drag link and pitman arm plating

[Ian G.]

I removed my drag link, getting ready to lift the body and the plating of it appears to be gunmetal blue or maybe black oxide? The clamps and center part look like they were cad plated and the bolts black oxide or just covered in gunk, but the nuts look cad. It even looks like the bluish plating is inside the shaft as well. Can you folks pitch in your 2 cents?

Would the pitman arm have been painted black, or raw like the steering box is sometimes?

[Ian G.]

Re: drag link and pitman arm plating

bump.

anyone have any ideas on this? What sort of plating have you guys observed on original drag links?

[Roy B.]

Re: drag link and pitman arm plating

gunmetal blue is original every thing is original and painted black

[Terry M.]

Re: drag link and pitman arm plating

In the 1968-1972 manuals we describe that as an "as-forged" finish. When the red-hot hunk of steel is pressed in the die by a huge press -- the surface of the hot steel oxidizes (reacts with the oxygen in the atmosphere) and forms that hard blue coating. Some of that coating will flake off during the forging operation. That material is called "slag." It is then ground up and sold as an abrasive for abrasive blasting.
Now if you can figure out how to replicate that surface you could sell your product to a lot of us.

[Ian G.]

Re: drag link and pitman arm plating

Thanks guys, I was wondering what that blue surface was...

I'll soak it in my rust dip and keep it as best I can as-is.