Читать книгу Chevelle Restoration and Authenticity Guide 1970-1972 - Dale McIntosh - Страница 11

CHAPTER 4

CHASSIS, SUSPENSION, AND BRAKE WORK

The chassis is usually one of the dirtiest and most worn-out parts of the restoration you will encounter due to the fact that it is mostly out of sight and therefore neglected. The undercarriage is usually in very bad shape with pitting, many bent areas due to previous wrecks or hastily put floor jacks, welds showing ill-gotten repairs, oily residue, and cracked or worn-out bushings, just to name a few of the problems. All of these issues will have to be addressed on a restoration.

Chassis Disassembly

To what length you decide to take it will be up to you, taking into account whether the car will be a daily driver or a trailer queen. It will also depend on how much time and money you are willing to spend on that part of the restoration. Many people will not put much emphasis on the chassis due to it being unseen, while others will expect the same attention to detail on the chassis as will go into the body. Regardless of your intentions, keep a notebook and pen handy and make notes of your findings and, more importantly, document which parts will need to be found or purchased as you remove the defective part from the car.

Cleaning and Inspecting the Frame

The body has likely been removed prior to this task, so this will leave the chassis fully exposed for you to now start your inspection and restoration. It is highly recommended you begin with a good pressure wash to get as much of the oily film, road grime, and remaining residue removed from the car before you begin the teardown.

Before you begin to pressure wash the frame, look for any factory tags or decals and document them. Keep in mind that all of the removed grime will have to go somewhere, and it is illegal in most residential areas for these types of contaminants to go down the storm drain in the streets. You may want to drag it to the local self-wash car wash, as they generally have catch tanks designed for this runoff, and they are legal.

One of the most neglected parts of your Chevelle is the frame, and it will require a lot of work to bring it back to its original condition. Make sure to fully document its state with photographs before you disassemble the frame.

Make special note of items such as the frame motor mount with regard to how the bolts are oriented. Some plants installed them with the bolt head on the top side, while others installed them with the nuts and lock washers on the top (shown).

This is an example of the frame decal that the author has personally only ever found on the driver-side rear axle hump. The decal has always been inverted likely due to the frame being assembled upside down. These are often obliterated by road grime or are missing altogether. If still in place, it should read XU for coupe, XV for convertible, and XX for El Camino, at least for 1970.

After a good cleaning and scraping, photograph every part of the frame and its bolt-on parts for component placement, damage, brake and fuel-line placement, the location of specific clamps, cracks, inspection marks, and stampings, just to name a few. Do an initial inspection and photograph it. Do it again when it is fully disassembled for areas that may have been missed. Not all frames were assembled the same throughout the seven different plants, so if you are reasonably sure that your frame has been unmolested, document its assembly, especially motor mount-to-frame bolt orientation, crossmember-to-frame bolt orientation, the different types of clamps used on the brake and fuel lines, etc.

With regard to VIN stampings on the frame, keep in mind, these VIN stamps were put there by assembly workers. It was a general practice and a federal mandate that they all be stamped, but for reasons unknown, not all plants or line workers did what they were supposed to. Most plants stamped the frames with VIN numbers (some at least three times), while other plants, such as the Kansas City Leeds plant, rarely did, at least not in 1970.

It is a good idea to start a separate file within your car’s main restoration file and call it something like “Frame and Chassis Components” so that you can easily track all the facts and progression of the restoration. If you are doing a concours restoration and the condition allows for it, make sure to document any component parts that have decals still attached and the type of finish that particular component may have had.

Authentication

You will also want to carefully clean and document the frame part number, assembly date stamp, manufacturing code, and VIN (if found). The VIN can usually be found on a variety of places on the rear half of the frame and usually on the top side. You may not find any, or you may find as many as three stamps. When originally stamped, they were very faint even when new; after almost 50 years of weathering, they can be difficult to find. Some plants did not follow the mandate of stamping the frame with a VIN.

Decals (such as the frame prefix code, coil spring, shock, power steering gear, rear axle, and many others) should be documented for future replacement. The color and part number on the decal and location should also be noted. This is also a good time to do a preliminary documentation of the colored-paint inspection marks commonly found throughout the front suspension and rear differential components. These are vitally important to replicate on a highly valuable collector car to bring the degree of the restoration to a higher level. A more in-depth documentation can be done during the individual-parts-cleaning process as well, which will be covered later in the reassembly part of this chapter.

You will always find the manufacturer’s information on the driver-side rear framerail aft of the rear tire. This information provides the manufacturer (in this case Parish for Parish Pressed Steel), the part number 3960733 (a coupe), the date code (4 14 70 or April 14, 1970), and the shift (in this example, second shift).

This particular Atlanta Chevelle had the frame stamped with its VIN in three different locations. One was in the conventional location on the top side of the driver-side rear rail; two additional stamps were on the top side of the passenger-side rear rail. Make sure to look everywhere for the possible VIN stamp, but do not be alarmed if one is not found.

An example of one of the many decals that might still be on your chassis is shown. It may be found with careful disassembly. This particular rear coil spring decal is actually from a 1969 Chevelle for example purposes and denotes code GV and part number 3952817. It can be found under a variety of Chevelles.

Once you have documented everything that you can, very carefully try and remove all of the decals. You will likely not be able to save them, but you can use them later as a reference and replace them with decals that closely resemble the ones you removed and documented. If you are only doing a driver-quality restoration, you may not be concerned with these items, so use your own judgment.

Save all the decals you can from the car and chassis as you find them. This is just a small selection of decals you might find on your Chevelle during your restoration. They can be helpful in replicating them and also confirming and documenting what your car was originally.

Inspection Markings

You may also find many paint or grease pencil markings throughout your chassis and even in places on the body. These were placed there for a variety of reasons. Most of the time, it helped the assembly line pick the part that went on that particular car based on color markings. Other times, the independent supplier marked the items as they were being manufactured or assembled to denote things such as bolts that had been tightened to spec, if heat treating was performed, that machining was completed, the placement of welds, inspections that were done, etc. In a lot of cases, such as front-suspension paint markings, there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to their application, and seldom are any two alike in either color or placement.

Your best bet is to replace what you found exactly as you found it, backing it up with photo documentation of where and how it looked. Restoring one of these cars is much like what an archeologist goes through when unearthing a treasure. The utmost care and patience needs to be used to preserve and document everything that was found to help solidify your car’s roots and provenance.

Just one example of the many paint or grease pencil markings you might find on your Chevelle is shown. These particular yellow paint markings are commonly found on Chevelle 12-bolt differentials as well as others to denote the placement of the pocket welds that held the axle tubes into the center carrier. These were done before the welding took place, evidenced by the burned paint around the weld.

Keep all old parts in a separate tote during the restoration, even if they are not salvageable. There are many small pieces off these components that can be reused if the replacement component parts are not to your liking or don’t fit. You can also use the original parts for comparison to the replacement ones. If you are restoring a car for a customer, let them decide what gets thrown away and what they may want to keep.

