finish on c-2 A-arms

[Mike M.]

for the past 10-15 years, chassis judges have looked for a-arms devoid of gloss black paint on the ball joints AND the taped off area in the vicinity of the ball joints. there is no doubt in my mind that lack of paint in the vicinity of the ball joints and the ball joints themselves is typical of SERVICE replacement a-arms. however, i'm beginning to believe PRODUCTION a-arms were entirely painted gloss black (but their ball joints were free of paint). i base this feeling on having glass beaded many production a=arms off c-1's i've restored. your thoughts boys. mike

[Ray G.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

Agree with you Mike. Have seen control arms with painted and unpainted ball joint areas over the years. Never sure if they were production or service replacements.
Have always thought ball joint area was left unpainted to allow proper fit of ball joints and rivets into the control arm.

Were service replacement control arms available with or without ball joints ?

[Roy S.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

Mike, I agree with you. Could be wrong but I've replaced a lot of original ball joints that absolutely had paint on the A frame area surrounding the unpainted original ball joint.

[Mike M.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

i bought 4 sets of A-arms from Chevy about 30 years ago. they are gloss black, except the vicinity of, and the ball joints themselves. i think these service replacements are what got the judges to thinking the production a arms were similarly finished. i'm gonna repaint these nos a arms all gloss black with the exception of the ball joints. i don't know if one could buy a-arms without ball joints from GM years ago. mike

[Dan H.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

Mike, when I cleaned my 63 A Arms for first time, they had asphalt type paint on them, solvent took them down to the raw metal. It covered the whole arm, hard to tell on the ball joint. Looked like the shiny chassis paint as on the frame.

[Michael H.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

Mike

You are exactly right. At some point in the very late 70's or possibly 1980, the control arm paint that you describe entered production. At the same time, all control arms sold in service also had the same lack of paint at the ball joint end.

Prior to that time, at least through the C2 era, the entire control arm, minus ball joint, was coated black.

Oh, and don't forget.... 90* grease fittings for upper and lower ball joints for 63 and part of 64.

[Timothy B.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

Michael,

Just to be clear are you saying the area under the ball joint is painted then the ball joint was attached?

[Michael H.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

Michael,

Just to be clear are you saying the area under the ball joint is painted then the ball joint was attached?

Yes, that's correct. At least for 63 through late 70's or 1980. The entire control arm is coated, before the ball joint is riveted in place.

[John H.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

Mike, I agree with you. Could be wrong but I've replaced a lot of original ball joints that absolutely had paint on the A frame area surrounding the unpainted original ball joint.

Roy -

Correct - the midyear upper control arm was completely painted black at Chevrolet-Warren after the cross shaft and bushings, retainers and bolts were installed, fixtured, and torqued, and the upper ball joint was riveted to the painted arm later at St. Louis.

[Patrick H.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

i think these service replacements are what got the judges to thinking the production a arms were similarly finished. i'm gonna repaint these nos a arms all gloss black with the exception of the ball joints. i don't know if one could buy a-arms without ball joints from GM years ago. mike

Mike,

Later years C3's had the A-arms painted as you describe. I suspect that service a-arms were done just like the production ones at the time (i.e. late 70s onward). There was no reason for GM to assemble them differently.

Patrick

[Joe L.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

Agree with you Mike. Have seen control arms with painted and unpainted ball joint areas over the years. Never sure if they were production or service replacements.
Have always thought ball joint area was left unpainted to allow proper fit of ball joints and rivets into the control arm.

Were service replacement control arms available with or without ball joints ?

Ray------


SERVICE upper and lower 63-82 Corvette control arms were always supplied only with attached ball joints. However, the control arm shaft and bushings were never supplied with the SERVICE control arms.

For PRODUCTION the arms were supplied with the shaft and bushings but without installed ball joints. The ball joints were installed at St. Louis.

[Mike M.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

pat. the 3 sets of NOS a-arms i have were purchased by me in the 80's. mike

[Michael H.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

Here's the control arm paint coverage for late C3 cars. I still don't know when this began but a guess would be 1979 or 80?

[Joe L.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

Here's the control arm paint coverage for late C3 cars. I still don't know when this began but a guess would be 1979 or 80?

Michael----


This photo is of a 1980-82 model. Note the aluminum differential housing and integral aluminum crossmember. So, we know this a-arm paint configuration was in use by that period. Just when it started is still up-in-the-air.

[Michael H.]

Re: finish on c-2 A-arms

Michael----


This photo is of a 1980-82 model. Note the aluminum differential housing and integral aluminum crossmember. So, we know this a-arm paint configuration was in use by that period. Just when it started is still up-in-the-air.

Joe

I wasn't sure when the aluminum differential/crossmember first showed up. That's further proof that I know almost nothing about late C3 cars.