Eric, thanks as always for your advice... This is not something I would have figured out on my own...

Just got a pile of parts back from the metal cleaner today. I'll deliver these to the powder coater next week. The trailing arms in particular were covered with CV grease and caked dirt. All gone now.

I also had a rusty front cross bar and A-arms for the front done, as you can see. I'm pretty happy with how nicely they cleaned up.

Another...

Eric - I'm going to send the clean stub axles and a couple other small pieces to you for zinc plating.

Also had the hubs cleaned. I'm going to blast off some surface rust that's beginning to form and paint the back side.

I have front and rear suspension projects going, so I'm going to merge them into this thread. The front suspension project is here.

I picked up powder coated parts today. As funds free up, I'll install new bearings, bushings, and hardware. My goal is to have my car back on the road this summer. It's been way too long since I've had this thing on the road.

Unfortunately, as I readying parts for the powder coater, I discovered that one of the rear brake dust plates was cracked at the middle bolt hole. I then took both plates of my car - and both of them were cracked too! I'm going to hold off on coating until I can find one that is not cracked.

I guess this means you will use the solid rear rotors and their matching size calipers? How much did they charge to clean the parts? The only people I know that do that are motor shops and they won't do it unless you use them to build the motor.

Yep, I'll use 914-4 rear calipers and solid rotors. I already have a rebuilt pair. There is a place in Portland that does nothing but metal cleaning... from small parts to entire car bodies. American Metal Cleaning. All the stripped parts in the picture, plus four CV joints, hubs, stub axles, and strut caps was around $250. I have another box of rusty, grimy exhaust pipes, intake tubes, and plenum in a box to drop off on Monday. I'm going to try home painting the exhaust pipes with VHT paint to save $$$.

The Powder coating was more expensive... to the point that I was up this morning thinking about it...

I'm installing the rear bearings tonight. I started the bearing by tapping it in as straight as possible with a rubber mallet and then finished it with a press. On good advice from an expert here on the board, I pressed the arm down onto the bearing rather than pressing the bearing into the arm.

It was a little tricky keeping the bearing straight while in the press. I rested the arm and bearing on a press plate. Then I laid a 1/4" steel plate on the back side of the arm, across the larger opening, with a newspaper between the plate and arm so as not to scratch the powder coat. I then pressed a little, repositioned the arm slightly, pressed again, and so on until the bearing was almost all the way in, then I applied more pressure and the bearing seated nicely. Sorry no pictures, I was using both hands holding the arm in the press and I didn't want my wife to take pictures in case I really screwed something up.

I had the bearing caps cleaned and zinc plated and I'm really happy with the results. Finished it off with new zinc plated bolts and wave washers, torqued to 18 ft/lbs.

If it's not too late. I have had real good luck with Eastwoods Stainless Steel paint for exhaust. I have used it on blasted bug headers and a k5 blazer exhaust and a case tractor exhaust and it has been on the k5 and case for several years and except for the bolts on the clamps it looks great. It's supposed to be cured at 400 but I used a torch and was careful not to burn it while I used a lazer temp gun to monitor the temps to cure it. The last time I just let the bug exhaust do the cooking. I always let the paint cure though before heating it up.

The only thing was the ss paint was really hard to clean out of the touchup gun and I ended up with some flake in a clear coat on a honda tank later on.

I got it in a red pint can. I'm pretty sure it was from Eastwood but it might have been Restomotive or por 15 as most people say.

Thanks Charlie. It's not too late. The steel exhaust pieces are at the metal cleaner now being cleaned. I'll do a search on the paint you're talking about.

I installed the hubs today using the same screw mechanism I used to pull the original bearings. Worked great.

Started out with nice clean hubs..

Taped up the powder coated surface to avoid scratches.

Laid a couple washers on the tape. The washer was large enough that it contacted the control arm surface and not the bearing.

The "screw mechanism." Put a light coat of grease on the hub surface.

And the final result!

I pressed in the races from new bearings and adjusted the adjusting clamping nut on the strut housing spindle so that the washer just moves, as shown in the 911 Haynes manual. Can someone please confirm if the picture looks correct? It's the distance of the hub body and the distance ring. Is this correct? The reason I ask is that the caliper body does not appear 'perfectly' centered over the disk.