Save Those Old Parts

As with most areas of the restoration and with rare exception, save all old parts that you know you will not be using in separate marked bins. This way, you can refer back to them if you are having fitment, function, finish, or design issues with replacement parts. Sometimes comparing the new to the old will solve a problem. Just as importantly, you can sometimes take pieces off your old parts and use them along with the new parts. Even completely unsalvageable parts such as weatherstripping can provide you with little things like the small white push pins if you come up short or they went missing from the new weatherstripping package.

If you are restoring a Chevelle for a customer, it is a good idea to keep all of their parts until the car is ready for delivery, thereby allowing them to make the final decision to throw parts away or to keep them. In the case of a highly valuable collector car, these original parts can also add to the sale and story of the car if or when it comes time to sell it. Broken parts—such as a transmission case or exploded differential housing—can round out the picture in a story of how the transmission came apart just as you slammed second gear while being a car length in front of your opponent. It will also prove the beginnings of the car since you will still possess the original part with the car’s VIN number on it even if it cannot be used. In most of the do-it-yourself restorers’ cases, you just need to keep them for reference and parts salvage.

Suspension Disassembly

Now it is time to start the disassembly in earnest. First, make note of any shims located in the front upper control arm area. This is one very good way to determine if your frame has been involved in any significant damage. If the car was ever in an accident where the frame was knocked out of alignment, the frame and body shop would have to compensate for that alignment issue with the use of shims and/or a replacement offset cross shaft, assuming they were not able to pull the frame back to its original state. If you notice significantly more shims on one side versus the other or a lot of shims on both sides, this is a likely sign of a pending frame alignment issue.

Another sign of severe damage is if the upper control arm shaft has been replaced with an offset shaft to make up for more needed camber or caster. When the frame is totally disassembled and with a GM frame dimension sheet in hand, this would be the time to have the frame brought back to its original form.

Suspension Failures

Also look for any obvious wrinkles, tears, or broken welds on the frame. This is also an indicator of extremely hard usage or damage. These issues will need to be addressed during the restoration to ensure the car will sit and ride according to the manufacturer’s specifications. It is rare that a 50-year-old Chevelle would not have been involved in an accident or drag raced in its lifetime, so this will more often than not be the norm.

This particular frame had seen severe use and damage in its lifetime primarily due to drag racing. Notice the pulled and stretched oval tie-down hole, the badly damaged and rusted core support-mounting hole on the top, and several holes drilled and then damaged in the inside rail. Dents found in the frame like the one near the core support mount often lead to more severe damage elsewhere that needs to be addressed before you can consider any bodywork and paint on the frame.

Note the excessive amount of shims used on this upper control arm, which is usually a good indicator of other damage somewhere in the frame or suspension. The cross shaft shown here was also not used on the Chevelle but was used on other GM A-bodies, so this is another indicator that someone replaced some suspension pieces, likely because they were bent.

Pay close attention for signs of damage to all parts of the frame, including the rear differential, rear crossmember, control arms, trailing arms, and frame to name a few. Any damage will all have to be addressed during the restoration. Especially look for things you would normally not even consider looking for in most cases, such as axle tube damage. A badly or heavily abused car may have axle tube twist or separation, and you or your mechanic must address these during the rebuild.

Some less-than-quality shops will try and repair cracks in suspension mounts using less-than-stellar welding techniques. As can be seen in this photo, it did not stop by simply welding; the crack just continued down the frame. When not addressed in the correct manner, it can lead to catastrophic results.

This particular Chevelle was used extensively for drag racing in its early life. Many hard launches caused the axle tube to break the plug welds loose. This not only caused the tube to walk itself out a 1/4 inch but also rotated the tube slightly. Had this not been addressed during the restoration, you would continue to have issues, some of which could have had an ill-fated outcome.

Engine, Transmission, and Driveshaft Removal

If you have not already done so, it is time to remove the engine, transmission, and driveshaft. Again, fully document everything you disassemble. Start by disconnecting any components related to the drivetrain, such as electrical, fuel lines, exhaust, and any remaining transmission or carburetor linkages. If you are saving your exhaust—and this cannot usually be done very well—carefully remove the exhaust tips, tailpipes, mufflers, and the head pipes. Once those are removed, proceed by removing all the hangers. If you do not intend to save the exhaust, then just cut them apart using a tool, such as an exhaust cutter.

Engine Removal Preparation

Unbolt the engine mount through bolts found on either side of the engine. If this is an original or unmolested car, make note of the direction of the bolts and motor mounts. Original assembly-line engine mounts had a swaged nut on one side of the engine mount, allowing the assembly worker to simply install the bolt through the mount and not have to worry about putting a wrench on the nut on the other side. Replacement mounts did not come with this and required installing a nut and lock washer onto the bolt. However, when reassembling the engine onto the frame, you can still simulate factory mounts by at the very least installing the bolts in the same direction as the factory did. On the driver’s side, the bolt was installed from the rear toward the front. The passenger’s side is just the opposite since it uses the same part-numbered engine mount, and the bolt was installed into the front side of the mount.

Either of these two tools will work well to remove your old exhaust system. If you already own a Sawzall, that is the quickest and easiest way to remove it. The exhaust pipe cut-off tool can be purchased for less than $30, which is also a good alternative. In a pinch, simply use a hacksaw.

On assembly-line engine mounts, the nuts are swaged onto the mount and do not require two tools when tightening. If you no longer have the original mounts, you can simulate this by using thin nuts and orientating the bolts from back to front on the driver’s side and front to back on the passenger’s side.

Unbolt the two bolts that hold the transmission mount to the crossmember. Take special note of how the washers are placed on automatic cars: two large washers should be mounted between the transmission tailshaft housing and the transmission mount on either side. This aids in pinion alignment and is very important.

Remove or cut the rubber fuel line(s) running from the frame-mounted fuel hard line to the fuel pump. Inspect the fuel line(s) to see if they may be an original with ink stamping such as “SWAN GAS” or “EVAP” so that these can be replicated during the restoration process.

Note how there is a large washer installed between the top of the transmission mount and the transmission tailhousing. This is only on automatic cars and must be put back in this way, as it affects the pinion angle. People often install the large washer under the lock washer and bolt on the top mount to tailhousing bolts, and that would be incorrect.

This is just one example of the stripes that you may encounter on your drive-shaft. The color codes will be found in box 19 of your build sheet and in this case marked PK-BL. It is widely believed that the thin orange stripe denotes that the shaft has been through the balancing process.

These are just some of the many types of fuel and evaporator lines you may encounter during your restoration. Keep your original lines and replicate the markings if you so choose. Some of these lines are available in the aftermarket, but with most you will need to replicate the stamps and stamp your own. Many of these will also have date codes on them.

The meaning of this yellow grease pencil marking on the aft part of the driveshaft has not yet been determined, but it has been found on many 454 shafts and always at the rear. It is likely that it is just another way of marking that a part of the machining or assembly has been completed and checked or tells the installer to put that at the rear during installation.

Driveshaft

Remove the driveshaft at this time. Before doing so, have a pan ready and lay it underneath the transmission output shaft to collect transmission fluid that may leak. If not already done, drain the engine oil at this time as well. Be aware that even more antifreeze, engine oil, and transmission fluid may leak from these areas when the engine and transmission are tilted up for removal, so prepare containers to catch these fluids.

