Frame restoration questions

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81gutlass

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Sep 18, 2022
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Okay, so what is with all the spacers between the coils on your springs?? Someone trying to stiffen up the action? If you are down that far and have the rear end out, maybe a pair of SS springs might be a thing to consider. They are progressively wound, meaning the coils are closer to each other at the top. Makes them stiffer, which may be what those wedges were supposed to accomplish. I wouldn't suggest them simply because they interfere with the response rate of the spring and really do nothing to help the spring act as it should. As for source, good used might be as close as E-Bay, elsewise new could come from Energy Suspension or CPP or Hotchkis or any of the companies offering products that have ads on this board.



Nick
They were on the car when I bought it, so I can’t really tell you what the thought process was lol. It’s all getting replaced besides the rear end itself! Right now I’m trying to figure out the direction I want to go with my front suspension, South Side Machine has a kit called “The Game Changer” That I’m currently looking at, do you guys have any input? I’m going to post in the suspension thread as well. This kit doesn’t come with lower control arms however so is still need to source those
 
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CopperNick

Comic Book Super Hero
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Feb 20, 2018
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Those aftermarket are not SS (RPO F41) springs, they are aftermarket non OEM that will fit any G Body car. Just so we are talking apples to apples. :)
Just reviewed my post and suggestion and, yup, I did make no mention of RPO F41, which is actually a suspension package that includes the progressively wound springs, braces for the front suspension, front and rear anti-sway bars and a few other bits and pieces, according to the component break out. The picture that I used was the closest to what currently resides under my 85 SS and which came with the car, along with the front and back sway bars and the lower front braces and the other. if you are asking is all this the true F41 package, I can't say for certain simply because when the car came to me, the original trunk lid was both damaged and badly rusted underneath the spoiler and it ended up getting replaced with an LS lid from the same year. Highly likely that the option list that would have been stuck to the underside went with the old lid to the crusher, probably somewhere around 2005. Still, I could have pealed it and transferred it over so might take a look-see tomorrow. The choice of the Dixie part was quite random on my part; Eaton offers a coil package as well.



Nick
 
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abbey castro

Royal Smart Person
Oct 31, 2015
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Just reviewed my post and suggestion and, yup, I did make no mention of RPO F41, which is actually a suspension package that includes the progressively wound springs, braces for the front suspension, front and rear anti-sway bars and a few other bits and pieces, according to the component break out. The picture that I used was the closest to what currently resides under my 85 SS and which came with the car, along with the front and back sway bars and the lower front braces and the other. if you are asking is all this the true F41 package, I can't say for certain simply because when the car came to me, the original trunk lid was both damaged and badly rusted underneath the spoiler and it ended up getting replaced with an LS lid from the same year. Highly likely that the option list that would have been stuck to the underside went with the old lid to the crusher, probably somewhere around 2005. Still, I could have pealed it and transferred it over so might take a look-see tomorrow. The choice of the Dixie part was quite random on my part; Eaton offers a coil package as well.



Nick
F41 is the RPO for as you indicated a bunch of suspension pieces that make the SS handle better than a regular non F41 equipped car. That also includes the steering gear box which has less turn to turn. You could buy a plain MC or F Body with F41. Yup during the years parts get added to our cars that may or may not have been factory installed. I'm the original owner of 87 SS and whoever gets it next will scratch his head as I've removed/replaced some suspension pieces yet kept the original F41 springs/sway bars and steering gear box.
 
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john87442

Master Mechanic
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Mar 9, 2021
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Absolutely love the amount of information in this forum. I’m getting ready to start stripping down my 87 442(how lucky am I to have hutches info to watch…damn lucky) anyway finishing the garage build after a fire a year ago ( car was stored elsewhere … again lucky) this frame info is what’s been in my mind lately so thanks gets me thinking about the direction I need. Love this site
 
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abbey castro

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Oct 31, 2015
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Absolutely love the amount of information in this forum. I’m getting ready to start stripping down my 87 442(how lucky am I to have hutches info to watch…damn lucky) anyway finishing the garage build after a fire a year ago ( car was stored elsewhere … again lucky) this frame info is what’s been in my mind lately so thanks gets me thinking about the direction I need. Love this site
Off frames are fun. As I removed parts, I blasted them clean/painted and used zip lock bags labeled with where the nuts/bolts went. Bags come in many sizes so if it fit on a bag, it went on the wall. I then stapled the bags to my plywood wall. You will forget where the nuts and bolts go. It took only one day to pull parts from the wall and complete the whole frame less engine. Large parts also hung from the wall on wire.
 

