Thanks Ian! Didja ever get that PM I sent you the other day? Just curious! BTW, the 409 does have a space saver donut. At least its inside the trunk as opposed to my truck where they get rusted in place... Just pluggin' along until my new bolts show up then I can get to work in earnest. ws
Looks good Bill. Yeah...any spare is better than the patch kit included with some cars. Ames sells those bolts, too. FYI...the nuts are special locking jobs and expensive.
Got a link for AMES Frank? I just went with Inline since Ive dealt with them before and they seem to have "kits" for this stuff. When I put this together I am gonna do my never sieze job. At least the bushings still look pretty serviceable. Those nuts get torqued (yeah right!) to like 90 lbs as per the book. Gutentiedt is plenty on that stuff. Today Im gonna make up some brake lines. The PO did a nice job of using too long of a line and coiled the excess up behind the wheel cylinders. At least Ill know what Ive go when Im done! Are you serious about a patch kit? WWGD??? (what would gramma do?) Thats as bad as the brake/shift interlock; I can see that, but the new 409 needs a foot on the brake pedal to start the keyless ignition. GEEZ... a Model T needed a key (1 of 54 possibles, actually a pocket knife would work usually) and a button to mash on the floor boards to run the starter. I guess women in the early 20's had a hard time figuring out that concept. ws
Here's a link to the nuts. The problem with Inline is a lot of their hardware is Chinese. Ames tends to still stock or have some GM stuff. They will send you a free catalog, they have good stuff. But, their shipping cost sucks. https://secure.amesperf.com/qilan/Search_Web?order_number_e=NDQ3OTA5Ng== &method_1=&method_2=Y&on=Y&search_method=2&cat_rowid=1&search_year=1970&search_keyword=control+arm+nut&sort=0 Here's a link for the Ames site https://secure.amesperf.com/qilan/Search_Web.jsp?search_method=0 About 28% of new cars don't have a spare tire. Some have run flat tires, some just have a patch kit. It's not just cheap cars, either...although I think Hyundai started it years ago. NO new Cadillac has a spare tire. Paid 85K for a new Escalade? Got a flat on the highway? You're in for a surprise when you look for the spare! I think Malibus were like that about 10 years ago, that's why I asked. That's why you see so many dead cars on the side of the road. A LOT of people don't know 'til they get a flat. It's not like the salesmen point it out to you. Like this... https://www.cbsnews.com/news/growing-number-of-cars-no-longer-come-with-spare-tire/
Behold Bill...here's a nifty "old" (2014) list of cars w/o spares! Bare in mind this list is much longer now. https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/08/your-next-car-may-not-have-a-spare-tire/index.htm
Checked that AMES sight (had to use GTO as a parameter!) and all they sell are "rear control arm bolts" @$7.00 each. and the nuts at $2.00. Thats OK but the lower forward frame bolts are washered head bolt and a hardened flat washer for under the nut. Thanks for the link though; Ill keep it for hard to find stuff! More to follow. ws https://secure.amesperf.com/qilan/Search_Web?order_number_e=NDQ3OTMwNw== &method_1=&method_2=&on=Y&search_method=3&cat_rowid=1&search_year=1972&cat_sec_rowid=15&cat_sec_sub_rowid=359 https://www.ebay.com/itm/64-72-GM-Rear-Suspension-Tie-Bar-Lower-Control-Arm-Mounting-Flange-Bolt-Set-Kit/190867508381?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649 https://www.ebay.com/itm/64-74-Frame-Suspension-Front-Rear-Control-Arm-Bolts-4/200608267683?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649
Had one of them days. Got all the kawanza stuff taken down and stowed in the attic, then spent some quality time with the BAD LAD. Was batting around 700 today. I guess I need some more time in the bull pen! Picked up 2 36" steel brake lines today and got them pretty well bent to fit with my Parker Hannifin 3/16 tubing bender. Couldnt quite gage the center fitting so under the back I go. Turns out the "T" gets bolted to the Olds rear end. I was going to take it off and bench bend the lines to fit but its on a hose through the frame and just a pita to get out with out busting something in the nether regions. Lines hafta get finished when the rear is back in with backing plates on etc. So next on the agenda is to hang the rear shocks. I am absolutely out of 5/16 X 1" bolts. Finally found 4 for the job (used YUCK!!) and get the shocks up into the upper mount. The shock doesnt feel right and I notice its touching against the 3" tail pipes. Hmmm... Thats what the aluminum shock towers were for. Im saving that for tomorrow. So I pull the drive shaft out for a clean and paint and inspect the U joints. I greased the rear last summer, but never got to the front. Today I had two grease guns on it and it wouldnt take grease. One gun has EP and one is syntho. Neither would make it. So now I am gonna do both new joints and never look back. The rear Olds joint is a U bolt type with inner C clips on the shaft yoke. Simple. The front appears to be OEM with the plastic injection buttons still in place on all 4 caps. So is this an Olds or Buick drive shaft? Does the front come apart and replace with a C clip type joint? Im having a brain freeze and hate to take it in for an hour of shop labor. I do have a big A$$ vise and a 5 ton DAKE arbor press. Whats the concensus?? Haaaaalppppp!!! ws