Remove the four universal-joint U-bolts or through bolts, nuts, and straps, whichever your car has at the rear U-joint. Wrap duct or electrical tape around the U-joint so that the bearing caps do not fall off the U-joint and cause the loss of some of your needle bearings. Carefully set the rear end of the driveshaft on the ground (if you are not using a hoist), then pull the front slip yoke from the transmission tailhousing.

Place the driveshaft in a safe and secure area so it does not fall; it can be easily dented. The U-joints will be replaced later on in your restoration, and we will cover that part of the restoration at that time. As always, make note of any markings you may find. The assembly-line shafts have paint stripes on them that correlated with box 19 of the build sheet. The assembly worker would look on the build sheet for the stripe colors and would pick the correct shaft from the bank to install on the car. Other paint markings can be found on the shaft as well as the pinion flange and slip yoke, so look around.

Pulling the Engine

Remove the carburetor and distributor so they are not damaged during the engine-removal process. Have an engine stand, dolly, old tire, wood blocks, or whatever else you intend to use to set the engine on at the ready. It is recommended to use an engine hoist (or cherry picker as some are called) to remove the engine and try to have a buddy available to help negotiate the engine and transmission from the frame if needed.

Always use grade 3 or higher bolts and a chain suited for the task. This is one area you never want to skimp on when it comes to safety. Lift the engine and transmission from the frame as a unit for ease of removal. Once on the ground, the engine and transmission can be separated. At this point, the transmission can be stored in a safe place—preferably on a dolly—and the engine mounted on a stand to ease in its disassembly.

Parking Brake Removal

The parking or emergency brake (as it is commonly called) cables can now be removed; they are in three separate assemblies. The front main cable that was separated from the body during the body removal section in chapter 3 can now be removed from the frame. Note that the cable comes downward and into the front corner of the driver-side framerail. From there, it runs through a hole at the rear portion of that part of the frame and is held there by what is commonly called a butterfly clip.

The primary parking brake cable will come through the front framerail just behind the driver-side front tire on the rear side of that rail. After the intermediate cable equalizer and large C-hook have been removed, go back and remove the small butterfly clip.

The primary cable attaches to the intermediate cable by way of a stabilizer bracket, and tension is applied via two nuts. Remove these and the large C-hook from the intermediate cable as well as the two smaller S-hooks from the body and let the cable drop. Move to the rear of the intermediate cable and remove the U-brackets.

Moving to the rear of the intermediate cable, remove the C-brackets that hold the intermediate cable to the rear cable. Note that the rear parking brake cable is also held to the frame with butterfly clips.

Determine if your crossmember is correct for your manual-transmission (shown here) or the automatic-transmission application. The manual-transmission crossmember will have the extra bracket welded to the rear of the crossmember for mounting of the shifter bracket to it.

Pay special attention to the bolts mounting the crossmember to the frame, assuming they are original and have never been molested. The assembly manual shows that these should be mounted from the top down, but we rarely see them this way. They are usually mounted from the bottom up. This is likely due to the frame being assembled at the plant upside down.

Near the end of this cable, you will find an intermediate brake-cable equalizer. It will have the intermediate cable running through it. Just behind the equalizer are two nuts that lock together and adjust the cable tension. Remove these two nuts and slide the equalizer and intermediate cable off of the front cable as well as the large C-hook that stabilizes the intermediate cable. The C-hook is attached to the transmission crossmember just to the right of the transmission tailhousing.

Now remove the intermediate cable from the equalizer. Place the hardware and any other parking brake parts in the bag you already labeled back when the body was removed from the frame. The two C-shaped hooks that held the intermediate cable to the floorpan will already be in that bag. Now that you have all of that hardware removed, go back and remove the butterfly clip from the primary cable and pull the cable upward and out of the frame.

At the rear of the intermediate cable, you will find two U-brackets that hold the intermediate cable to the rear differential cables. Place the U-brackets in your bag and put the front main and intermediate cable in a safe place for restoration or replacement. Normally these cables are worn, stretched, and rusted and will require replacement.

With the drivetrain and emergency brake cables out of the way, now is a good time to remove the transmission crossmember. Chevrolet used one type for manual transmissions and another for automatic transmissions. The manual version had an additional bracket welded to the rear of it for the manual-shifter mounting bracket, so make sure you have the correct one. Also, note how the four bolts that hold the crossmember to the frame are positioned. The assembly manual states to install them facing downward, but some plants installed them facing up.

Suspension Removal

From this point, place the frame on jack stands in four locations, or—better yet—use a two-post lift if you have one available. Start by placing the jack stands on the front and rear corners of the main framerail under the door area or two at the rear of the frame. Raise the frame so that the tires are just off the ground. I found that this will best support the frame: the stands are (for the most part) out of your way, and you can remove the tires when the time comes without jacking up the frame. If you are using a car lift, this will work even better because you can raise and lower the frame to better suit the area that you are working on. When using the lift, strap the frame to the hoist arms for added security.

Now that you documented everything and stabilized the frame, you can remove the wheels and tires. Once you have them removed and neatly stacked out of your way, start removing all the frame component parts. The order in which you do this is entirely up to you. However, it is best to get the bulky and heavy items out of the way first, such as the front and rear suspension. This allows for a little cleaner access area to the rest of the components to remove them later on.

Usually the best location to place the jack stands is under the frame to keep them mostly out of your way during disassembly when removing both the front and rear suspension. Be very careful not to accidently lean on or move the frame while disassembling because this could cause the stands to move and the frame to fall off, causing severe damage and injury. Shown here is a completely disassembled frame to give an unobstructed view of the locations to place the stands.

Place your rolling frame on a two-post lift. This will allow you to raise and lower the frame to a comfortable height while you work on each facet of the disassembly. It is a good idea to use straps and wrap them around the frame at each lift arm for added security so that the frame does not walk off the lift arms.

Rear Differential Removal

The rear differential is the next major component to remove. If not previously done, now is the time to remove the rear cover and drain the differential fluid. It is best to drain it through a strainer so that you can retain any filings or metal chips that will help you to determine if there may be an issue with the internals of the differential beyond normal wear. This will need to be addressed with a potential complete overhaul. Also, note if there is any water or other foreign material in the differential lube.

Start by placing a drain pan under the differential and slightly loosening all the bolts on the cover. Leave the top couple of bolts a little tighter, which will allow the fluid to drain but not gush out and cover you and everything else with fluid. Once the fluid has been drained, put all the bolts back into their respective holes and slightly tighten them for the time being until you address the differential overhaul.

While in the air, pull the rear cover off the differential and drain the fluid through a fine screen. Check for debris and other foreign matter to get an idea of what you may be dealing with.

Trailing Arms Removal

There are two upper and two lower trailing arms as well as the flexible brake line, emergency brake cables, and sway bar that are attached to the rear differential. The frame is already being supported by jack stands, so you can use a floor jack under the differential to support it and later for removal. Before placing it there, remove the four bolts holding the sway bar (if so equipped) to the lower trailing arms and remove the sway bar. Note the quantity and placement of any shims between the trailing arms and sway bar–attaching points, if any were present.

Cars that came equipped with the F41 suspension option will have a reinforcement plate spot welded onto the driver-side upper trailing arm. It will always be on the upper driver’s side.

