El Rodento
Nov 12th, 08, 8:56 PM
Hey guys,
Since I last posted in September I have started work on my '67 chevelle. Like a kid on Christmas morning I was overly excited and rushed into the "weekend" project of rebuilding my frontend suspension and replacing the front drums with discs. Holy crap was i suprised! Half of the suspension parts were for a '67 camaro and would not fit while others were missing. I also had to refinish the new tie-rods, old bolts, and control arms and paint. I did this all myself with a wire wheel and media blaster. All the parts were then base coated and painted with black enamel. (This process took me ten hours on a gorgeous saterday that if I had put off the project a week I could have been cruising around in.) I was eager to to mount all the parts and get all four wheels turning again. While mounting the lower control arm on the passenger side and tightening the last bolt (seriously, all I had left was the coils and sway bar) I put what i thought was the last turn of the wrench. The bolt, however, had half an inch to go. The threads were stripped, the bolt was ruined. I got the new bolt and was ready to replace it when I noticed the ball joint of both lower arms were pushed in the wrong way. After a few moments of shock and choice words, I called my "friend" that pressed them in to fix his mistake, which he did and in the process marred all the perfect paint and refinishing I had done. After all this I look at gearheads like my father with almost an "ah ha" type of realization. I now know the means to which he gained his vast knowledge. You true gearheads weren't born with a god-given knowledge of all things mechanical, you earned it through sweat, study, conversation, friends, necessity, tears and of coures time, time and time with a wrench in your hands. It gives me such an appreciation for those of you that can help a rookie like me and your sharing of wisdom.
Since I last posted in September I have started work on my '67 chevelle. Like a kid on Christmas morning I was overly excited and rushed into the "weekend" project of rebuilding my frontend suspension and replacing the front drums with discs. Holy crap was i suprised! Half of the suspension parts were for a '67 camaro and would not fit while others were missing. I also had to refinish the new tie-rods, old bolts, and control arms and paint. I did this all myself with a wire wheel and media blaster. All the parts were then base coated and painted with black enamel. (This process took me ten hours on a gorgeous saterday that if I had put off the project a week I could have been cruising around in.) I was eager to to mount all the parts and get all four wheels turning again. While mounting the lower control arm on the passenger side and tightening the last bolt (seriously, all I had left was the coils and sway bar) I put what i thought was the last turn of the wrench. The bolt, however, had half an inch to go. The threads were stripped, the bolt was ruined. I got the new bolt and was ready to replace it when I noticed the ball joint of both lower arms were pushed in the wrong way. After a few moments of shock and choice words, I called my "friend" that pressed them in to fix his mistake, which he did and in the process marred all the perfect paint and refinishing I had done. After all this I look at gearheads like my father with almost an "ah ha" type of realization. I now know the means to which he gained his vast knowledge. You true gearheads weren't born with a god-given knowledge of all things mechanical, you earned it through sweat, study, conversation, friends, necessity, tears and of coures time, time and time with a wrench in your hands. It gives me such an appreciation for those of you that can help a rookie like me and your sharing of wisdom.