No final solution on the U-joint question? "Im not affraid of work; Ill lay down right beside it..." ws
So we went to Pi Crappa Napa this morning and talked with the retired GM mechanic that runs the shop about U joints. Turns out the rear has the U bolts and C clips in the yoke. Cool. The front one has the plastic nubs which "probably" mean its original. Thats for injected hot plastic used as a retainer. Theres about 70K on the clock. As Gary told me, they may or may NOT have a clearance machined to insert C clips. If not I hafta try and match another shaft at the boneyard. BTW theres 3 inches of standing water on all the ice around here. I get home to closely inspect the front one with a bright light and a sharp pick and sure as heck there are C clips on it so its been changed. He also told me they probably werent OEM since there is a grease fitting on both of them. Good news. New Precision Brand (made in USA!) joints are $12.99 ea and $25.00 per on installation. Im just gonna have him do them and paint the shaft; maybe yellow with a purple barber pole stripe. Just checking to see if anyone reads this dribble. ws
Yer da best Geoff! I used to hold that same light for my dad, but got ragged at cause it was always in his eyes, but I could see fine! LOL. Hope youre enjoying that sub tropical weather down there. Up here on the 44th its just plain cruddy! Hope alls well! ws
Yellow & Purple barber pole stripe: Sexy! I've needed to do my u-joint for a while. Sometimes I do a brody and worry I'm gonna be stuck out there fendin' for myself. All looks very good Bill, Keep up the good work! Though I guess when you're buried under a mountain of snow.. And yup I got your PM. Did you see my post? Nobody seems to be interested. I got my window are good and then I broke it when I dropped it inside of the body trying to re-install.
Dang!! I dont usually "mark" threds to follow and missed that part!!!! I get the same feeling on my "how to" stuff here, but it feels good to vent (no pun intended!). ws
Ok, this is ppat......Bill's Bad lass who drives the Impala 409. I have to ask, what is a "brody". Sorry guys but I never got out much until I met Bill and moved to Wisconsin....ppat
Brody: cookie, doughnut, etc. To spin circles in a rear drive car with the back tires not getting the same amount of grip the fronts do....its what we call it out here
Cuttin' cookies eh?? Never heard of that either. When Ppat asked me (Thats PELZ, Pat.) I didnt have a clue! Guys ever do any skeetching? Them FWD guys miss all the fun, unless they do it in reverse and hit the parking brake. When it snows and its my first trip out for the day I do a small one to test traction conditions. Same with the braking altho ABS has taken some of the fun outa that. Ahhh... back tosalting the sidewalk, had 1/2" of ice last night, donuts extra! ws
Hahaha.....and just so you know, Bill, I always thought about painting the driveshaft on my big truck red and white, because the truck's name is Candycane. There's also two driveshaft guys here where I live. One of them paints every driveshaft blue, so you know it's him that made it when you see it. If you refuse to have it painted that color (because it's ugly), you WILL get a pink driveshaft back from him. The problem is he's the best in town, so you just quietly take it home and paint it black yourself over the blue or pink.
Just dropped the shaft off at 1100hrs and Gary said he'll call about 3 when its done. Iwas gonna do either a red, white and black spiral or tapered stripes like a missile. Do the spirals go left hand or right as in screwing or un-screwing. I OFFICIALLY have a self diagnosed case of cabin fever LOL. Can ya tell?? ws
LOL! Surely there are infinite terms for burnouts, etc. I think 'brody' is bit of an older term, but once I heard it, I decided I liked it. Sorry about the cabin fever Bill. We're having high pressure move in here... maybe it'll come your way?
MORE PRESSURE!!! EEEK! High pressure is a good thing. I can tell the days are getting longer by 34 seconds every day; and I AM COUNTING THEM. Just picked up the barber pole. $79.56 and take it away! Maybe Ill leave it as is for some of the strippers up this way. Them corn fed farm girls are some real rooters! So what animal of the pork genus roots for truffles? New bolts should be here tomorrow or Thursday, then I can get back to some real work. For now its just "putsing". Probably clean and paint the shaft and clean shop for the next step. Enjoy the sunshine guys; Im jealous! ws
