Brand new C5 vette suspension parts.. ?

[Steve1968LS2]

Got all my front C5 vette suspension parts today. They are brand new and have all the bushings installed.

What is the best way to protect the finish? If left bare I know they will eventually oxidize. If the bushings were out I would have them powder painted but it seems a waste to trash the brand new bushings and ball joints.

Thoughts? Just shoot them with some low gloss clear? Want to make sure I am not missing any tricks

Oh, and the 21st Century subframe is a work of art.. they have one GOOD welder at that place..

<-- having an early xmas

[B Schein]

Steve, on our display frames, we removed the ball joints taped up all the bushings bead blasted all the parts and the sprayed them with ppg clear. Good to here you got all you stuff with out incident.

[Steve1968LS2]

Steve, on our display frames, we removed the ball joints taped up all the bushings bead blasted all the parts and the sprayed them with ppg clear. Good to here you got all you stuff with out incident.

Yea, everything seems a-ok.. the headers are pretty bitchen.. I am going to my coating place to try and find some sort of low-bling high tech coating for them.

Who is your welder? He certainly has the skills.. I wasn't sure it was ok to bead blast them with the bushings in place..

[JMarsa]

:postpics:

Let's see the frame!!!

--JMarsa

[MrQuick]

tell me about it....takes pictures and can't even share!!???? Brian, are you working for 21st? man, everyone is moving up!

[CraigMorrison]

Steve, on our display frames, we removed the ball joints taped up all the bushings bead blasted all the parts and the sprayed them with ppg clear. Good to here you got all you stuff with out incident.
Aren't the ball joints serrated to "bite" into the control arms and then pressed in? I was under the impression that they couldn't be taken out and if a ball joint wore out that you had to replace the whole arm. Or is this a display only kind of thing? I know a local builder, who is one hell of a fab guy that tried to do this, pressed the ball joints back in and after about 500 miles needed to replace the arms because the ball joints were loose.

[B Schein]

All the ball joints the we have removed were just like any other ball joint smooth bore in the part and smooth on the out side of the ball joint. Maybe they changed something I don’t know about.

Vince, yes I am working a 21st century part time while I am in school down here in North Carolina.

Steve, our welder in just a good oll boy form South Carolina named Steve, Jim built your headers.

[Travis B]

We had some C4 stuff under our woody...we just scuffed and cleared it with Dupont(standox) looked very nice seemd to hold up well.....! You could always put flatener in the clear to dull it down. We wouldn't want you to have anything shinny on there..lol

[JMarsa]

What about that Zoops seal stuff?

-JMarsa

[Steve1968LS2]

What about that Zoops seal stuff?

-JMarsa

Hmm.. I guess that would work and I have some.. sure works well on polished stuff.. maybe I will try it on a piece just to see..

I will probley just scothchbright them and shoot them with low gloss clear. Thanks for the info on the ball joints, i will investigate this more.

Oh, I will snap a picuture today.. it is one hell of a nice looking unit.. I can't wait to start putting it together, just need some shocks.

[Steve1968LS2]

Steve, our welder in just a good oll boy form South Carolina named Steve, Jim built your headers.

Well give Steve a pat on the back, very clean work.. As for the headers they are nice as well. Equal length stepped headers a beautiful thing. I am gonna snap before and after pics, I just need to find the "right" coating for them.

[Travis B]

Well give Steve a pat on the back, very clean work.. As for the headers they are nice as well. Equal length stepped headers a beautiful thing. I am gonna snap before and after pics, I just need to find the "right" coating for them.


So steve what are you doing with the big block???

[Steve1968LS2]

So steve what are you doing with the big block???

The old motor found a new home and I found a big pile of cash to finance the refurb of Penny.. I will miss the sound but not the 4mpg..

I am really curious to see how much weight ends up coming off the front of the car, my hunch is that it will be a LOT.

[Todds69]

We need pics Steve...You can't through stuff out there like that and not have pics. It's a sin or something.

