steering linkage finish question

[Jon Foster]

While cleaning up my chassis I wasable to scrpe off alot of gunk. Here is what I noticed. The spindles where the lower ball joint mounts is painted white. All the rest of the linkage seems to hve a red oxide color on the ends ie tie rod ends, upper ball joints etc. Front end appears original. Are these colors correct and what are they? Thanks.

[Gary B.]

Steering linkage finish question

Jon,

What year are you talking about? The items you mentioned often have daubs of paint (orange and yellow are typical) that indicate some sort of inspection or torque check. For example, the front spindles on '66s and '67s often have orange on the lower (and sometimes upper) 3-4 inches.

Gary

[John F.]

Re: steering linkage finish question

I'm not sure about the color of the linkage but there seems to be something familiar about your name!!!!

[Jon Foster]

Re: steering linkage finish question

The car is a 1966. This red or dark orange paint seems to be on the upper ball joints, tie rod ends, even what appears to be a brush stroke across the bottom of the radiator shroud. It seems to be painted on the tie rod sleeves also. This paint was under alot of grease so it has been there a while. How was he steering linkage finished if at all?

John Foster just so you know i had to spell my name "Jon" just so I .could post here It seems only the system will only let one "John Foster" post.

[Gary B.]

Steering linkage finish question

John,

Owners of '66s are relatively lucky in that the JG says "The steering linkage assembly including tie rod ends, relay rod, adjusting sleeves and clamps are painted semi-gloss black." For some other midyears these items are natural and therefore nearly impossible to keep in original condition. The above JG quote is from the 2nd edition (Fall 1994). You should buy the 3rd edition which came out a year or two ago to confirm that this is still correct. There are some changes from edition to edition that will sometimes surprise you.

The 2nd edition of the JG also says that the steering knuckle is natural; the idler arm is natural; and the pitman arm is painted on manual steering cars. The JG is really the best source for this information and a bargain in terms of price.

Gary

[Roberto L.]

Re: steering linkage finish question

Hello, I was explained recently that after assembly a 'mitting' process took on, where a man with a glove like cloth with black paint 'painted' the steering parts, stabilizer bar and the like. That's for the blooby paint surface we usually find in those components (steering arm sleeves, etc). In my 70 the relay rod was a dark grey finish (black phosphate I think).

Roberto, NCRS #30019, RMC

[John H.]

Re: steering linkage finish question

Roberto -

The "mitting" theory is an "urban legend" - nobody "mitted" anything on the steering linkage. During the years when the steering linkage was painted, it was done at Chevrolet-Buffalo, with that cheap, sticky "chassis black" spray paint that stayed tacky forever (and washed off when the car was driven in the rain). The assemblers who handled/installed the painted steering linkage and the operator in the toe-in pit at roll test who turned the sleeves to adjust toe-in wore very thick cotton terrycloth gloves to keep from soaking their skin with that "chassis black" paint, which was nearly impossible to get off your skin, and they went through several pair each shift, which were thrown out instead of being re-washed like all the other gloves provided daily to assemblers who required gloves. People apparently looked at the black paint-soaked heavy terrycloth gloves those guys wore and made the mistaken assumption that they were putting paint ON, when in fact they were protecting themselves from the paint that came OFF.

[Gary B.]

John, great explantion!!! Thanks. *NM*

[Roberto L.]

Re: steering linkage finish question

Thanks! very interesting. So, the steering arms (sleeves, 70 model) are natural and later they sprayed blackout paint or something like that. Is this correct?

Roberto, NCRS #30019, RMC

[John H.]

Re: steering linkage finish question

Roberto -

I don't know about the '70, and don't have a '70 TM&JG to see what the expectation is, but I can tell you that St. Louis didn't do ANYTHING to midyear and later steering linkage except to take it out of the Chevrolet-Buffalo gondola and install it. If there was any kind of paint on it, it was done at Buffalo. There was no "mitting", spraying, pouring, or any other application of paint to midyear and later steering linkage at St. Louis.

[Roberto L.]

Thanks John! *NM*