I installed the pads and they both clear the disk just fine...

Although I believe that I pressed the inner race all the way into the hub, I'd like some more sets of eyes to look at this before I tap the dust cap on all the way. Thanks.

One more showing the assembly coming together.

They look great , what are you going to use for a park / emergency brake ??

Jaxdream

Never mind , read the earlier post.
Still all looks very good.

If it is not in all of the way the brakes would not line up! I think you are ok

Thanks... would look even better had a remembered to install the dust plate first! Du-oh!

Great work, and really helpful thread!

I'm just about done putting my car back together, but for me it all went back together dirty. After a suitable shake-down I hope to take it apart again this winter and, like you, replace all bearings/bushings and totally clean/powdercoat the suspension parts.

Assembly, part II tonight. Had to remove the hub and reinstall after attaching the brake dust shield. Once I put the dust shield on, I didn't have that strange space between the distance ring and hub like I did last night. Imagine that...

Per Haynes, torqued dust shield bolts to 18 ft/lbs. I used SS bolts and new wavy washers.

Also did a final visual check to make sure the new races were pressed in all the way. They were... Prior to pressing in the races, I heated the hubs in a 275 degree oven. I used a hydraulic press to install them, along with a correct size socket and large washers to rig up a way to press them in.

Inner bearing in, and dust shield on, tapped in with a rubber mallet.

Disk ready for install of hub.

New yellow zinc plated hardware.

"Silver and Gold"

Hub to disk nuts torqued to 17 ft/lbs.

Ready for the dust cap. Per haynes, after installing the outer bearing, tighten the clamping nut to approximately 10 ft/lbs to seat the bearings. Than loosen it until the thrust washer can just be moved, tighten clamping nut screw.

Done, sitting on the shelf for eventual installation.

I'm half way there with the five lug installation. Yesterday, I installed the rear trailing arms. As you can see from the pictures, I installed the rear trailing arms bushings from PMB, and added zerks.

Also took the time to replace the SS braided brake lines the previous owner had installed with rubber lines.

16x6 Fuchs. Two down, two to go.

Nice work Bryan.

Installed the fronts. Also installed new ball-joints and tie rod ends as well. The old tie rod boots were ripped and who-knows-how-old. Steel braided lines were replaced with new rubber lines.

It worked out well that the new suspension was the later 911 strut that uses the wedge pin like the 914. I was able to simply transfer the Bilstein inserts.

The problem with putting new stuff on the car is that it makes the surrounding areas look that much dirtier. I have to scrub the inner wheel well this weekend. I previously had a cross member and A-arms powder coated, but opted to leave the existing pieces on the car and just replaced the struts. The power coated pieces will wait until I do a more extensive restoration on this car one day.

Time to change my avatar!

Check your rear alignment!

Looks like you're running positive camber ...
Andy

Thanks Andy. Once I finally get this thing running again, my first stop will be at a good alignment shop.

Bryan car is looking great! Nice work man. Can't wait to see you driving it

Thanks Jamie. Likewise with the Creamsicle!

Finished up the axles tonight. Previously had a set of axles powdercoated. I disassembled, cleaned, and repacked the CVs and reinstalled with new boots and clamps.

Took some pictures and then wrapped up the CVs to avoid spreading any more CV grease - messy stuff to say the least; went through a lot of paper towels and disposable gloves.

Andy,

I saw this car the other day. There's no engine or tranny, so the car is sitting quite high. This at least partially explains the positive camber.

Where do you get those clamps and do you need a "single purpose" tool to install them?

Kev

I got the clamps at McMaster Carr, here's the page, the clamps I got say "34.6" and they fit well, although I can't remember the part number that translates to McMaster Carr (I got the "gap free pinch with tongue and groove"). You'd have to measure to be sure. Or you can just PM me your address and I'll send some. I've got leftovers and I hope not to do this job again soon.

There is a special tool. Google "CV joint pliers" and you'll see it. However, I just used a Channel Lock cutting plier and it worked fine. It looks just like the tool that McMaster Carr advertises for installing these.

- Bryan