[boodlefoof]

Where did you get the C5 parts and what was the damage if you don't mind my asking... I would like to put some C5 bits on my Datsun project... and if new isn't much more than used, I might be motivated to go that route.

[Steve1968LS2]

Where did you get the C5 parts and what was the damage if you don't mind my asking... I would like to put some C5 bits on my Datsun project... and if new isn't much more than used, I might be motivated to go that route.

I got a "good guy" price so I can't say.. but lets just say it was well over $1000 for the control arms and uprights..

[boodlefoof]

Thanks Steve. Yup, they're expensive! I'll keep poking around the bone yards and ebay... = )

[LS1Bandit]

The old motor found a new home and I found a big pile of cash to finance the refurb of Penny.. I will miss the sound but not the 4mpg..

I am really curious to see how much weight ends up coming off the front of the car, my hunch is that it will be a LOT.

Just put a 230+ duration cam in that ls2 on like a 110lsa, it'll have a nice sound!

[BrianP]

Where did you get the C5 parts and what was the damage if you don't mind my asking... I would like to put some C5 bits on my Datsun project... and if new isn't much more than used, I might be motivated to go that route.

Here's some prices from GMpartsdirect.com:
$124.12 x 1 each LH Front lower control arm (rubber bushings installed and ball-joints pressed in) 10326693
$117.92 x 1 each RH Front lower control arm (rubber bushings installed and ball-joints pressed in) 10326694
$89.54 x 1 each LH Front upper control arm (rubber bushings installed) 10333408
$89.54 x 1 each RH Front upper control arm (rubber bushings installed) 10333409
$104.06 x 1 each LH Knuckle (upper ball-joints pressed in) 10332530
$104.06 x 1 each RH Knuckle (upper ball-joints pressed in) 10332529
$196.99 x 2 each Front bearing/hub assembly 7470569
The total for the main pieces looks to be about $1023.22..

[MrQuick]

plus $700 in shipping...lol not too shabby

[Steve1968LS2]

Here's some prices from GMpartsdirect.com:
$124.12 x 1 each LH Front lower control arm (rubber bushings installed and ball-joints pressed in) 10326693
$117.92 x 1 each RH Front lower control arm (rubber bushings installed and ball-joints pressed in) 10326694
$89.54 x 1 each LH Front upper control arm (rubber bushings installed) 10333408
$89.54 x 1 each RH Front upper control arm (rubber bushings installed) 10333409
$104.06 x 1 each LH Knuckle (upper ball-joints pressed in) 10332530
$104.06 x 1 each RH Knuckle (upper ball-joints pressed in) 10332529
$196.99 x 2 each Front bearing/hub assembly 7470569
The total for the main pieces looks to be about $1023.22..

You will also need those specialized bolts with the offset washers.. And there were a couple othe little pieces but that looks about right..

[Mkelcy]

I'm also doing a 21st Century subframe and have gotten an entire used C5 front suspension as the source for the required C5 bits.

I was planning on pulling the bushings/ball joints and having everything bead blasted and powder coated. HOWEVER, although you can get aftermarket bushings (Vette Brakes & Performance seems to be vastly preferred for serious handling; if you call VBP direct you can get the front bushings without buying the full set), and lower ball joints; no one I've looked at (Kragen, Autozone, NAPA, GMPartsDirect parts catalog, Chevrolet dealer) lists an upper ball joint for a C5, which appears to be integral to the upright/knuckle.

I'm curious if the 21st Century guys (or anyone else) have a part number for the C5 upper ball joint? If not, it may well be that the ball joints are not replaceable.

[Marcus SC&C]

SC&C to the rescue! Our G-5 suspension packages use new C-5 knuckles but not the stock upper ball joints. We have boxes and boxes of brand new GM C5 upper ball joints that were pressed out of brand new knuckles. They even have the plastic thread protectors still on them. How many do ya want? $20 ea. Mark SC&C