When removing any components of the suspension, always make note of the bolts, nuts, and washers. The front lower rear trailing arm has unique hardware from the integral washer-headed bolt to the washer(s) found under the frame-reinforcement bars, if so equipped. You will usually only find one washer per side, but in this case there were two. Also note the direction of the bolt.

After removal of the differential from the frame, you can either leave it on your floor jack for the time being or move it to a small caster cart to make it more mobile and keep it out of your way. If you are not going to be doing anything to it for a time, simply store it out of the way.

Place the floor jack under the differential carrier and use a strap to hold it so it cannot roll off when it is separated from the trailing arms. Remove the two butterfly clips from the front of the parking brake cable attaching points outlined earlier, and pull the cables through the hole and out of the way. Lift the differential up until it starts to raise the frame. This will take the load off of it and make it easier to remove the bolts.

Moving on to the upper trailing arms, remove the four bolts from the attaching points at the differential. On F41-equipped cars, make sure the heavy-duty reinforcing tab is there and take note of which side it is located. This particular arm should be attached on the driver’s side.

Move to the lower trailing arms and remove the two front and two rear bolts holding the trailing arms onto the differential. On heavy-duty suspension cars, you will have an additional frame-reinforcement bar that mounts to the front side of the bottom rear trailing arm and runs up to the front top mount of the rear upper trailing arms. Remove these at the same time as you remove the bolts.

Take special note of the types of bolts and their orientation when removing them, as all the rear suspension bolts need to be installed in the correct direction. Also make note that the frame through bolt holding the lower trailing arm to the frame gusset in the front of the trailing arm is different than any other suspension bolt; it has an integral washer head on it, whereas none of the other ones do. You should also find large washers under the stop nuts on cars equipped with the frame-reinforcement bars attached to this same point.

Check all four trailing arms for bushing wear to the point that the through bolt has worn through the bushing and into the trailing arm. If you find this, the arm will either need to be replaced or, if the damage is minor, some welding and grinding will be required.

If you have access to a two-post hoist, simply lower the hoist near the ground and remove the bolts holding the control arms to the rear differential. Place the differential on a small four-caster dolly and move it out of the way. Then simply raise the frame back in the air, where it is easier to work on, and remove the balance of the rear suspension pieces.

Remove the snubber and bracket from the frame. Pay attention to the orientation of the bolts. I have never seen them mounted any other way than with the bolts installed from the rear of the crossmember and facing the front of the car.

Remove the clip and remove the brake flex line from the upper rear crossmember area. It is best to put some sort of cap or plug in the line so you do not drip brake fluid everywhere. Now that you have the differential completely loose, remove the bolts and either leave the differential on the floor jack or transfer the differential onto an inexpensive four-wheel caster dolly and push it out of the way for the time being.

If you are using a two-post hoist, you can simply lower the frame until the differential is sitting on jack stands or that same inexpensive caster dolly. Remove all the attaching hardware, and then lift the frame up and away from the differential using the hoist.

The last thing you need to remove will be the pinion snubber. This is held on the crossmember by not only two bolts, nuts, and washers but also with a nut holding the pinion snubber through the crossmember and into the snubber bracket. Remove the hardware, snubber, and bracket and place them in a separate bag. Also, note the original finish of the pinion bracket; I have seen both natural steel and black dipped.

Front Suspension Removal

The front suspension will be the last major component to remove from the frame assembly. It is best to remove all of the small components—such as tie rods, steering arms, the center link, idler arm, and sway bar—first to get them out of the way before you move on to the bigger parts. This would also be a good time to check most of the components for wear or other defects.

Check all the tie-rod joints for looseness by having a buddy turn the steering wheel back and forth about an inch while you hold your hand around the joint, testing one joint at a time. If you feel any clunking or obvious looseness, make note of that so it can be replaced during your restoration. Ball joints can also be tested at this time, but it is recommended that you automatically replace all bushings and joints if you are doing a full restoration.

Sway Bar Removal

Separate the sway bar from the sway bar end links. Bag and tag those pieces as you have been doing. Now, carefully remove the sway bar brackets from the frame. If you have a friend helping you, have them hold the sway bar as you remove the brackets. If you do not have help, a floor jack placed in the center of the sway bar will hold it in place while you remove the hardware.

Remove all the cotter pins from all the attachment points on the articulating suspension pieces. Then loosen all the castle nuts. Leave them attached with a few threads so that they do not simply fall to the ground when the parts are separated. Removing these joints can be tricky. It is best to use a tool designed specifically for tie rod removal to limit any damage to the tie rod or boot. The pullers are the best tool to use because they will not damage any part of the joint, whereas the pickle fork will most certainly damage the boot. It is also not recommended to use any type of hammer to remove the joints unless you intend to replace them; this will not only damage the outside of the tie rod but in some cases will actually distort the tapered joint that the tie rod knuckle fits into. Heat can also be your friend here, but caution needs to be used with regard to the boot as well as any combustible material nearby. If you are replacing the boots, this is a good option along with one of the tools discussed.

These are just some of the tools that can be used on the front suspension to remove tie rods, pinion arms, and other pieces. The use of these tools will allow you to safely remove the part without damage to it or its associated parts, other than the pickle fork, which should not be used unless you intend to replace everything.

Drag Link and Pitman Arm Removal

Once you remove the tie rods, loosen the drag link (or center link, as many call them) joints at the steering gear pitman arm on the driver’s side and the frame-mounted idle arm on the passenger’s side. Use the same methods and procedures that you previously used on the tie rods.

It can be difficult to remove the drag link with the steering gear attached because the drag link will hit the protruding frame center section. It is best that you now loosen the steering gear so you can move it around and remove the drag link joint. Regardless of which steering you have, be it power assisted or manual, remove the pitman arm nut and lock washer and set them aside.

If you do not intend to rebuild the steering gear, it may not be necessary to remove the arm, and you can ignore this step. It is best and far easier to use an impact wrench and a 1-5/16 socket. If this is not available and you must use a large wrench, it is imperative that you do not turn the arm all the way to the steering gear stop; this will likely damage the internal parts of the steering gear. Using heat here will also sometimes help, but damage to the shaft rubber seal is likely; unless you intend to rebuild the gear, do not use heat in this area.

Using either an electric, rechargeable, or pneumatic impact wrench will greatly simplify the removal of the pitman arm nut. Without it, you may have your work cut out for you and could likely damage the internal gears of the steering gear. These are usually very rusty, so it is best to presoak it in penetrant before attempting to remove the nut.

It is imperative that you use the correct tool for the job, especially on something such as the pitman arm removal. Use of incorrect tools will lead to potential damage and costly repairs if care is not taken. With the pitman arm tool, getting the arm off is a snap.

Steering Gear Removal

Remove the three bolts going through the frame and into the side of the steering gear. This may require a helper to hold the steering gear from falling while the other removes the bolts. These attaching bolts can sometimes be rusty, so both heat and a rust penetrant can help you here. This is a very heavy unit, so be prepared to catch it as the last bolt is removed.

