Refurbishing spring plates: Best method?
 

I am going refurbish the spring plates and torsion bar covers off my 1970 T. Can’t decide among powdercoat, Cerakote, or re-plating. Which is the best way to go (or to avoid) and why?

If car is stock re plate, if you must do cerakote oven cure.

70T would have non-adjustable spring plates in black. I use have used both Cerakote's E-100 Blackout and a mix of H series gloss black and graphite black for spring plates, A-arms, etc.

I would tend to go the whole nine yards since your bushing have probably seen better days.

They are easy to cut off, just use a hacksaw to cut big chunks, being careful not to hit the metal and wire brush the remainder off until you get to bare steel. The two pieces then just come apart.

Send them off to the platers, including your hardware, call Elephant Racing for a set of new bushings of your choice, reassemble and they new again.

D.

I replated mine, but any...and I mean ANY...imperfection in the metal will show through the plating. I was a bit slightly disappointed that I didn't invest more time in the prep, but my car is more driver than queen, so I quickly realized it didn't matter. The protective coating is back on and they look good from five feet.

Paint them satin black..... that would look stock.

Thanks all. That then raises another question. What color would the torsion bar covers have been in stock form? Black as well?

If you are going to the trouble of stripping and replating, I would instead consider buying new adjustable spring plates with the new rubber bushings already vulcanized onto them. It will probably cost less overall, and you will get adjustable spring plates.

If you are going to the trouble of stripping and replating, I would instead consider buying new adjustable spring plates with the new rubber bushings already vulcanized onto them. It will probably cost less overall, and you will get adjustable spring plates. If you want them black, just spray them with a black rattle can.

Yes, black as well

Not to hijack, but what are the 86 MY torsion bar covers and spring plates finished as? I have not priced them, but is it more cost-efficient to buy new or have them refinished? Thanks

Those are yellow zinc. I do them in yellow cadmium though when restoring with new elephant racing bushings

Thanks, Shaun. I was pretty sure they were yellow zinc, but it’s been years since I’ve looked at one.

I’ll be changing the fluids in a couple weeks and will have a better view of the underside. I’m sure everything is original and in the picture, you can see how the bushing is cracked. It drives great though…

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The bushing is ovaled over the last 38 years so new ER bushings will make a real difference in how the car handles.

I guess (could be wrong, please challenge..) that you shouldn’t paint/powdercoat/cerakote adjustable spring plates as they clamp together and any coating thicker than zinc plate or similar might compress and cause them to come loose. When I refurbished my suspension 12 years ago I had the spring plates zinc passivated and then recoat them in Waxoyl as part of winter maintenance. Other opinions are available….

Good suggestion, Ian.

I was just looking at the picture again and noticed the bushing was not centered.

New bushings sooner than planned!

Ian, this is correct for powder coating and IMHO, powder coating should never be on any 911. Cerakote is applied not quite plating lever thickness but very close. I have done many case stud sets (about to do another) in Cerakote. As you can see, threads are fine and you can even see the very fine banding on the case bolt shank. And this 914-6 suspension shows the weld detail and weld spatter in immaculate detail due to extremely thin but durable application. So for anything once painted black on a 911, I would always use Cerakote. Or single stage paint as available.

Hope you are well.


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....well, not all.

I have a pair of brand new ones from the dealer and they are zinc dichromate finished.

NoS of course, probably from around 2004.

D.

Porsche ran out of black painted spring plate covers for early cars well over 20 years before 2004 and were only supplying superseded plain zinc plated ones found on all 78+ cars when Porsche went to adjustable spring plates.

[QUOTE=Shaun @ Tru6;12381026]Ian, this is correct for powder coating and IMHO, powder coating should never be on any 911. Cerakote is applied not quite plating lever thickness but very close. I have done many case stud sets (about to do another) in Cerakote. As you can see, threads are fine and you can even see the very fine banding on the case bolt shank. And this 914-6 suspension shows the weld detail and weld spatter in immaculate detail due to extremely thin but durable application. So for anything once painted black on a 911, I would always use Cerakote. Or single stage paint as available.

Hope you are well.


All good here thank you Shaun and I hope the same for you. I obviously hadn’t realised that Cerakote could be applied so thinly and yet remain tough. Every day is a school day!