I believe it held all wiring up that side of engine. Alt, coolant temp, vac line, our 67 273 commando has the same clip. Hard to see amongst the mess.
1969 Dodge Dart Swinger clean up
- Thread starter dadsbee
- Start date
-
Passenger side rocker cover painted after letting the dip coating cure overnight.
It's a beautiful day..
Everybody on bake..
Now to tackle the mess from the last hack that only fixed the frame and spring mount AROUND the hanger bracket.
Quick pattern
Transferred to some metal and then thrown in the brake.
Hell it fits, ready for welding in place.
Coated the frame face with DOM15, that'll be buried behind the patch. Enough work for a Saturday.
It's a beautiful day..
Everybody on bake..
Now to tackle the mess from the last hack that only fixed the frame and spring mount AROUND the hanger bracket.
Quick pattern
Transferred to some metal and then thrown in the brake.
Hell it fits, ready for welding in place.
Coated the frame face with DOM15, that'll be buried behind the patch. Enough work for a Saturday.
Figured if I was welding I should poke around the full frame first. Found another weak spot on the trans/torsion bar x member.
Patch cut and fitted.
Break out the 200 dollar welder...
Patch stuck in place.
Painted.
On to the rear spring hanger repair. A little bit of welding and a LOT of praying that I don't set her and the shop on fire, or cook the paint in the trunk.
Tacked
Welded.
Hanger bracket test fit.
Painted. Tuesday is supposed to by 8C and sunny, so hopefully I'll get that rear axle housing and the remaining springs media blasted.
Patch cut and fitted.
Break out the 200 dollar welder...
Patch stuck in place.
Painted.
On to the rear spring hanger repair. A little bit of welding and a LOT of praying that I don't set her and the shop on fire, or cook the paint in the trunk.
Tacked
Welded.
Hanger bracket test fit.
Painted. Tuesday is supposed to by 8C and sunny, so hopefully I'll get that rear axle housing and the remaining springs media blasted.
The patch for year hangers, did you cut out and patch or lay it over top? I'm curious if it will push the hanger fwd? Ever so slightly?
Looks good, helps with my motivation. I have same welder with gas, works pretty good. Well ever since Del repaired the circuit board lol.
Looks good, helps with my motivation. I have same welder with gas, works pretty good. Well ever since Del repaired the circuit board lol.
You only have to look up one post to have that answered. No way I was cutting those captive nuts out. Welded in place over top, 90 thou isn't gonna make a tinkers damn as to the hangers position.
I bought a regulator so I could use my TIG tank with this one, but I should have known better to order offshore.. as the attach fitting is the wrong size. Almost, but something got lost in the metric to SAE translation... Works fine with flux wire anyhow.
Welder... CTC ordered a 100X what they had intended to, why they're on for 66% off every three weeks! (on sale this week as matter of fact!!)
I bought a regulator so I could use my TIG tank with this one, but I should have known better to order offshore.. as the attach fitting is the wrong size. Almost, but something got lost in the metric to SAE translation... Works fine with flux wire anyhow.
Welder... CTC ordered a 100X what they had intended to, why they're on for 66% off every three weeks! (on sale this week as matter of fact!!)
Last edited:
72Dart6pack
Harder Better Faster Stronger.
I just replaced mine. It wasn't that bad.
As noted earlier, the last hack had repaired the rearmost section of the frame rail and the hanger bracket holding assembly, they just couldn't be bothered to remove the hanger bracket and leaf spring assembly, to repair the actual attachment point. So that's what I did, tying the latest patch into good metal on both sides while trying not to set the car on fire or bubbling the trunk paint. I managed one, so so on the other..
dart1
69
Sir Wayne, Superb, Absolutely Superb Sir.
Set up a mobile blasting unit for the big stuff. You leave your trailer here... you take your chances what it gets used for!
Tarp, blasting cabinet gun with 4' of suction hose on it, fresh air hood and a $20 bag of glass. Floor swept spotless before starting.
Once you have a bit of glass out you can just run the suction hose like a coke addict.
Every now and then I'd stop and use the dust pan to scoop the stray glass back up.
Rear housing assembly nice and clean, rockin that battle scar.
Leaf springs up next. They actually took longer than the axle housing.
One set all done.
Both sets done. 6.5 hours to do the housing and all the springs.
Clean up in isle 18.
$15 out or my $20 bag ready for next time.
Tarp, blasting cabinet gun with 4' of suction hose on it, fresh air hood and a $20 bag of glass. Floor swept spotless before starting.
Once you have a bit of glass out you can just run the suction hose like a coke addict.
