Im getting ready to sand blast my frame. I got the body off allready. My question is, can i sand blast the frame with the suspension still on the car, or will this mess up the joints and bushings by getting sand in them. Do i need to take the rearend out and the front suspension? I dont really want to pull the rear end out because im afraid im not going to get it back in straight, how do you go about keeping everything in line.

Thanks

Chuck

Your upper and lower control arms should make the rearend be in the center. You'll be able to tell if it's out when you try reconnecting the driveshaft.

take everything off thats the only way to do it right.
and why your at it take all the bushings and ball joints out and replace with new when its finished.

My frame is at the gavanizers now. Dropped it off yesterday. I can't understand why anybody would do anything else. If you're going to go to the trouble of pulling the body off, and replace all the suspension bushihngs, why not go the remaining half mile and strip the frame down and take it to a galvanizer. They'll chemically remove the rust and any other coatings, then hot dip it in zinc. Presto, permanent rust protection INSIDE and OUT. No other method comes even close to providing the same protection. And the price is cheap, usually around $275 to $325 and they do all the hard, dirty work. Paint it with acrylic primer and paint (soap and water clean-up) for looks and it'll never rust again.

Just my $.02 worth.

Because most people don't know about it or don't have a place close by. Definitely sounds like the best choice however, I'd like to try it out on something someday.

My frame is at the gavanizers now. Dropped it off yesterday. I can't understand why anybody would do anything else. If you're going to go to the trouble of pulling the body off, and replace all the suspension bushihngs, why not go the remaining half mile and strip the frame down and take it to a galvanizer. They'll chemically remove the rust and any other coatings, then hot dip it in zinc. Presto, permanent rust protection INSIDE and OUT. No other method comes even close to providing the same protection. And the price is cheap, usually around $275 to $325 and they do all the hard, dirty work. Paint it with acrylic primer and paint (soap and water clean-up) for looks and it'll never rust again.

Just my $.02 worth.

Herb, Could you pass along a contact number for the place that did yours or email me with info. Thanks,

Jeff

Because most people don't know about it or don't have a place close by. Definitely sounds like the best choice however, I'd like to try it out on something someday.

And because some of us would look pretty stupid dragging a Chevelle frame behind the car all the way to the galvanizers. Not to mention getting the rope wrapped around a light pole or something....

Sandblasting will get sand into EVERYTHING. No matter how much you tpae it off or seal it up, the sand will get in there. If you can't take the suspension off to get the frame to the blaster, you will need to take it all apart and clean afterwards.

The rearend can really only go back in in the same place where it came out unless you change the length of the control arms or move the mounting holes. No problem there.

Hth

K

I bought a project car that the frame had been blasted and painted. The owner told me the rear was all ready to go back in the car and needed nothing. I decided I wanted to put a new posi unit in it so i took it to a professional. He said that the rear seal was so full of sand from the sandblasting that i wouldn't have made it 100 miles without wiping out the bearings. Take it off. If you can pull a car off the frame you can put a rear back on and get it straight.

Sorry for the delay in reply. Been super busy.

My frame is at Virginia Gavanizing in Ashland. Most folks in the DC area get their's done there. They are used to dealing with old car frames.

http://www.vagalvanizing.com/ ph. 804-798-1349 talk to Oscar, the plant mgr.

For other locations in the country, there is a listing of them as they most all belong to an assn of galvanizers. Just do a Google search on galvanizing andd your state name or try this site with 746 listings.

BTW - 2 people can easily pick and carry a 67 Chevelle frame (it's scary how little metal is in them). Put it in a 12 ft U-Haul truck and take it to the plant, return the truck. When it's ready to be picked up get the truck again. Or, borrow a trailer. How would you take it to a sand blaster or powder coater?

http://www.thomasb2b.com/ENUS/coating-services/galvanizing-services-hot-dip/index.html

ALWAYS remember to tell them to skip thelast step of "Oil Quenching" if you plan to paint it. Read all about how to deal with it on Pete Lohr's site. he's the moderator of the station wagon forum on this site. He helped me a bunch.

http://home.comcast.net/~petelohr/einstyn1/einstyn-06.htm