70 Blazer Frame Off

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

Good deal. Are you going to paint the motor Chevy orange or keep as is? Tomorrow I can pick up my freshly powder coated 15 x 8 steel wheels for the GMC. Seeing your valve covers tempts me to inquire about the cost of orange powder coating a spare set that I have - may be overkill.

Definitely going to be orange. Going to try to make it look as factory as possible, hence the OE valve covers. Going to paint it with spark plug wire brackets, Water pump and harmonic balancer on. Pulleys, brackets, breather, heat stove tube, top radiator hose powder coated black. Manifolds ceramic coated cast gray. Heat riser tins ceramic coated silver.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

Tomorrow I can pick up my freshly powder coated 15 x 8 steel wheels for the GMC.

Funny thing...I ended up with 9 15x6 rims. Two turned out to be clearly incorrect. That left seven with the powder coater. I told him to pick out the best 5 and shoot them. He shot 6, but one didn't turn out to suit him. I took the five he had and got tires mounted. The tire shop called and said, "hey you know one of these rims is bent right?"

...so for the time being it's the spare and they'll re-shoot that sixth one when they get some more white stuff in to do.

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

Definitely going to be orange. Going to try to make it look as factory as possible, hence the OE valve covers. Going to paint it with spark plug wire brackets, Water pump and harmonic balancer on. Pulleys, brackets, breather, heat stove tube, top radiator hose powder coated black. Manifolds ceramic coated cast gray. Heat riser tins ceramic coated silver.

Great plan! Brilliant idea coating the heat riser tins btw. The rubber oil filler hole plug was also painted orange so might as well shoot that too.

Bummer about the bent wheel but at least you have other options. The powder coated set on my K5 now I also used briefly on my old K10 - I have to beat them off the front hubs for dismounting. They slip on fine and the rears on/off no sweat but up front a real tight bond between the wheels and the hubs develops. If you don't mind me asking, what is cost for one wheel in GA? In NM I've paid $65 and $90 per wheel, here it cost $65 (and no sales tax).

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

If you don't mind me asking, what is cost for one wheel in GA? In NM I've paid $65 and $90 per wheel, here it cost $65 (and no sales tax).

I don't remember about the individual wheels. I think when I first called for a quote it was about 50-60 per wheel, but I could be off. I don't mind telling you that for the whole lot it was $1600. That's sandblasting frame and all prep. We powder coated: Frame, core support, engine brackets and pulleys, radiator tube, breather, heat riser tube, wheels, removable top brackets, oil filler tube, misc frame/radiator bracketry, front wheel dust shields.
ceramic coated: exhaust manifolds, heat riser tins

...and we had five colors. Gray powder coat for dust shield, white for wheels/top brackets, cast gray ceramic for exhaust, silver ceramic for hr tins, and semi gloss black for everything else.

They missed the color on the tins which they're correcting and I would really be surprised if they invoiced me to re-shoot that sixth rim. They're a local outfit, but I'd recommend them highly.

[DeadheadNM]

That seems like a very fair price for all that work and given the differing colors. I suspect painting would've cost more.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

That seems like a very fair price for all that work and given the differing colors. I suspect painting would've cost more.

Most definitely. I had not planned to powder coat the frame. I was concerned about peeling over time...and some people complain about ground issues...but they were the least expensive media blaster, and he told me point blank on the phone if we blast it, I'll powder coat it for $150 more. How could I not?

...and they had come highly recommended to begin with. At first I was only going to powder coat my wheels, but they offered a lot of value.

[IronCanine]

Forgot about this, which makes me think I forgot something else. They also powder coated my spare tire carrier and spare tire hardware.

[IronCanine]

Had every intention of finishing buttoning up the front axle today, but it fought me at every turn. I have been a little disappointed in the ball joints. Everything is new Moog. None of the grease fittings threaded easily and the upper ball joint on the passenger's side has botched threads...I think I'm going to have to locate a die to clean it up.

I'll also get your guys opinion on the spindle nuts. I've seen so many different attitudes toward how to torque them in...anywhere from 50-75 ft lbs to set the preload on the bearing, 1/4 back then re-torque, all while spinning the hub. Then the outer nut to anywhere from 90-200 ft lbs.

When I initially torqued the inner nut, the hub got super tight at 50 and was pretty much locked down after that. I backed it off a 1/4 turn and then basically torqued it by feel based on the force required to rotate the hub. Then hammered down on the outer nut...am I goofing up?

I like the later model dust shield too. It's powder coated, and it matched the pieces we painted cast gray pretty well...that's another thing...it gets harder not to scratch paint the more aggravated you get.

Hopefully I'll have a complete axle by mid morning tomorrow.

[IronCanine]

Ok, basically buttoned up save for torquing upper ball joints and sleeve insert. Gotta get an insert tool (not one of the parts box stores in town had one yesterday)...and I am within a gnat's a$$ of getting the outer snap ring on the axle on the driver's side. The passenger's side was a struggle, but the driver's side is tougher. I don't know if it's just the new seals or the dust shield, but the axle end play just seems to have evaporated. When I tore it down it didn't have inner spindle seals on either side, and was missing an outer axle shaft thrust washer and associated seal on one side (can't remember which, may have been this one).

[DeadheadNM]

Looks like a piece of art. What gear ratio are you running?

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

Looks like a piece of art. What gear ratio are you running?