Once the gear has been separated from the frame, remove the drag link to pitman arm joint and place the steering gear out of the way for now. You have already removed the large pitman arm bolt and lock washer, so now you can remove the pitman arm. Removal of this arm will almost always require a removal tool to separate the arm from the shaft so neither part is damaged. Using any other method may cause damage.

Idle Arm Removal

Now you can remove the drag link and place it out of the way. This will leave only the idle arm, which is attached to the frame with two bolts and lock nuts. Insert a long extension and 9/16 socket through the frame while holding a 9/16 wrench on the lock-nut side. It is easier to remove the nut first and then carefully pull the bolt out of the frame using your socket or better yet a magnet. These bolts can sometimes fall down into the frame, and retrieving them can often be difficult. Use caution and patience here.

Drum Brake Removal

The spindle and brake assembly can be removed as a complete assembly or as individual parts. It is actually better to remove the assembly piece by piece so that you are using the frame as a jig to hold the parts rather than wrestle with them on a bench. This will also allow you to take better photos if you find inspection marks, decals, or issues with the individual parts.

Drum brakes are slightly different in the disassembly process than disc brakes. On a front drum-brake assembly, first remove the flexible brake line from the frame-mounting point using the appropriate-sized line wrench. Not using the correct tool here will cause you bigger headaches. Do the same at the other end where it attaches to the wheel cylinder.

Use of a flare nut or line wrench here is imperative because using a conventional wrench will only round the edges of the nut, ruining the fitting and making it much more difficult to remove. This is yet another good area to use a penetrant or heat, but as always be very careful not to burn the hose. The fluid will also be extremely hot, so care must be taken not to burn yourself.

Move on to the brake drum. In some cases, the shoes may have ground a groove into the inside of the drum due to excessive wear, or the shoes may have welded themselves to the drum from sitting for so long. Both will inhibit easy removal of the drum, and both of these situations can be a major headache.

If the drum cannot be turned, it is likely the shoes are stuck to it. You can try and dislodge them using a large rubber or plastic mallet and hitting the drum quite hard to try and loosen the shoes. It is very hard to get it inside the drum, but spraying some penetrant so that it gets onto the shoes may also help loosen them. Sometimes there are adjustment holes that have been opened on the backside of the drum, and it can be sprayed through there as well.

In rare cases, you may have to use a lot of heat and a sledge hammer to jar the drum free. However, using this method will most surely require replacement of the drum, so use it as a last resort.

Spindle Dust Cap Removal

Once you have removed the drum, you will see the spindle, bearing flange, and the brake hardware. Remove the spindle dust cap using a dust cap–removal tool or simply a large flat-bladed screwdriver. Place the blade behind the raised ridge at the rear of the cap, walk the screw-driver around the cap, and gently pry it loose without damaging the cap or flange. You will now see a large nut, washer, and cotter pin.

A dust cover will keep the bearing free of dirt and moisture. It will also contain grease so that it does not drip everywhere and contaminate the wheel. Behind the cover you will find the nut, tabbed washer, and cotter pin. Care must be taken to not damage the spindle threads.

This tool can be used to remove the spindle dust cover, although a flat-bladed screwdriver will also work by simply walking it around the bearing cover. Using the dust cover tool works simply grabbing the cover behind the flange and wiggling it back and forth. Place the nut, washer, and cotter pin in the dust cap and then into a bag for safe keeping.

Removing the Drum

Remove the cotter pin by bending the tabs with pliers and pulling the pin with a pin puller tool or simply using a side cutter (dikes) and leverage the pin out from its hole. In rare cases, the pin may have rusted into the hole or break off and you will have to drill the damaged pieces out.

After the pin is removed, gently remove the nut using either a socket or a crescent wrench. Using a gripping type of tool like channel-lock pliers may damage the surface of the nut and is not recommended. Now, simply wiggle the spindle flange, and the outer bearing will walk out onto the spindle. Take a paper towel, remove the bearing, and set it aside.

While in this position, a trick for removing the inner bearing and seal (if you are replacing the bearing) is to put the nut back on the spindle, pull the drum out until the nut contacts the roller bearing, and give it a forceful tug toward you. The nut will force the bearing and seal from the back of the drum and spindle flange. It may require a few tugs before it separates itself. You can now remove the spindle flange/drum assembly.

Bearing and Spindle Analysis

Regardless of the type of restoration you are doing, it is recommended to clean and re-grease the inner and outer bearings. Based on the cost and the fact that you are this far into it, replacement of the bearings and seal makes more sense. If you choose to clean and reuse your bearings, you will still need to replace the inner seal on the backside of the drum and bearing hub.

Before you decide to keep the bearings, clean them thoroughly and check for any roughness, expanded cages, missing bearings, etc. You will also want to clean the spindle and check for any blued, galled, or damaged areas where the bearing race rides as well as for bad threads on the shaft itself. Very minor damage can be massaged and cleaned up with emery cloth, but damage beyond that will require replacement of the spindle itself. If you can feel a groove in the spindle with your fingernail, chances are the damage is too severe and replacement of the spindle will be necessary. If the spindle is badly blued, it is also time to replace it. The bluing was caused by severe heat, and this can cause the spindle to become brittle and break.

If you chose to replace the bearings and/or drum and bearing hub, you will also need to remove the bearing races in most cases; they should be matched to the bearings. Looking inside the drum mounting flange, you will see the backs of the bearing races with only a very small cutout area for a driver tool to reach the backside of the bearing race. Using a small brass drift and small hammer, very carefully drive the race out, tapping from side to side until the race falls out. Be very careful not to damage the surface the bearing race lays against. Flip the rotor over and repeat for the other bearing race.

Carefully inspect the spindle for any damage to the threads or the bearing race surface as well as bluing. Minor damage can be repaired, but in a case such as this one where the bearing actually galled the bearing surface, it will need to be replaced.

Using a brass drift inserted inside the bearing hub, place on the back side of the bearing race in the relief cut-out area within the hub. Gently tap this on both sides and remove the bearing race, being very careful not to damage the mating surface of the bearing race.

Miscellaneous Suspension Removal

Now that the flange is out of the way, take several photographs, paying particular attention to the location of the springs, their color, and their orientation. Also note that the brake adjusters are left- and right-handed and that the brake shoes have two different lengths of pads on them, which are better known as primary and secondary shoes. The shorter pad will always face the front of the car.

Once you document these, you can proceed to remove the springs, shoes, brake hardware, and wheel cylinder. Start by removing the flexible brake hose at the rear of the backing plate. Remove the retainer clip and loosen the nut on either end of the flex hose where it meets the brake hard line on the frame. Always replace this flex hose with a new one. They become old and cracked and can be very brittle.

Inspect all drum brake backing plates in the area of the pads where the brake shoes ride. If grooves are found, either weld and grind this area or replace the backing plate as these grooves will cause the shoes to hang up.

Brake Tools

It is best to purchase an assortment of brake tools or buy them in a kit form. They make doing brake work much easier, and there is less chance of damaging the tool, the part, or yourself. It will also speed up disassembly and reassembly.

