Parts are ready...

New brake shields for the newly painted steering knuckle, and other bits.

My wife and daughters have been busy making Christmas candy. I have been baking calipers and caliper brackets in her oven.

Merry Christmas Richard! Have a great Holiday and definitely get some garage time.

Progress has been slow going since Christmas day but I’m back at it. I have installed the new Moog idler arm, it’s nice to have a helper to hold the top bolt, the headers don’t make the job easier. I have left the tie rods hanging from the center link for now, they are loose as I have popped them loose with a puller.
Moved on to a fun task when the new steering wheel from Ecklers came in on Friday. Made the purchase based upon information from a recent thread, been thinking about replacing the wheel for some time. I love the look of the original but it’s just too large in diameter in my opinion. I believe this new wheel retains the spirit of the original with the brushed aluminum three spoke design, I like it. The installation did require a 1/8” spacer on the bottom of the wheel, between the wheel and my standard column. I traced a cardboard template from the old wheel and fashioned the spacer from a piece of 1/8” aluminum stock, drilling the required two holes and slot.


Template

Spacer installed

After completing the fun steering wheel project I moved on to the front suspension.

Yes sir it is!
Thank you

Removed, decided to use Global West control arms later in the project...

Next phase, steering knuckle reassembled. The information sharing on this forum is invaluable as others have already been where you are going. The steering knuckle assembly torque values are scarce as apparently the assembly came to the factory ready for installation(according to what I read here) and the values for the large bolt and the steering arm bolts are not in the AIM. I was able to ascertain the values through searching the forum and found the large bolt to have a value of 75 ft lbs and the two steering arm bolt to be 70 ft lbs. Thanks to those of you out there that have shared this knowledge.

Before photos

Absolutey Jon, send it on! I still have the template and extra material also.
Eddy

That’s the type of project I particularly enjoy, this frame cleaning and painting I’m doing today, not so much.

Photo of the back of the factory wheel. The bottom spoke(photographed upside down) overlaps the other spokes and is 1/8” deeper in that area, the hub has a 1/8” matching indentation.
Eddy

I shifted my focus to removing the A/C condensor and VIR unit. It’s quite a squeeze getting the condensor out with the hood on but I did it without causing any harm, shed a few pounds off the car. Lastly the parts pile had Van Steel heim strut rods added - I’ll get to the rear suspension as soon as the front is complete.
All POL references removed from thread. (4/2020)
Eddy


Van Steel HD strut rods

Richard, I can’t wait to get road grime on them.
After all of the clean up and painting, everything was coated with fiberglass dust from those tiny clearance cuts. I had the car cover on and the engine covered with an old sheet, the suspension and frame is now covered in white dust and a cloud of dust settled over the garage, what a mess. I will rinse it off when able to get the car outside. I suppose the control arms were “waxed” in that super sticky Energy Suspension poly bushing grease.
I took the easy route and ordered the Van Steel strut rods knowing fully that the heim ends will not last like the zerk fitted rods, Van Steel advised they would need replaced somewhere down the road depending upon how much you drive. I will say the Van Steel strut rods are stout and their customer service is top notch.
Eddy

The brake line project is complete. I have replaced all steel lines, brass junctions, rear rubber hoses, d block, mounting clips and bolts, and changed the front calipers to Wilwood D8-4 with SS lines.
The idler arm and tie rod ends have been replaced with Moog units, sway bar mounts and bushings replaced, the steering cylinder bushings replaced, new 550 lb springs, riding on Bilstein sport shocks.
I am now moving into the next phase of the winter project. Phase two will consist of trailing arm rebuild (right rear TA bushing is shot), Van Steel heim jointed strut rods, differential mount reinforcing plates, heavy duty differential cover and lastly, 4 wheel alignment. The car currently rides on a 7 leaf spring and Bilstein sport shocks. The ride height is perfect and I have no interest in changing the spring.
Back to the garage

Oh my, you guys were not messing around about the shock mount! This is Georgia car
Probably 30-40 blows with a 4 lb hammer. Knowing that I was replacing the shock mounts, I used the pickle fork method of removal.

Right shock mount