Every now and then I'd stop and use the dust pan to scoop the stray glass back up.
Rear housing assembly nice and clean, rockin that battle scar.
Leaf springs up next. They actually took longer than the axle housing.
One set all done.
Both sets done. 6.5 hours to do the housing and all the springs.
Clean up in isle 18.
$15 out or my $20 bag ready for next time.
72Dart6pack
Harder Better Faster Stronger.
I hope you wore a really good mask today.
Did you miss the positive pressure fresh air hood??
My rear axle seal remover.
Pulled into place on the inside.
Steel bar through housing.
And a couple hits pops the seal out.
Housing suspended on a length of 1 1/4" conduit.
Love my old Wagner electric gun. This thing is over 30 years old.
Two coats of the same Semi-gloss mix that I used on the K frame.
Pressing in new front bushings on the leaf springs. 1-11/16 or 1-3/4" sockets work perfect for this.
Coating the leafs with Boeshield T-9 to restore a factoryish bare steel look and protect them from rusting.
T-9 on the left, clean steel on the right.
All leafs coated in T-9 and soaking in.
Pulled into place on the inside.
Steel bar through housing.
And a couple hits pops the seal out.
Housing suspended on a length of 1 1/4" conduit.
Love my old Wagner electric gun. This thing is over 30 years old.
Two coats of the same Semi-gloss mix that I used on the K frame.
Pressing in new front bushings on the leaf springs. 1-11/16 or 1-3/4" sockets work perfect for this.
Coating the leafs with Boeshield T-9 to restore a factoryish bare steel look and protect them from rusting.
T-9 on the left, clean steel on the right.
All leafs coated in T-9 and soaking in.
Last edited:
Looking good Wayne. I'm sure you are happy to be finished all that blasting!!!
Question: have you used that T-9 before on your resto's?? If so, how is it holding up?
Jim
Question: have you used that T-9 before on your resto's?? If so, how is it holding up?
Jim
I used 3 tubs of RPM on the Bee restoration, I was assured by Justin that T-9 does a better job so this Dart is my test bed. Certainly easier than putting everything in the oven, that's for sure!
New plastic wear pads. They come in packages of Six and of course these springs use Fourteen!
Use vise grips to get them started or you'll crack them.
Then use a plastic hammer to set them into place.
Spring assembly. Spring, interleaf, spring, interleaf...
Ready to compress and bolt together.
Alternate tightening each clamp a bit at a time makes it effortless, while wiggling the alignment pin for a perfect stacking.
One of the OE bolts was toast, so I'm replacing them both with some of my aircraft 180,000psi stock.
They just need a lick off the head diameter to fit the axle housing locating hole.
One spring assembled.
Both springs done.
Use vise grips to get them started or you'll crack them.
Then use a plastic hammer to set them into place.
Spring assembly. Spring, interleaf, spring, interleaf...
Ready to compress and bolt together.
Alternate tightening each clamp a bit at a time makes it effortless, while wiggling the alignment pin for a perfect stacking.
One of the OE bolts was toast, so I'm replacing them both with some of my aircraft 180,000psi stock.
They just need a lick off the head diameter to fit the axle housing locating hole.
One spring assembled.
Both springs done.
I ordered 4 small and 4 medium spring clamping bands, hoping I needed 2 of each, but covering my bases (so I thought).
Dipped in T-9
Springs clamped tight first. Clamping band clamped in place and then the sides clamped tight.
Square head hammer to get the band started sharply over the spring edges.
Bend the lock tab up about 30*.
Hammer tab end down onto spring.
Then fold the side with the hole down over the tab to find the mediums are 1/2" toooo forkin long!
Redo with a small clamping band and it's perfect for the 4 leaf thickness at the front section of the spring.
Clamped tight again on the tab side and then hammer the lock tab sidesways to tighten up the clamp band and then down tight.
Another view of the clamping process.
Dipped in T-9
Springs clamped tight first. Clamping band clamped in place and then the sides clamped tight.
Square head hammer to get the band started sharply over the spring edges.
Bend the lock tab up about 30*.
Hammer tab end down onto spring.
Then fold the side with the hole down over the tab to find the mediums are 1/2" toooo forkin long!
Redo with a small clamping band and it's perfect for the 4 leaf thickness at the front section of the spring.
Clamped tight again on the tab side and then hammer the lock tab sidesways to tighten up the clamp band and then down tight.
Another view of the clamping process.
Not sure why there's nobody that can sell the correct clamp bands. Nobody sells extra small. Small are to big for the 3 spring width at the back end of the spring.
Band modification marked to make it small enough and then ground to shape.