A variety of brake tools are available specifically for doing brake work. However, most standard tools in your toolbox will work just as well to remove the springs, hardware, wheel cylinder, and shoes. Once removed, place them all in a bag or a box and label them as to which wheel they came off of. You should now be left with a bare brake backing plate. Carefully inspect it for cracks or other defects. Pay close attention to the pads on the backing plate where the brake shoes ride. If there is a groove cut into these pads, either replace the backing plate or weld the groove and grind flat, as this will cause the shoes to hang up if left as is. At this point, you can either remove the backing plate or leave it attached to the spindle or axle flange. ■

Sometimes heat will help remove the brake lines at the joints. However, be very careful as DOT 3 brake fluid is flammable and can catch fire as you loosen the joint. At the very least, it could be under pressure and will be extremely hot and will cause severe burns if it makes contact with your skin. Use of a propane torch is advised, as this will provide more than enough heat for your needs.

Disc Brake Removal

Much of the removal process for disc brakes is the same as the drum brakes with minor exceptions. Starting with the caliper, remove the flex line from the frame mount as before, then move on to the caliper side where the banjo bolt holds it to the caliper using a copper washer on either side of the line. Take caution because these lines are full of brake fluid and will damage paint if spilled.

Look for and remove the two long internal 3/8-inch headed bolts that hold the caliper onto the caliper bracket. Loosen these until they no longer thread out, then pull them the rest of the way and set them aside. Check for damage or excessive wear at the head and along the shaft of the bolt and set them aside. The caliper is now free, but due to the piston being forced out against the brake pads, it may still not want to come off the caliper. Using a medium-size pry bar or large screwdriver, pry the caliper back and forth against the rotor face in an attempt to force the piston back, giving it more wiggle room to be removed from the rotor. Now, place the same tool between the outer race of the rotor and the caliper on both sides of the caliper bracket. Gently pry upward on both ends to pull the caliper up and away from the rotor. Once removed, the caliper assembly can be set in a drain pan until it has fully drained.

Spindle Hub Removal

Move on to the spindle hub. Remove the bearing dust cap from the face of the rotor hub. You can now see the cotter pin, nut, and washer that are attached to the spindle. Remove these, allowing the rotor to be freed from the spindle. Regardless of the type of rotors, place the palms of your hands on either side of the rotor and gently wiggle or push inward. This will cause the outer bearing to come out of the spindle, where you can now grab and remove it. Set it aside.

As stated earlier in the drum brake removal section, a trick for removing the inner bearing and seal is to put the nut back on the spindle, pull the rotor out until the nut contacts the inner roller bearing, and give it a forceful tug toward you. This will move the nut, forcing the bearing and seal from the back of the rotor and/or bearing hub. It may require a few tugs before it separates itself. The rotor will now come off the spindle and can be set aside.

One-Piece and Two-Piece Rotors

Early Chevelles had what is referred to as a two-piece rotor. In this case, the machined rotor can be separated from the bearing hub and can then be replaced or re-machined without doing anything to the bearings or hub other than unbolting it from the rotor, which is not the case on a one-piece rotor. In both cases and after the caliper has been removed and out of the way, the rotor (one piece) or rotor/hub assembly (two piece) is simply removed and separated from the bearing hub and can be set aside.

You will need to determine if the rotor is within spec or if it needs to be turned. If not enough material remains on the rotor face, a replacement will need to be located and can be sourced from restoration parts suppliers. In the case of the one-piece rotor, it will need to be machined as a unit; with the two-piece rotor, if there is not enough material left to machine, it will need to be discarded and replaced as a unit.

Bearing Hub Disassembly

Removing the bearing hub on two-piece rotors is done the same way. The inner and outer bearing races, the inner bearing, and the seal will all stay within the hub unless you use the seal-removal trick stated earlier. The bearing hub can then be separated from the rotor by removing the five bolts attaching the rotor to the hub. If you did not remove the inner bearing and hub using the trick before, do so now by placing the rotor and/or hub face down on the floor and using a seal-removal tool or another device that works to gently pry up on the seal and remove it.

Using a seal puller in the manner shown, gently pry up on the bearing seal with the removal tool while walking around the circumference of the seal. If a seal removal tool is not available, a large flat-bladed screwdriver can also be used. Regardless of what tool you use, the seal must be replaced.

Bearing Race

If you are doing a more thorough restoration and replacing the bearings and/or rotor, you will also need to remove the bearing races in most cases. It should be mentioned again that during a restoration it is best to replace the bearing as opposed to cleaning and repacking, but that is up to you. If you insist on using the original bearings, thoroughly clean them of all grease and dry them off. Do not use an air hose and spin the bearings; this can not only damage them but they can also explode the cage and severely injure you. If you turn the bearing and do not feel any roughness or excessive looseness, then grease and reinstall it after the rotors have been restored or replaced.

As was already covered in the drum brake removal section, look inside the rotor mounting flange (on two-piece rotors) or the rotor itself (on one-piece units) to find the backs of the bearing races with only a very small cutout area for a driver tool to reach the bearing race. Using a brass drift and small hammer, very carefully drive the race out, tapping from side to side until the race falls out. Flip the rotor over and repeat for the other bearing race.

Spindle Removal

Before removing the spindle, loosen and remove the two bolts at the bottom that go through the backing plate, through the spindle, and out the steering arm. Also remove the top center bolt holding the backing plate onto the spindle. The disc brake caliper bracket is also attached with these same bolts and can be removed at the same time. Once all are removed, the steering arm, backing plates, and caliper bracket can be removed and placed out of the way. Each of these items have to be put back on their correct side during reassembly.

Coil Spring Removal

Now comes the interesting part: removing the coil spring. It is best to use a spring compressor designed for this very job, and there are several varieties on the market that can be used. It is best to wrap a chain or strap around the coil and attach it to the frame to stop the spring from flying out and striking you if something goes awry. A ratchet strap with a hooked end also will do the job.

Once you have the coil spring compressor installed, remove the cotter pins from the upper and lower ball joints. Loosen the nuts several threads but be very cautious and leave enough threads attached to hold the nut on the spindle as the coil spring is under a great deal of tension.

Get yourself a conventional coil spring removal tool. These are readily available at most automotive parts stores and can be rented from most of them, as well as rental shops. This will make coil spring removal and installation much easier.

Creating Your Own Spring Compressor Tool

You can also have a tool fabricated similar to what I use. It consists of a stainless steel threaded rod that is inserted through the upper shock mount hole. It should have a long stainless threaded rod, long tubular spacer, phenolic spacer to protect the control arm, washer, and roller bearing that works very well to compress the spring. At the bottom of the threaded rod, you can use the lower spring retainer hook from a conventional spring-compressor tool.

This has the same result as a normal spring compressor but is much easier to use and does not get in the way as much. It is suggested that you also hook one end of a ratchet strap to the coil spring and the other end to a part of the frame on the opposite side of the car, so in case of a mishap, the spring will not fly out and hit you. It is also best to protect the area surrounding the coil spring on the lower control arm, but this is more important during reinstallation. ■

If you are more of a fabricator, you can make your own tool, consisting of a stainless steel all-thread rod, steel spacer, phenolic spacer, washer, bearing, and bottom coil spring retainer from a conventional spring compressor. This makes the job far easier and is much safer to use.

This homemade tool not only makes the job easier but the through rod also helps hold the coil spring in place in case of an accident. The use of a hooked ratchet strap will greatly aid in the removal and installation as well as add to the safety factor.

