Re-created suspension marks

hotrod68 · December 09, 2006, 02:05:53 AM

Here is a pic of the factory front suspension paint marks I found on my '68 when I took it apart. They supposedly don't mean anything, but I'm curious if anyone else has run across something like this. I carefully "soft-cleaned" everything and I know they were there.

I've reproduced them as closely as I could.

9T4Z · December 09, 2006, 03:30:51 PM

Don't know much about this... but they look good. What did you finish your springs with?

JohnZ · December 09, 2006, 04:33:08 PM

The orange paint on the spindles is also seen on '63-up Corvettes - it was applied at Chevrolet-Warren as evidence that the spindle forging had passed a Rockwell test and the assembly (spindle, steering arm, hub, rotor, and caliper) had been inspected.

hotrod68 · December 09, 2006, 11:22:43 PM

Thanks, Gary--the springs and the spindle and other suspension stuff are Dupli-Color cast-iron gray. Since I'm going to drive the car I opted to paint these parts instead of leaving them natural to keep them from rusting. QQ for John Z; How about the lavender paint, John? Both spindles had lavender on the bottom, but it was the only place I found it. The tie rod ends and spindle tops all had orange on them. Thanks.

JohnZ · December 10, 2006, 10:22:23 AM

Inspection marking colors varied, based on what colors were available on a given day at the component plants; those markings were applied at the supplier plants, not at the car assembly plants.

firstgenaddict · December 10, 2006, 07:45:39 PM

Quote from: JohnZ on December 10, 2006, 10:22:23 AM
Inspection marking colors varied, based on what colors were available on a given day at the component plants; those markings were applied at the supplier plants, not at the car assembly plants.

So the castle nuts and cotter pins would not have paint on them...

hotrod68 · December 11, 2006, 01:06:00 AM

1st Gen--did that so I'd remember I'd torqued them down!

JohnZ · December 11, 2006, 10:51:38 AM

Quote from: firstgenaddict on December 10, 2006, 07:45:39 PMSo the castle nuts and cotter pins would not have paint on them...

No, they wouldn't.

RamAirDave · December 11, 2006, 11:07:34 PM

Colors and locations vary greatly. Ive never seen two original cars with the same marks, and have only found one car that was almost identical from one side to another.

The hardware that holds the spindle to the steering arm couldve been marked, but the castle nuts, no.

JohnZ: The tie rods might be marked, but not the adjusting sleeves, correct?

JohnZ · December 12, 2006, 11:53:15 AM

The tie rod ENDS might be marked (not the nuts, just the body of the end), but not the sleeve clamps.

camaro cat · December 16, 2006, 02:30:23 PM

I took apart a 69 SS350 about 20 years ago and the spindles had a light to medium blue along with white on both sides. Car was a early Dec 68 build from Norwood. I own some NOS inner and outer tie rods and they have small pink markings on the ends.

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Re-created suspension marks