68-72 Tie Rod, tube, and clamp finish

[Bill L.]

Re: 68-72 Tie Rod, tube, and clamp finish

Center link is just casting scale, which is common on parts like this. I have many other photos of that.

I have the same scale on my rear strut rods. Should have recognized the finish.

Thanks,


Bill

[Terry M.]

Re: 68-72 Tie Rod, tube, and clamp finish

Center link is just casting scale, which is common on parts like this. I have many other photos of that.

Not [B]casting[B/] scale. FORGING scale. Both the relay rod and the rear struts are hot forged, and that blue/black scale is the result of the red/white hot metal oxidizing in the atmosphere. Some of that scale is smashed in the forging dies and becomes part of the surface of the item being forged. Unless steps are taken to clean the surface of the item being forged, and that was not done in the case of the relay rod or the rear struts, that "mill scale" will remain for the life of the part. That scale also wears the dies greatly, but that is another story that gets into lubrication and forging die material. If you have ever been near a drop forge in operation you would think you had entered the gates of he!!.

[Edward J.]

Re: 68-72 Tie Rod, tube, and clamp finish

Bill, don't forget to bend the cotter pins like the pic,s and they were a natural. and orient the clamps on the sleeves as the pic.s,The AIM also shows how, judges like the small details.

[Bill L.]

Re: 68-72 Tie Rod, tube, and clamp finish

Bill, don't forget to bend the cotter pins like the pic,s and they were a natural. and orient the clamps on the sleeves as the pic.s,The AIM also shows how, judges like the small details.

Thank you Edward. I took pictures and have not fully disassembled yet. The cotter pins are in as shown as are the clamps. All the original cotter pins can be saved due to their Texas life and a LOT of grease.

Bill

[Terry M.]

Re: 68-72 Tie Rod, tube, and clamp finish

Thank you Edward. I took pictures and have not fully disassembled yet. The cotter pins are in as shown as are the clamps. All the original cotter pins can be saved due to their Texas life and a LOT of grease.

Bill

Bill,
Also note the orientation of the tie rod clamp bolts. The bolts on the left (driver's) side point toward the rear of the car, while the bolts on the right (passenger's) side point toward front of the car. This is if the clamps are rotated with the clamp bolts below the tie rod.

[Paul O.]

Re: 68-72 Tie Rod, tube, and clamp finish

From what I have seen over the years of lying on the ground. Is that all the steering linkage on C3 cars the parts were natural except for the bolts and nuts on the tie rod clamps then for power steering cars black paint for the control valve and cylinder. On most low mileage Bowtie cars I still see the protective coating embedded in the crevices of those parts. It does not appear to me to be paint rather a petroleum base grease of some type of a light duty nature.

[Joe L.]

Re: 68-72 Tie Rod, tube, and clamp finish

From what I have seen over the years of lying on the ground. Is that all the steering linkage on C3 cars the parts were natural except for the bolts and nuts on the tie rod clamps then for power steering cars black paint for the control valve and cylinder. On most low mileage Bowtie cars I still see the protective coating embedded in the crevices of those parts. It does not appear to me to be paint rather a oil base grease of some type of a light duty nature.

Paul------

It's an asphaltic COATING. Paint dries by polymerization and is relatively durable. An asphaltic coating like this dries by simple evaporation of its solvent and is not very durable. That's why little remains on chassis parts after some period of time.

[Bill L.]

Re: 68-72 Tie Rod, tube, and clamp finish

From what I have seen over the years of lying on the ground. Is that all the steering linkage on C3 cars the parts were natural except for the bolts and nuts on the tie rod clamps then for power steering cars black paint for the control valve and cylinder. On most low mileage Bowtie cars I still see the protective coating embedded in the crevices of those parts. It does not appear to me to be paint rather a oil base grease of some type of a light duty nature.

Thank you Paul,

I did a little more cleaning on mine tonight and I am thinking that the sleeves are painted with a semi gloss black on my 70. Center link is as forged without a coating. Nuts are zinc (special self locking with dots) and bolts are black. I have not removed a clamp yet. Once I do, this should confirm whether the sleeves on my 70 are painted or not. One inner tie rod was replaced by PO and was installed reusing original hardware. I really don't think the metal finish underneath would be as perfect as it is without the paint I am seeing. The entire suspension was basically untouched when purchased except for the one inner tie rod.

If I find black paint under the clamp I will just touch the sleeves up a little and leave them black as I found them. If no paint under clamp the sleeve will be raw steel with maybe some RPM to protect them.

Kind Regards,


Bill

[Bill L.]

Re: 68-72 Tie Rod, tube, and clamp finish

As a result of removing the clamp and finding no evidence of black paint, the steering linkage will be bare except for the screws and stover nuts. I will however apply some RPM to protect the bare parts.

Thank you all for your help.


Kind Regards,


Bill

[Mike E.]

Re: 68-72 Tie Rod, tube, and clamp finish

If you have ever been near a drop forge in operation you would think you had entered the gates of he!!.

Terry you've got that right! I've posted this video from the 1930's before still pretty interesting to see the working conditions some of our grandfathers worked in. The good stuff starts at about 5 minutes into the video. Some crank shaft forging is show at 12 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bT6txm4RpA

Mike

[Terry M.]

Re: 68-72 Tie Rod, tube, and clamp finish

Terry you've got that right! I've posted this video from the 1930's before still pretty interesting to see the working conditions some of our grandfathers worked in. The good stuff starts at about 5 minutes into the video. Some crank shaft forging is show at 12 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bT6txm4RpA

Mike

Nice vid Mike. I remember seeing it before. There are some other interesting Jam Handy films on YouTube also. One can see the formation of the scale in the crankshaft forging operation and in the coil spring forming as well. Both crankshafts and coil springs are cleaned of scale after forming. Shot blasting is usually used because as it cleans the scale it also toughens the surface of the part.

Last time I was in a forge shop was in the 1960s, and it was little different than what is shown in this film, but I expect machines have taken over the material handling now days. Slinging a 50 or 60 pound lump of hot steel all day long takes a real man. Until you feel the heat and the ground shake when those dies come together, and hear the constant noise, it is hard to imagine what it is really like.