Using the same tools and/or methods that you used to separate the tie rods, separate the spindle from the upper and lower control arms while leaving the spindle nuts slightly attached at this time. Applying some localized heat to the area of the ball-joint stud will greatly help in separating the two from each other.

During this procedure, you may hear a loud bang and should notice that the spindle is now tight up against the nuts. This means the ball-joint studs have separated themselves from the spindle bore.

Using the spring compressor of your choice, compress the spring enough to take tension back off the spindle where it attaches to the ball joints. Once that tension has been removed, remove the nuts holding the spindle to the control arms, and you are ready for the next step.

Notice how the spring tension has aided the separation of the spindle from the ball joint stud, eliminating the need to impact the spindle with a hammer. Always make sure you leave plenty of threads on the castle nut to retain the spindle for the time being and so that it cannot completely separate, allowing the coil spring to fly off and cause bodily injury.

Depending on which method of overall restoration you are taking, you can also use several other tools and equipment to help here. If the body is still on the frame, simply place a floor jack under the ball joint on the lower control arm. Using whichever method works best for you to separate the ball joint from the spindle, do so at this time using extreme caution. Once separated, slowly lower the floor jack and allow the lower control arm to slowly pivot downward, allowing the tension of the coil spring to be gently released.

If you have a two-post hoist available and the body has been removed from the frame, you can ratchet strap the frame to the hoist and secure it from moving and also use it as a tool. Lower the hoist all the way to the floor so that the lower control arms are resting on the floor. Once you have the spindle nuts loose, you can separate the spindle from the ball joints. Once that takes place, very slowly raise the hoist, letting the lower control arm stay resting on the floor. This allows the tension on the coil springs to gently be released. Once again, it is suggested that you use a chain or ratchet strap around the coil spring to hold it from flying out. Once the spindle has been separated from the upper and lower ball joints, remove it and place it aside.

Upper and Lower Control Arms Removal

Now you can remove the upper and lower control arms. Each lower arm is attached by two through bolts and lock nuts. Remove these followed by the arm. Be cautious because these are heavy and may drop out on their own when the bolts are removed.

The upper control arm is attached to the frame using two bolts on each side that run through the control arm cross shaft. Remove the lock nuts and sometimes lock washers and wiggle the control arm toward the center of the frame and off the bolts. Slight tapping with a rubber mallet will help in the removal process. Remove the control arms and place aside.

If you are doing a full concours restoration, you may want to consider removing the upper control arm attaching bolts from the frame and replacing them with new ones that are available from a variety of sources, or if they are in good shape, simply restore the originals. A few light taps with a hammer and pin punch will drive them out of the frame. Caution must be used to not damage the threads.

Note that the head end of the bolt shank has knurling on it. This helps keep the bolt from spinning in the frame when you attach the lock nuts. New through bolts are usually good enough to keep them from spinning as long as the bolt holes in the frame are still good. In rare cases, these holes are wallowed out, and a simple trick is to use a body hammer and dolly to compress the hole slightly. While holding the dolly on one side, hit the other with the body hammer thereby compressing the metal and making the hole smaller. This will compress the metal slightly enough to give the bolt some bite when reinstalling it. In severe cases, it may be required to ever so slightly weld the hole around the perimeter and redrill the hole or simply tack weld the bolt head to the frame. Make sure to cover the threads during the painting or powder coating process. As with any part of a restoration, always wear gloves as well as face and eye protection.

After all the pieces have been removed from the upper control arm, check for any damage, such as a bent arm, damaged bushing holes, damaged rivet holes for the ball joints, etc. There is no point using the control arm if it has severe damage and will require a replacement. If there is only minor damage and you possess a welder, small repairs may be made. It is very common on the upper control arms to have bushings that are so worn that the cross shaft will have actually worn a groove in the bushing bore of the control arm. If not severe, this can be welded and repaired. If these are extremely worn, it will again require replacement of the arm. Also, check the cross shaft for severe damage as they too would need to be replaced.

Check the cross shafts as well to ensure they are not replacement offset shafts. Offset replacement shafts would have been used if there was severe frame or suspension damage and the repair shop chose to replace the shafts in order to get the car in alignment rather than replace the control arm or repair the frame. These are readily apparent by the obvious offset in the shaft from the center line as well as the use of a large lock nut holding the bushing on compared to a fine-threaded bolt normally found on the Chevelle. However, the control arms may also be from another GM A-Body car, such as a Cutlass or Tempest. These cars commonly used a large lock nut as well, whereas the Chevelle never used that method. Assuming you will be repairing those areas during your restoration, it will now make these offset cross shafts no longer necessary, and a set of originals will need to be obtained.

Take note on the frame-mounted motor mounts how the bolts were installed at the factory. Plants varied as to how they installed this with regard to which way the bolts faced, so it is best to replicate what you found, assuming they have not been previously removed.

Going back to the lower control arms, check them over thoroughly for any signs of damage. The most common signs are bent arms due to contact with a curb or other low obstructions. Minor bending of the arm flange can be heated and repaired, but severe bending will require replacement of the arm because it will be difficult to ever get the car aligned again. Severe bushing damage here is not as common but should be checked regardless. Ball joint bore damage is also somewhat common, so look closely at that area as well. Most damage can be repaired using heat and a welder. As with many other parts of the restoration, replace all the bushing found on the suspension, as these are inexpensive replacement items and now is the time to do them.

Make note on both frame mounts as to which mount has the elongated through-bolt hole and which one has the round hole. Also, photograph the way the battery cable holder bracket is mounted to the frame mount. It is different than you would think it would mount. Notice on this original mount that the mount bolts go downward through the frame with no lock washers under the head, unlike what the manual shows.

As with any part of your restoration, examine all of the component parts for damage. Minor damage can be repaired with a welder and grinder, but if the damage is too severe, it may require replacement of the entire control arm. Also check the cross shaft for damage.

Upper Control Arm Bumper Removal

Now that you have all the front suspension out of the way, remove the upper control arm bumpers found underneath where the upper control arm had been mounted. These will need to be replaced. Simply pry them from the frame.

Motor Mounts Removal

Since the lower control arms are no longer in the way, this will give you much better access to the frame-mounted motor mounts. Take note and photograph the orientation of the bolts holding them on, which side has the elongated engine through bolt, and if there is a battery cable bracket mounted on the passenger-side mount and how it is mounted. Remove all eight nut, bolt, and washer combinations from both mounts and remove them from the frame.

Fuel Hard Lines

You now have all of the large and heavy items out of the way. It is now time to remove all of the small brackets, clips, and lines from the frame. Starting with the fuel lines, there may be one or two hard lines, depending on engine size and date of assembly. Here again, you will want to photo document the placement of the lines, line brackets, and straps as well as the bolts. They will vary along with the attachment points and the color of the clips. You will be able to use these photos for later refinishing and reinstallation of them.

Just like on the brake lines, this bracket may be the flat type or the full-round-encased type (shown). There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to which was used, so document which your car has as well as the attaching bolt.

Make note of how your fuel lines run and take special note of the area around the passenger-side rear coil-spring tower. This area can get interesting when installing the new lines. Photo documentation of how the originals were routed will aid in your installation of the new ones.

