63 trailing arm originality

[Dan B.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

So what was the point of doing a full tear down of both sides after you removed the side shafts and found there was no play or noise in your recently rebuilt wheel bearings ?

I think your heat problem in that wheel is likely a rust ridge in the wheel cylinder that is causing it to stick. A quick hone and reassembly should take care of that.

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

With the renewed ramp-up of the virus in Florida I'm home (a LOT) and prob tackling things that I normally wouldn't.....(and maybe shouldn't)..

[Gary R.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

Frank
Look at the back leg on each support, there is a d-flat there. The shock mounts have the mating d-flat, if you put the wrong side in it would be obvious. On a side note I didn't know about the numbering, learn something new everyday. Look at the mounts, the knurl may be flattened out on them if they have been removed a few times. There is some play in them but they should be relatively tight, if you see some play in the LH side -support the mount upright while tightening, the nut torques the support downward if there is too much play in them.

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

Thanks Gary, yeah - the part numbers are there on the underside, faint but readable and I hadn't noticed 'em either.
I'll take note of your advice on torquing them....

[Joe L.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

Frank
Look at the back leg on each support, there is a d-flat there. The shock mounts have the mating d-flat, if you put the wrong side in it would be obvious. On a side note I didn't know about the numbering, learn something new everyday. Look at the mounts, the knurl may be flattened out on them if they have been removed a few times. There is some play in them but they should be relatively tight, if you see some play in the LH side -support the mount upright while tightening, the nut torques the support downward if there is too much play in them.

Gary------


All original shock mount shafts have part numbers embossed on them. For standard suspension it is 3820829, left side, and 3820830, right side. For F-41/FE-7 it is 3829265-66. The standard suspension shafts were asymmetrical and machined from forgings unique to each side and, therefore, the complete forging/part number on each shaft. The HD suspension shafts were machined from a symmetrical forging and, therefore, have the same number (usually hyphenated) on each shaft. So, for the HD shafts it's not possible to differentiate left from right by the numbers. But, like you mention, installing on the wrong side will be instantly obvious.

Although as far as I know, the standard suspension shafts were used in PRODUCTION right through 1982 for standard suspension cars, the 3820929 and 3820930 were discontinued from SERVICE in, respectively, February, 1978 and July, 1978 and replaced by the 3829265 and 3829266.

At some point after 1978 the GM #3829265 and 3829266 were no longer embossed with the numbers right up until the time they were discontinued. Reproduction shafts available to the present day also have no embossed numbers and are virtually identical to the "no-number" GM shafts.

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

Sir, the breadth and depth of your arcane knowledge of these cars is damned amazing...

[Tracy C.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

And do some serious detailing in hard-to-reach spots, are your rear leaf springs a "light gray" as the 63 JG states ?

Actually, every original 63 rear spring I've seen had no applied coating at all between the leaves. Blackout on the outside yes. However, I painted mine with the cold zinc compound anyway just to preserve it. Doubt if the "light gray coating" statement will ever come out of the JG..

[Dick W.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

Actually, every original 63 rear spring I've seen had no applied coating at all between the leaves. Blackout on the outside yes. However, I painted mine with the cold zinc compound anyway just to preserve it. Doubt if the "light gray coating" statement will ever come out of the JG..

Years ago Frans E (I cannot spell his last name), who one time worked for the suspension supplier, told me about a protective coating that was on the springs and gave them the gray appearance. He had the prints that called for the coating.

[Joe L.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

Years ago Frans E (I cannot spell his last name), who one time worked for the suspension supplier, told me about a protective coating that was on the springs and gave them the gray appearance. He had the prints that called for the coating.

Dick-------


You're speaking of my dear friend Franz Estereicher. A wonderful resource. The coating was Ionoklad. It was available from Quanta until several years ago when it was discontinued by the manufacturer. Franz said it was only specified to be applied to the tension surface of each leaf but often overlapped to the edges.

[Joe R.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

Dick-------


You're speaking of my dear friend Franz Estereicher. A wonderful resource. The coating was Ionoklad. It was available from Quanta until several years ago when it was discontinued by the manufacturer. Franz said it was only specified to be applied to the tension surface of each leaf but often overlapped to the edges.

Joe,

Thanks for clarifying that, as I have had 5 63's and a dozen or more C-2 and NONE of them had the overspray on the edge of the rear spring. Not saying it didn't happen but specifying that the spring was gray in the judging manual needs to be clarified! The rear spring had the Lonoclad Gray along with the plastic liner to keep it from squeaking going down the road but to say ALL must be Gray is a little over the top!

Thanks again, JR

[Joe L.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

Joe,

Thanks for clarifying that, as I have had 5 63's and a dozen or more C-2 and NONE of them had the overspray on the edge of the rear spring. Not saying it didn't happen but specifying that the spring was gray in the judging manual needs to be clarified! The rear spring had the Lonoclad Gray along with the plastic liner to keep it from squeaking going down the road but to say ALL must be Gray is a little over the top!

Thanks again, JR

JR------

According to Franz the Ionoklad was not applied by spray. It was applied by hand with a mitt or mop-like device and it was kind of a sloppy procedure. That's why some of it could get on the edges of the leaves. I would expect that any that got on the edges would be covered by chassis black-out, especially on a 1963.

[Gerald L.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

Another late April 63 data point. C 6 3 both sides.1a.jpg

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

Rookie assembly question -- the 63 AIM shows the lock washer for the upper shock absorber mount under the head of the bolt and not in the customary place under the nut on the backside. Is this correct ?

This is not the way things were connected when I took the shocks off..

Second question - I plan to do the final torque of the following items with "weight on wheels":

Trailing arm front bushing bolts..
4 Leaf spring perch bolts
Shock absorber mounting bolts/nuts
Strut rod outboard mounting nuts.

Is this correct or not ?

[Dick W.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

Dick-------


You're speaking of my dear friend Franz Estereicher. A wonderful resource. The coating was Ionoklad. It was available from Quanta until several years ago when it was discontinued by the manufacturer. Franz said it was only specified to be applied to the tension surface of each leaf but often overlapped to the edges.

Thanks Joe, my memory is failing me. Franz supplied me with detailed specs on several suspension pieces when I was serving as 68-69 team leader.

[Leif A.]

Re: 63 trailing arm originality

Rookie assembly question -- the 63 AIM shows the lock washer for the upper shock absorber mount under the head of the bolt and not in the customary place under the nut on the backside. Is this correct ? YES

This is not the way things were connected when I took the shocks off..

Second question - I plan to do the final torque of the following items with "weight on wheels":

Trailing arm front bushing bolts..
4 Leaf spring perch bolts
Shock absorber mounting bolts/nuts
Strut rod outboard mounting nuts.

Is this correct or not ? YES

The answer is "yes" to both of your questions.