"Best" suspension part refinish???

chrismorse · chrismorse's Garage

Dad's 74 is undergoing a brake & suspension overhaul. Not a track rat or concour, but i want to do a good job re-doing things.

I've used paint thinner and a stainless brush on the front hubs, but still have a fair amount of crud around the studs. Is some kind of blasting verboten??? New bearings going in after.

The front rubber bushings are off of the A arms and the paint is looking kind of scruffy. So, sand/media blast to get the old stuff off, then red oxide primer and a couople of coats of Rustoleum Or POR, with some kind of primer???

There are no more "platers" up here behind the redwood curtain, (humboldt county), so how do i refinish the late model adj spring plates?? Calipers, (iron).

Dazed and Confused,
chris

I am absolutely sure god didn't want something like this to go back on one of the good doctor's fine autos.

rw7810 · rw7810's Garage

you can bead blast the outside, just keep the bearing races covered.

steely · 10-22-2012, 06:19 PM

I had a powder coater do my control arms. I believe the spring plates are cad plated (or yellow zinc chromate?) If you do a search I know this has come up before.
My powder coater was local. I mailed one item (non - suspension) to a finisher that was out of state. (electroless-nickel plated the fan)

mrm930 · mrm930's Garage

Sorry, not trying to steal the thread.

Steely,
I would like to know what your electro. plater did. I understood that you cannot plate magnesium, which is what the fan is made out of. You can powder coat magnesium, but not plate it.

Just curious. Thanks,
Mark

steely · 10-22-2012, 08:12 PM

With apologies to Chris...
Mark, I had it EN (electroless-nickel not chrome) plated at Magplate.
Idea from here:
Nickel Plated Fan & Housing
Mine is post 14 here:
Show me your...Fan!
Feel free PM me if you have any questions.

PorscheGAL · PorscheGAL's Garage

I have just ordered a home zinc plating kit with cad coloring from Caswell Plating. I have not had a chance to try it but lots of videos on YouTube.

I would say that if you want to pay someone to zinc plate, you will probably need to mail it off. I have a guy in Augusta Ga who has done some for me in the past. PM me if you need his name. An example of work he has done for me.

bkreigsr · 10-23-2012, 05:26 AM

Get a couple of abrasive ball' s (scotch brite type) for a Dremel from McMaster. They come in three grades of courseness.
Plus, all that crud will eventually come off with some effort, even with lacquer thinner or diesel fuel with no ill effects to the metal.
Bill K

BK911 · BK911's Garage

I used POR-15 on most of my suspension parts. Tough stuff. Media blast, prep and paint per instructions.

That front hub will look almost as new when media blasted.

zippy_gg · zippy_gg's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by PorscheGAL

I have just ordered a home zinc plating kit with cad coloring from Caswell Plating. I have not had a chance to try it but lots of videos on YouTube.

Cool! Could you post some pics once you have plated some of your parts? That sounds interesting and fun. Thanks!

chrismorse · chrismorse's Garage

Thank you Stephanie, Bill & BK9111,

I will try the media blasting, Por-15 & look up Caswell's home kit.

Thanks,
chris

djdsc · 10-23-2012, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrismorse

There are no more "platers" up here behind the redwood curtain, (humboldt county), so how do i refinish the late model adj spring plates?? Calipers, (iron).

Dazed and Confused,
chris
]

Seriously, there is so much going on in the hills there is surly a plater somewhere. I know there are several single stage painters up there steadily working. Ask around the shops and I bet a name will turn up. Now it may be a bit like "Deliverance" when you get there but.............

911pcar · 10-23-2012, 12:43 PM

Try an overnight soak in a bucket of carb cleaner. Works wonders. Wear gloves, rinse with hot hotter.

Sherwood

Eric_Shea · Eric_Shea's Garage

For the hub, it will need to be media blasted and "re-anodized".

Leave the old races in for the media blasting and take them out before having them anodized.

If you only media blast them, you will take much if not all of the anodized coating off the hubs. They will begin to corrode very quickly after that. Porsche wheels, alloy calipers and hubs were anodized clear.

For the suspension itself, I like "Zero-Rust" (Google it) over powdercoating. A couple of reasons: 1. It does not cake up like powder and powder can cause problems when attempting to reattach brake lines and hoses in this way. 2. It is spec'd out to spray directly on bare metal. 3. I had the luxury of having a set of control arms returned for new bushings. The arms had been on the car for 4-years. The Zero-Rust coating looked like new.

Here's a set of control arms we restored for Pete Stouts beautiful 914. You can see the Zero-Rust" coating finish on them:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150589053973193.379616.72240238192&type=1&l=85d9a87428

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

does the "Zero-Rust" coating resist rock impact chipping as well as powder coating?

Eric_Shea · Eric_Shea's Garage

Hard to say. The control arms we got back looked new. Not sure of the use or mileage. I've found it to be extremely durable though. It bonds to the bare metal. They do not suggest a primer.

It is thinner which is actually a benefit for fitting rear end caps into crossbars and the brake line hoses and clips as mentioned.