for a used control arm. CPP does sell a pair of stock arms new, which I may get and see if I can sell the 2nd one. As much as I would love to put 2 new control arms on the truck, the other one is installed, torqued, and greased. I am NOT taking it off.

[zosoppp]

Originally Posted by DD1

In my last post, I showed my bonehead mistake with the ball joint. I got the 2nd ball joint and made the same bonehead mistake again - I tried to install it with the rubber boot on instead of removing it.

2 ball joints later, I realize something even worse. I figured I would install the ball joint and then just use the boot from the next one. Then I realized that the install and removal went WAY too easy. Then I realized I can install and remove the ball joint by hand.

Just to make sure I was using the right part, I went to Autozone and got two different brands of ball joints. Yep. I need another control arm. Going to return the 2nd (or 4th if you are counting) ball joint to Autozone today (returned the 3rd yesterday).

I have a couple of requests out for a used control arm. CPP does sell a pair of stock arms new, which I may get and see if I can sell the 2nd one. As much as I would love to put 2 new control arms on the truck, the other one is installed, torqued, and greased. I am NOT taking it off.

It seems this is not an unusual problem:

This post is about this issue but on the older generation of trucks, not sure if the ball joints are the same or similar:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=673409

[DD1]

Originally Posted by zosoppp

It seems this is not an unusual problem:

This post is about this issue but on the older generation of trucks, not sure if the ball joints are the same or similar:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=673409

Thank You! This is very helpful. At a minimum it explains to me why the problem occurred - wear and tear on the lower control arm from ball joint replacement. I tried searching but did not find this thread on my own. Appreciate the help.

[DD1]

After reading the post Zosoppp gave me the link for and some additional searching, I decided to try a Moog ball joint that is supposedly over-sized. According to Moog website, the Moog K6117T Ball Joint is 1.97" and the original ball joint I measured is 1.96". I also measured the top of the opening for the arm and it measured 1.97".

If the Moog doesn't work, another idea someone posted which I figure I've got nothing to lose at this point, is to weld a bead around the outside of the hole on the arm, which should make the hole shrink. I will get a friend of mine to weld it because as you know if you have been reading my thread, my welding skills are sub-par to put it nicely. I think it's been almost a year since I have even touched the welder.

[DD1]

I tried the Moog "Oversized" ball joint, and it turns out it was only overpriced. What is weird is the Moog measured at 1.97", and the AC Delco measured 1.96", yet the AC Delco stayed in better than the Moog. The Moog would not even stay in the hole on it's own.


I was able to "fix" my control arm by following a suggestion in the thread zosoppp shared with me. I had a friend weld a bead around the outside of the hole, which shrunk the metal and allowed me to press in a ball joint. It actually worked. We were both totally surprised.

I installed the control arm to the frame and test fitted the spindle. Hopefully this will be the last time; it's a pain to get to the nuts on the driver side. I don't know how I am going to torque everything.

I ordered yet another AC Delco ball joint from Amazon which will be here on Friday. I need the rubber boot from the ball joint. If anyone needs a perfectly good ball joint that's missing a rubber boot, let me know. You can have the ball joint after I get it and take the boot off.


Weld job on the hole:


Ball joint pressed in:


Test fitted the spindle:

[zosoppp]

glad its working out

[DD1]

Got the D/S front end back together on Saturday. The upper ball joint had a small hole in the boot. My friends say not to worry about it, so I'm not worrying about it. The control arm shafts barely took any grease at all; I know they don't hold much, but it seemed like it almost did not take any at all. I don't remember what the other side was like, but I don't remember thinking the same thing about that side either.

Glad it's back on 4 wheels. Hopefully we did everything right.