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Everything Counts
from Toolbox Tom
When it comes to the chassis components on your car, everything
is important. Whether you are doing a frame-off restoration on a 1936 Ford
or restoring a later model vehicle, you need to look at all the components
of your vehicle's chassis.
Your car's chassis works as a unit. All the components work
together to create a smooth and safe ride. When one component wears out,
other parts may soon follow. When one part seems to be fine, are all the
other parts functioning properly?
Recently, a friend of mine had finished restoring a 1955 Chevy
Bel Air Hardtop. He did not do a "frame-off" restoration, but he claimed
to have gone through everything on the car's chassis. He said that there
were two ball joints that needed replaced and only one tie rod end that was
showing some wear. So, those were the only parts he replaced. All the other
components in his steering were simply lubed and considered good 'nuff.
Three months later, this friend was cruising down the highway
when the other tie rod end came apart. The joint itself was in fine shape.
But, the retaining bolt had worked itself loose and eventually just came
out. It didn't take long for the tie rod end to pull apart, causing the front
tires to go in two opposite directions at 60 mph.
Fortunately, there were no injuries in the resulting one car
crash. But the damage to his newly refurbished Chevy was serious enough to
consider the car a total.
To sum up this story, let me simply say, "I am rebuilding another
'55 Chevy now. This time, I will have ALL the front end components replaced.
There may be hidden damage and stressed metal that can't be seen by the naked
eye. One small fracture in a front end part can total a car. But, this time,
it won't total mine.
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