Author Topic: Tearing front suspension apart soon. Going to restore. Paint etc, info needed  (Read 1056 times)

Offline Grec

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Hey folks.

So I'm going to be pulling apart the front suspension to press in new bushings... I want to restore the finish on everything while I have it all apart.

From what I've seen... here's the breakdown:

73 Challenger

LCA                 --- Cosmoline gold, natural steel WHICH IN 73?
UCA                --- Natural steel   
Strut rods   --- Natural steel     
Disc brake backing plate   --- Black   
Torsion bars   --- black   
Front swaybar   --- Natural steel for 73

I'm looking for good past-experience recommendations for paint for this stuff. I'm assuming Eastwood has everything I'd need... ?

Thanks guys.
1973 Challenger Rallye
- 440 Six Pack
- A833 4 Speed, 18 Spline
- FE5 Rallye Red on Black




Offline Topcat

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I've saved some picture from here from others posts fearing they could be deleted.

Some very nice attention to detail. Front strut rod washers should be a brown phosphate.
Eastwood has some things are O.K. Others are faux in appearance.
Cast, I would try matte clear.






Mike, Fremont, CA.


Offline Grec

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Ahhhh... so the LCAs aren't either gold OR steel... they're both!

Great pics. Also shows the installation of my missing splash shields! :-)

Thx!
« Last Edit: July 04, 2011 - 07:18:17 PM by Grec »
1973 Challenger Rallye
- 440 Six Pack
- A833 4 Speed, 18 Spline
- FE5 Rallye Red on Black

Offline 340_6pak

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Amen! I only have one shield, but I could not figure out where it went either!
73 Challenger
340 6pak

Offline burdar

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Brake dust shields were NOT black in 73.  They were left galvanized.  My original shields as well as ones I've seen for sale also have blue inspection marks on them.  The metal was galvanized "before" it was stamped.  There is no way to regalvanize the shields.  Do NOT blast them.  You'll take the galvanizing off.  Instead, clean them up with soap/water and steel wool.  I cleaned up my original headlight buckets this way.  They came out looking great.  If your original shields are in bad shape you'll have to find replacements if you want to keep the galvanized look.  An option might be to use "Hammered" finish paint on them.

Front strut rod washers have been found brown phosphate and silver zinc.  Look for remnants of the original plating on your washers.

I'm not sure what color the front swaybars were in 73.  Other years were black. 

Power steering boxes should be painted black.  The black wore off quickly so a lot of people paint them a natural metal color which isn't correct.  The black color should be flatter then what you use for the K-member.

For the LCA's, paint the stamped part with Seymour's Stainless steel paint(or Eastwoods Detail gray).  Paint the cast adjuster/torsion bar socket and the cast lower ball joint with Eastwoods Spray gray.  Mask off the outer end and spray the rest of the arm with Krylon battery protectant spray.  It will take multiple coats to get it to turn yellow/goldish.  You can also use Cosmoline spray but it doesn't completely dry...it stays tackey.  The battery protectant will completely dry...then spray everything with a matte clear.

In 73, the factory used bolts to hold the K-member splash shields to the car...not rivets.

If your car is a Rallye, you should have the heavy duty torsion bars.  They will have silver paint marks on them.

Here is a great link to check out...
  http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=A12&Number=2669919&fpart=&PHPSESSID=