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malibu79

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Yea that’s what I was using, it doesn’t get down to shiny metal like the flap did, you can see the difference where I stopped with the disc around the coil mount vs wire cup
The big problem with knotted wire wheels/cups in general is the heat they create with their high RPM on the metal. The Rust will essentially melt into the material and shows a grey/silver-ish glaze on it. As you said, looks pretty clean but isn`t really.. No Rust-inhibitor, paint or oil/wax can really stick on or penetrate to this glaze. The rust will start again under the radar cause you`ve just melted and polished the rust. After you wire-cupped the frame (which is totally okay to remove undercoat or wax fast) you have to "break-up" this areas with a flap disk or even better a CSD Disk. The CSD (Clean-Strip-Disk...google it..) isn`t abrasive to the Steel and isn`t thinning out the frame, just creates a really cleanand shiny surface. When you`ve seen it once you know ...coat with any POR-15 or Chassis paint and you`ll have really made the race against the rust plague for a really long time..

This problem with the (knotted) wire wheels/cups gets almost no attention from what i see, unfortunately...or im overly sophisticated:unsure:
 
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69hurstolds

Geezer
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Jan 2, 2006
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Absolutely love the amount of information in this forum. I’m getting ready to start stripping down my 87 442(how lucky am I to have hutches info to watch…damn lucky) anyway finishing the garage build after a fire a year ago ( car was stored elsewhere … again lucky) this frame info is what’s been in my mind lately so thanks gets me thinking about the direction I need. Love this site
You mean oldsofb ?? Yeah, right. Here's a secret nobody knows about. It's not actually him in his vids. Ever notice he just narrates while someone who knows what their doing just shows their hands fixing all his junk for him? No way someone knows that much about Oldsmobiles and does all that wonderful work and makes detailed, informative videos to boot. And those shots he appears to show his face? DEEPFAKE. Looks like him, talks and walks like him, but ain't quite him. Same with Rktpwrd and his "supposed" welding, fabrication, and paintwork skills. Truth be known he lures his friend Mike over to his garage with notions of free beer just to bend, cut, weld, and paint up all his stuff to perfection while he takes all the credit.

:p

Ok, that was all made-up bs. Hutch and Donovan are extremely skilled craftsmen that no doubt should team up sometime and do some Oldsmobile work. They'd make a ton of $$ if they chose to. And we all definitely appreciate their contributions of sharing their vast skills and knowledge to the G-body community.
 
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oldsofb

Royal Smart Person
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Dec 7, 2007
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You mean @oldsofb ?? Yeah, right. Here's a secret nobody knows about. It's not actually him in his vids.
I thought we agreed to not talk about my body double! I wish I could be like Tom Cruise and do all my own stunts, but I'm too old for that.
mission impossible news GIF
 
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abbey castro

Royal Smart Person
Oct 31, 2015
1,042
1,303
113
Harker Hts TX
The big problem with knotted wire wheels/cups in general is the heat they create with their high RPM on the metal. The Rust will essentially melt into the material and shows a grey/silver-ish glaze on it. As you said, looks pretty clean but isn`t really.. No Rust-inhibitor, paint or oil/wax can really stick on or penetrate to this glaze. The rust will start again under the radar cause you`ve just melted and polished the rust. After you wire-cupped the frame (which is totally okay to remove undercoat or wax fast) you have to "break-up" this areas with a flap disk or even better a CSD Disk. The CSD (Clean-Strip-Disk...google it..) isn`t abrasive to the Steel and isn`t thinning out the frame, just creates a really cleanand shiny surface. When you`ve seen it once you know ...coat with any POR-15 or Chassis paint and you`ll have really made the race against the rust plague for a really long time..

This problem with the (knotted) wire wheels/cups gets almost no attention from what i see, unfortunately...or im overly sophisticated:unsure:
Wow so the carbon steel rust reaches 1425-1540°C (2597-2800°F) . Your tale stick to it.
 
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