Topic: Perches

[J_Speegle]

Do you know what year the rubber pads were part of the production perches? (69, 70, later....)

Maybe 1982 - or around there. The rubber pans and little holes that retain them were on later service replacement perches. Think all of the judges deduct for these on a regular basis since many figure NOS is like original

[bryancobb]

Hello,

I have made some progress.  I decided my 2 were OEM and I wanted to keep them.  The bushings were shot though.
I bought the NOS ones and will be removing their bushings and turning the ENDS of  the outside sleeves on the lathe so they look
exactly like the originals.

Something I learned when pressing the no-good bushings out...It's of course and interference fit.  The bushing O.D. is probably 0.001" larger than the I.D. of the
perch.  There is a big hole and a small hole in the perch, and a big end and small end of the bushing.  The bushing MUST be pressed out in the correct direction and
the new ones must be installed in the right orientation.

The big end of the bushing is   1.393"  and the little end is   1.375"

[bryancobb]

I need (2) of the "ROCKFORD" head bolts.  Can anyone help?

And Charles, how much $$ to make the 2 perches (WITHOUT BUSHINGS IN THEM) look as much like the picture you posed in # 4 ?  I realize mine are not as nice as yours were, to start with, but they are not as bad as they look in my last picture either.

[CharlesTurner]

I need (2) of the "ROCKFORD" head bolts.  Can anyone help?

And Charles, how much $$ to make the 2 perches (WITHOUT BUSHINGS IN THEM) look as much like the picture you posed in # 4 ?  I realize mine are not as nice as yours were, to start with, but they are not as bad as they look in my last picture either.

Send me a PM to discuss...

[bryancobb]

I've got the parts smoothed pretty well with the die-grinder and Roloc discs.  Now I need to buy a vib-tumbler or send them to Charles for "deluxe-ing."
First picture = before, Second = Charles', Third = before tumbling, bolt plating, and yellow paint on rubber.

[Anghelrestorations]

This is a great thread here related to what I am working on right now.  I am restoring a complete suspension for an early 64 1/4 K-Code convertible.  In taking the spring perches apart I see that the bolts are tack welded to the bushing assembly.  And I see in one of the first posts here Jeff showing the same.  Has anyone else seen this in 65 or 66 or is this only an early detail?  Pictures here of what I am working on in the shop now:

[carlite65]

all the ones i have seen/worked on did not have any welds. the bolts were splined.

[Anghelrestorations]

On all the spring perches I have taken apart, the bolts are always splined - these are too.  But in addition, they tack welded these which I have almost never seen. 

[Brian Conway]

May of 65 San Jose and no welds.  Brian

[CharlesTurner]

I have only ever seen one pair of saddles with the bolt heads welded like that.  Funny thing is, it was one of my very first restorations and I re-bushed the spring saddles and had a friend 'put back the welds', lol.

Personally, I would not replicate it at this point, unless I saw a pattern of other cars built around the same time, same plant.

On the pace car I restored, the bolts were different than the later style, but I'm pretty sure they were splined also.  They were not welded either.

[Anghelrestorations]

Ok. 
And reading thru this thread seems the most common finish for the bolts and the nuts (on the spring perches from 64 1/2 to 66) is a silver finish that most likely is zinc or cadmium.  Could have been other finishes...but thats the most common. 

And notice there is no head markings on these bolts at all. 

[CharlesTurner]

Yes, early ones with no head markings, later ones with 'ROCKFORD'

The finish was either zinc or cad.

[J_Speegle]

This is a great thread here related to what I am working on right now.  I................  Has anyone else seen this in 65 or 66 or is this only an early detail?  Pictures here of what I am working on in the shop now:

have seen this a number of times and (admittedly)    have done it once myself when the bolts strip out in the perch. Makes it easier than holding the upper bolt with a wrench

[Anghelrestorations]

Figured I would post some pictures here of the final result and what I did to duplicate exactly the way it was. 

I already had NOS spring perch bushings (the two on the left), so copied the same finish on the new bushings on the right:



Here the spring perches are all assembled.



And added the welds back on there exactly the way they were originally.  Figured may as well if we have gone this far.  Was able to save the original bolts too. 

[ruppstang]

Very nice work Marcus.