Thanks...3.07s. Which is what it came with...and I'm glad, since I wasn't up for the OD challenge like you were. So maybe I could still go 65-70mph relatively comfortably if I needed to.

[72K5CSTDarkOlive]

I'll also get your guys opinion on the spindle nuts. I've seen so many different attitudes toward how to torque them in...anywhere from 50-75 ft lbs to set the preload on the bearing, 1/4 back then re-torque, all while spinning the hub. Then the outer nut to anywhere from 90-200 ft lbs.

When I initially torqued the inner nut, the hub got super tight at 50 and was pretty much locked down after that. I backed it off a 1/4 turn and then basically torqued it by feel based on the force required to rotate the hub. Then hammered down on the outer nut...am I goofing up?


I think I did the pre-load at 50, then 1/4 back and then torqued it to 35-40 lbs..I can't remember for sure, though. For the outer nut, I want to say I torqued it somewhere between maybe 75-90.. Definitely, no more than that.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by 72K5CSTDarkOlive

I think I did the pre-load at 50, then 1/4 back and then torqued it to 35-40 lbs..I can't remember for sure, though. For the outer nut, I want to say I torqued it somewhere between maybe 75-90.. Definitely, no more than that.

That makes sense to me. I was having a little bit of trouble resolving the manual, experienced posts and my actual experience. Hopefully neither of us will throw a wheel at 55mph.

[OLDYELLOW]

I know you got a roller, let's see some pics.

[IronCanine]

...well...

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by OLDYELLOW

I know you got a roller, let's see some pics.

You must be clairvoyant.

[IronCanine]

A few more...it was fun to see big progress today. Finally got the frame home yesterday. I thought she would put up less of a fight going back together than she has. Another Moog complaint...I think we may have to cut the shanks on the tie rod ends. It feels like they bottom out well before you run out of threads...and the toe in is still out. Of course that could be in the connecting rod.

I wanted those blue Monroes on there...and would you believe the rears had to be drop shipped from Monroe. Nobody had them. I ordered all four and the steering stabilizer through Summit. The fronts were in the GA warehouse and were here the next day. The stabilizer the day after that. Then the final package was from the Monroe plant. That box got here about two weeks ago perfectly sized to hold two shock boxes. When I opened it(today), you guessed it...only one. They dropped shipped a single rear shock in a two shock box. Classic.

[IronCanine]

Leaf springs are the OE replacements from General Springs. RedHead steering box (obviously)...vacillated, but couldn't bring myself to paint it all black. Their paint job seemed good enough. Loosely test fit the dual piston black Willwood D52s without pads to check wheel clearance following Mike's (72K5CSTDarkOlive) revelation. It seemed to clear, but I wasn't confident. I didn't want to goof them so they couldn't be returned. I'll do a more definitive fit soon. I went ahead and picked up some stock calipers from AutoZone today just in case. Gas tank and radiator are supposed to be ready on Saturday...still haven't got an ETA on transmission and TC.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

[72K5CSTDarkOlive]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

Leaf springs are the OE replacements from General Springs. RedHead steering box (obviously)...vacillated, but couldn't bring myself to paint it all black. Their paint job seemed good enough. Loosely test fit the dual piston black Willwood D52s without pads to check wheel clearance following Mike's (72K5CSTDarkOlive) revelation. It seemed to clear, but I wasn't confident. I didn't want to goof them so they couldn't be returned. I'll do a more definitive fit soon. I went ahead and picked up some stock calipers from AutoZone today just in case. Gas tank and radiator are supposed to be ready on Saturday...still haven't got an ETA on transmission and TC.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

I used 3 washers on each stud (created about 1/4" in space) to see if using a spacer would give me enough clearance and it did.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by 72K5CSTDarkOlive

I used 3 washers on each stud (created about 1/4" in space) to see if using a spacer would give me enough clearance and it did.

Good to know. When I get home next week, I'm going to really fit it and call the ball. I really would like to have those extra pistons.

[OLDYELLOW]

Frame turned out nice. If the rest of the truck turns out that good you will have a sharp ride!

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by OLDYELLOW

Frame turned out nice. If the rest of the truck turns out that good you will have a sharp ride!

Thanks. I'm happy so far...excited and hopeful for the progress to come. I'd also like it if she'd start putting up less of a fight.

[IronCanine]

Not a lot to report...waiting on InLine Tube to get it figured out. Also waiting on the transfer case and transmission. Eric started some body work. Specifically the firewall and windshield frame. Got the drip rail "eyelet"/drain grafted back in on the driver's side of the windshield.

Wanted to post a pic...so here's an exhaust manifold that we ceramic coated. They came out great. I had them ceramic coat the heat riser tin as well...but they did it the same cast gray as the manifold instead of silver...so it's still at the powder coater for the re-shoot.

[IronCanine]

Eric got the motor painted and we got some limited assembly done with the requisite speed bumps. I know I copped out and got the repro spark plug wire heat shields...but this GM crate doesn't have a tapped hole for the passenger side rear shield as it does for the other three shields. There is a hole, but it is forward relative to the other three and wouldn't work for these shields. What am I missing (besides the hole)? I guess we're going to have to drill and tap. Thanks for any advice.

[IronCanine]

It's also kind of surprising how hard it is to find basic 350 stuff at any of the local box stores. Waiting on correct exhaust manifold bolts....had to order them like most everything else. (PS...didn't paint the grommet Pete, because I've got to get a new one anyway)