Both springs done.
2835064, OE x 340 spring packs. Same both sides.
Feel like I've done this before. Some 5/8 and 3/4 tubing helps with alignment and stablility. Axle stands tied together.
Axle housing set in place.
Picked the best 4 x U bolts out of the 8 I have on hand.
Springs 43" apart to match the housing locating hole width.
Some spring clamps on the tubes to keep the leaf springs parallel and I'll leave it alone for a couple of days as the paint is a little soft yet on the housing.
Collection of parts and tools from under the car all cleaned up can only mean one thing... we're getting close!
Band modification marked to make it small enough and then ground to shape.
Both springs done.
2835064, OE x 340 spring packs. Same both sides.
Feel like I've done this before. Some 5/8 and 3/4 tubing helps with alignment and stablility. Axle stands tied together.
Axle housing set in place.
Picked the best 4 x U bolts out of the 8 I have on hand.
Springs 43" apart to match the housing locating hole width.
Some spring clamps on the tubes to keep the leaf springs parallel and I'll leave it alone for a couple of days as the paint is a little soft yet on the housing.
Collection of parts and tools from under the car all cleaned up can only mean one thing... we're getting close!
Dave 74 Dart
Well-Known Member
Looking good ! This dumbass is learning lots from your step by step procedures. Thank you for taking the time to spell things out.
Most factory springs were shipped bare and ready to rust. Many think they were painted Black, but the majority weren't, some just looked blackish from the forging process. Some looked grayish. My Bee we painted them "twinkle dinkle" silver
but like painting black once it starts to chip it'll look like crap, why I just soaked these in Boeshield T9. Very easy to give them a mist from time to time to keep them from rusting too fast.
Note that other than some black paint that was obviously sprayed in the last decade onto these, there was absolutely ZERO sign that these springs had been painted prior to the assembly line installation.
Bottom of the car "cleaned up" with a bit of Black rust paint.
Spiffy...
Some rubberized undercoat on the rear wheel wells and frame rails
Always go missing after the first paint job. No headlight bucket rubber seals.
Same deal on the rear shields.
Detroit Muscle Technologies can fix that up in a hurry.
New rubber in place with stainless push pins.
Another of my pet peeves. Leaving that fender attach tab body colour. They got brushed Black on the assembly line.
Fender shields out. Hood lift springs are in nice shape.
Amazing fenders with ZERO repair or body work.
Spiffy...
Some rubberized undercoat on the rear wheel wells and frame rails
Always go missing after the first paint job. No headlight bucket rubber seals.
Same deal on the rear shields.
Detroit Muscle Technologies can fix that up in a hurry.
New rubber in place with stainless push pins.
Another of my pet peeves. Leaving that fender attach tab body colour. They got brushed Black on the assembly line.
Fender shields out. Hood lift springs are in nice shape.
Amazing fenders with ZERO repair or body work.
Last edited:
Scuffed up those fender attach tabs.
And painted them Black.
Rubber seal going onto the splash shield.
Side seal and top seal in place.
How they fit on the Dart. B body seals are rolled back in like a bumper between shield and fender.
And painted them Black.
Rubber seal going onto the splash shield.
Side seal and top seal in place.
How they fit on the Dart. B body seals are rolled back in like a bumper between shield and fender.
Fender tab paint dry and correct black phosphate bolt installed.
Shot showing upper splash shield rubber in place. Stuck the painted bolt up there where nobody should be looking....
Been ignoring the stripped UCA stop rubber's stripped bolt/nut for weeks. Time for it to go using a nut splitter.
Done deal.
Undercoated the front wheel wells.
Gave the wheel well trim a quick polish.
Trim back on and no more "look at me" fender attach tab.
Drivers side trim back on and lookin spiffy. On to rear axle housing assembly.
Shot showing upper splash shield rubber in place. Stuck the painted bolt up there where nobody should be looking....
Been ignoring the stripped UCA stop rubber's stripped bolt/nut for weeks. Time for it to go using a nut splitter.
Done deal.
Undercoated the front wheel wells.
Gave the wheel well trim a quick polish.
Trim back on and no more "look at me" fender attach tab.
Drivers side trim back on and lookin spiffy. On to rear axle housing assembly.
Progress delay! The blasting cabinet vacuumed out and all loaded up. Off to camp with some heavy bulky stuff in the truck box that I need to get out to our island, about 10 miles down the lake. Haven't had snow/ice conditions in about 4 years that'd allow driving to the dock, but she's perfect right now. No snow and 20+" of good ice. Good chance the sleds won't even come out of the trailer, but we always go prepared...
-
