Text and Photos by Frank Payne

Without question, restoring the front suspension of your Chevelle will make it much more pleasurable to drive. New ball joints, steering linkage, and wheel bearings pretty much take care of the mechanical side of things... but what about the esthetic value of having everything appear "factory fresh?"

Not much extra work is involved with getting your front suspension to look as good as it functions. After all, a thorough rebuild requires that you disassemble everything anyway. Why not take it one step further and detail everything to make it look like it just came off the assembly line? Besides, those few extra points you get at the next car show might mean the difference between a first place, and a runner-up finish.

At Flying "A" Restorations, we have developed a system that allows us to clean front suspension components without harming or removing the original paint dabs and colors, allowing us to duplicate them once the iron components have been returned to their "natural" finish. We strongly urge you to take photos of your parts (keeping them separated as to left and right sides) once they are properly cleaned, not only to help you duplicate the original markings and colors, but also to help document their configuration for historical and show purposes.

Stripping the old paint markings can be accomplished a couple of ways: Either have it professionally done, or you can do it yourself. If you elect to have it done professionally, make certain that the company you select doesn't glass-bead your parts... it will surely destroy the original "texture" of the components. Should you decide to tackle the project yourself, we've found aircraft paint stripper or oven cleaner to be effective at removing old paint markings. Once the paint has been removed, you can de-rust your components with a muriatic acid solution. Availabe at most hardware stores, you need to dilute the muriatic acid two-to-one with water, then pour the solution into any container large enough to hold the parts you're cleaning and de-rusting.

WARNING: Muriatic acid is used in this article for purposes of cleaning parts to original, bare metal. It is EXTREMELY corrosive, and should not be used without proper precautions. Wear rubber gloves and eye protection, as well as an approved respirator mask any time you are using muriatic acid to clean parts. Be sure to dispose your used chemicals in accordance with appropriate hazardous waste materials procedures.

2. We noted three distinct colors of paint "dabs" on these front spindles: white, pink, and red. Take photos now to help your memory when the time comes to duplicate the markings; color photos are highly recommended.

Check your parts frequently after immersing them in the muriatic acid solution; the rustier the parts, the longer they'll need to soak. Generally, four to six hours will loosen even the most stubborn rust, allowing you to remove it with a stiff, nylon-bristled parts brush. To get the last little traces of grease and grit out of the metal's pores, you can use a metal prep solution. We use Dupont 244S, but any similar product will work just fine. A couple of other products you should have on hand include OEM Quick Black (Available from ASL Company), and "brown" wheel bearing grease. They both add color and protection to components that are just being removed from the acid bath. And, since these parts will rust very quickly after their removal from the acid bath, you should also try to have everything laid out so you can work quickly and avoid new rust forming on the parts.

So what are you waiting for? Let's take everything apart first, so we can really grin and "bare" it!

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3. Removing the old markings can be accomplished with a judicious application of oven cleaner or aircraft paint stripper. Either way, don't use bead blasting just because it's easier; you'll end up destroying the original texture of the component metal. A muriatic acid bath will finish the cleaning and stripping process.
4a&b. Once the metal is stripped to its "natural" finish, you can reinstate the black oxide finish with a quick dip in ASL's OEM Quick Black. Follow their directions for application, then coat the components with a light coat of wheel bearing grease. Wrap them in newspaper and let them set for 3-4 days to let the coloring harden and the grease soak into all the metal pores. Paint dabs can be added once these steps have been completed.
5. The rotors are reassembled after the coloring process, then machined to expose the fresh braking surfaces. Paint dabs are also added now. Refer to your photos for colors and locations of the paint dabs. New wheel bearing races and seals are also installed now.	6. Added detail can be accomplished by having other brackets cad plated and fasteners dipped in the ASL black oxide treatment. If you're really picky, you can lightly grind the factory machined areas (being careful to follow the direction of the old machining marks) with a 36-grit disc on a body grinder. This will remove all the coloring, giving you a freshly machined appearance.