Remove the fuel lines by lifting them up and over the axle crossmember and pulling them back out through the frame, where they run along and inside the front passenger frame horn. Take note of where they run in the frame and out of the front crossmember as this will help you understand where they need to run come reinstallation time. You will find it easier to remove them one at a time, but both can be done at one time. Try to not damage or bend these as you are removing them; you may want to use them to compare to the new lines to ensure you not only have the correct replacement lines but also that the new ones are bent accurately. Once these are removed safely, drain them and set them out of the way.

The fuel-line clips are different depending on if used on a single line or dual line, so document what type you have, the color of each clip, and the placement and bolt-head design of each. Also note if the coiled sleeve is on the line in the area of the clip or not as this too will make a difference on which size clip was used.

Loosen and remove all the brake lines at the distribution block while it is still bolted to the frame. Depending on its condition, heat may be required for this step. Use precautionary methods when handling a torch and hot brake fluid, as severe injuries may occur if hot brake fluid spills on you.

Brake Hard Lines

Moving on to the driver’s side of the frame, start by photographing the placement and shape of the brake lines on the frame. Your original photos can be used later as a reference if you are having trouble with the replacement lines and how they are bent.

Now that you have that done, begin by removing the brake lines at the front. You already removed the flex lines running from the drums or rotors to the front frame brackets during the front disassembly process, so go directly to the hard lines. Separate the crossover line on the front crossmember and the short line running from the distribution valve mounted on the frame on the driver’s front to the left front brake. Remove the clips from the crossover line again, noting their original color. If the two lines running from the distribution valve up the master cylinder have not yet been removed, go ahead and do so at this time. As before, heat may be required to get these to break loose, so use the same precautions as you did before.

Pay attention to each clamp and bolt when removing. You may find several different sizes, colors, and styles of clamps. It is important to document these and replace them in the original location during the restoration. Also make note of the head markings and type of bolt.

Pay attention to this bracket; there can be two different styles used on these cars. Usually there is one open flat bracket and one looped closed bracket. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason as to which type was used or when. The fuel line uses a similar bracket, so don’t get them confused.

Moving rearward, disconnect the main line from the rear of the distribution valve. Chevelles used at least two different designs for the distribution valves: one being cast iron and the other is brass. Remove the valve from the frame and put it and its bolt in a separate bag. Note which valve you have because they will be restored differently.

Remove the main brake line from the frame while again noting the different-size brake line clamps, location, color, and different bolt markings and type. Clamps are different depending on the diameter of the line at that particular location, including the dimension of the protective spring sleeve, and will also be color coded. These coil sleeves are installed to protect vulnerable areas of the brake line from road debris, such as rocks, as well as protecting some of the main bends from kinking or crushing. Tag the clamps while again noting their location and bolt usage and put them into a bag.

On disc-brake cars, another valve was used at the driver-side rear crossmember just in front of the driver-side rear wheel. This valve is called the brake hold-off valve, and it is only found on cars with disc brakes. If it is not there, it is because you have four-wheel drum brakes or someone incorrectly replaced brake lines and left it out. Lack of use of this valve on disc-brake cars will cause the car to nose dive during braking.

The hold-off valve is found on the driver-side rear crossmember. Loosen the lines to and from the valve and use heat if needed to separate them. In rare cases, these valves will need to be replaced or rebuilt. Both rebuild kits and replacement valves are available aftermarket. Place it in your bag with your other brake line pieces.

As in other areas, heat may be required to loosen the lines. Since you already removed the rear flex hose at the time you dropped the differential from the frame, your brake line removal is now complete. It is a good idea to put the flex line and bracket in your bag tagged for brake line hardware.

Restoration and Assembly of the Frame

Congratulations! This marks the completion of your frame disassembly and the beginning of the restoration of the frame and all associated bolt-on hardware items. Here is where the excitement begins and you will start to see the fruits of your labor.

For ease of understanding, let’s restore the frame and chassis in the same order you disassembled it. It was touched on earlier, but the very first thing you will want to do is examine the frame and determine if it is the right candidate for restoration. If it has any major issues, such as rust holes, bends, or cracks, it may be a good time to locate a good donor frame to use for your project. Frames for Chevelles vary slightly between years, and there are also differences between the bodystyles (coupe, wagon, convertible, El Camino, two-door versus four-door), so make sure you are replacing it with the right donor. In most cases, you can also use a frame from another GM A-Body car.

Doing your homework, taking your time, and using quality products will give you the end result that will make you feel great about the time and money you put into your project.

Frame Cleaning

It is best to take your frame and sandblast it or use other means of media removal, such as aluminum oxide, walnut shells, or plastic media. Sand and aluminum oxide are usually fairly inexpensive, not very time consuming, and allow you to start with fresh bare metal as well as remove rust, unlike some forms of media blasting that will not remove rust. There are other means of paint removal, but most of them are very time consuming or expensive.

You might also want to consider hiring a company that will do on-site blasting with their equipment, though your local surroundings will dictate if this will work or not. There are several varieties of these services as well, including high-pressure water, walnut, glass, plastic media, etc. If you are not close to a blasting facility, you can purchase a do-it-yourself compact blaster for little money; although, a fairly high-volume, high standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM) air compressor would be necessary. If you are using silica sand, you must also use a fresh-air hood and blast upwind of your project.

For the best bang for your buck—and regardless if you are doing the work or farming it out—you are better off if you put most of the parts that need blasting aside and wait to do them all at one time. It is not suggested to sandblast any large sheet metal items, however, as warpage can be a major problem. If forced to, turn the pressure down as low as you can and still remove material. This will help by not heating the metal as much.

Before hiring a blaster or doing it yourself, get all of the heavy pieces together in one place and blast all at once to save on expenses. However, be ready to treat each piece of bare steel immediately after blasting, or flash rust may occur.

Powdercoating

Powdercoating will be covered more extensively later in this chapter as well as in the paint and body chapter. With that in mind, if you are going to powdercoat the frame and there are no repairs that are needed, now would be a good time—but only after acid washing the frame—to remove all oils, contaminants, and blasting residue. If your frame needs any amount of bodywork to repair pitting or other issues, powdercoating may not be the answer for you due to the high heat used in the baking process. However, you can do welding repairs prior to the coating. If you are not concerned about seeing those types of defects, then powdercoating is a much cheaper and quicker way to apply paint to your frame and is suggested for a daily driver car.

Regardless of your paint removal and application method, you must treat the metal within hours of blasting, otherwise flash rusting will begin. You also need to be careful to not allow contaminants onto the bare metal, as this can cause issues during the painting process. Even handling the bare metal with ungloved hands will allow contaminants in the metal. If you are able to keep the frame out of the elements or high humidity, you can begin any needed repairs to the frame, such as cracks, broken welds, bent rails or other areas, repairing mounting pads, etc. Once completed, the frame can be washed in an acid solution to remove all oils and other contaminants prior to priming it.

This frame was badly damaged in a frontal collision, and these impacts can telegraph rearward and cause the frame to get out of square. The cost to straighten it is likely more than what a donor frame would cost. Let your frame shop be the judge on what is salvageable.