Topic: Used Brake and Steering Components-Trash or Save?

[mechachy]

I've removed the front brakes and suspension components and have almost finished removing the steering pieces on my power steering '70 Boss 302.  Prior to me getting the car, it had been sitting in the California desert for about 20 years.  Despite the low humidity, the brake calipers and rotors are heavily rusted.  The steering pieces aren't real good, either.  While I hate to throw anything out that was original Ford, the calipers and rotors in particular seem to be beyond hope and are just taking up space.

Can this stuff be trashed or are there people out there that can bring this back to life?

[Toploader]

Save them if they're original to the car. If not now, they might be worth restoring at some point in the future. Advances in technology might bring about new ways to restore such pieces. They won't make these parts again. Yeah, reproductions maybe...

[67gtasanjose]

Save them if they're original to the car. If not now, they might be worth restoring at some point in the future. Advances in technology might bring about new ways to restore such pieces. They won't make these parts again. Yeah, reproductions maybe...

+1 on original ANYTHING for these old cars. Keeping them is the best way to go, though if they MUST go, try and find identifying marks (part numbers, casting dates etc.) offer them for sale. Somebody surely has room to keep them around or make use of them.

Richard

[Anghelrestorations]

I can make room for them if you want to get rid of them let me know....there is always someone looking for original pieces.  Otherwise, if you have the room just hang on to it. 

[drummingrocks]

I can sympathize with you on this one.  I'd like to keep everything, but it's just not feasible due to space constraints.  I would say at the very least keep all the original parts until the restoration is done.  That way if you install a repro part and it doesn't fit or work correctly, you at least have your original, either to restore or to find a suitable replacement.  It doesn't happen that often, but there have been a few times that I wish I hadn't thrown this or that part away before finishing the car.

[J_Speegle]

If you don't use the car often once finished you can always LABEL a bin or box and place it in the trunk on a towel for storage if your short on room and your not storing leaf springs)   Then just remove the bin when you take it to a show or out for a drive

I've taken parts of to save way too many times only to throw the unboxed, unlabeled parts during some cleaning frenzy  

Way back when we often didn't keep all the take offs - hate to think how many original shocks, belts and the like that are fairly small and easy to find room for that got tossed

[mechachy]

Since the consensus is to keep them, that's what I'm going to do.  Question.  Is anyone restoring the calipers now or as Toploader said, will I have to wait for advances in technology to have that happen?  In looking at the calipers, it would seem like that technology would be on the same level as the technology it will take to defrost Ted Williams and bring him back to life. 

[Toploader]

Not knowing the specific condition of your parts, I suggest the following  g e n e r a l  approach to parts in a bad shape:

1. Remove all corrosion (using Evaporust, Metal Rescue, Archoil etc).

2. Build up of new material on corroded areas (using welding or thermal/metal spraying - just like you would save a crankshaft or camshaft). In some applications sleeves could be used as well.

3. Machining the part back to original specs.

4. Other necessary finishing.

I don't know if this is applicable to your situation, but I have saved a set of original brake drums this way. I don't know who could take on a job like this in your area. Maybe someone else can chime in here.

[drummingrocks]

Since the consensus is to keep them, that's what I'm going to do.  Question.  Is anyone restoring the calipers now or as Toploader said, will I have to wait for advances in technology to have that happen? 

I had the original calipers on my '66 fastback rebuilt by the local NAPA franchise.  They farm the work out to A1-Cardone.  This came up in a recent thread, and others have used them successfully as well.  From what I remember, it wasn't terribly expensive either.

[79mustangcobra]

I have to agree with the posts above.  I would save them.  Put them away in a good storage bin. 

[67gtasanjose]

Not knowing the specific condition of your parts, I suggest the following  g e n e r a l  approach to parts in a bad shape:

1. Remove all corrosion (using Evaporust, Metal Rescue, Archoil etc).

2. Build up of new material on corroded areas (using welding or thermal/metal spraying - just like you would save a crankshaft or camshaft). In some applications sleeves could be used as well.

3. Machining the part back to original specs.

4. Other necessary finishing.

I don't know if this is applicable to your situation, but I have saved a set of original brake drums this way. I don't know who could take on a job like this in your area. Maybe someone else can chime in here.

I have original rotors & drums and would consider something like this if it were feasable. As you asked, can anyone else chime in on this? My drums aren't too bad & might be within DOT specs, but my original rotors have been turned down too far on one, and thinning on the other.

[Brian Conway]

It has been my experience that at some point these used, worn, old or  unrestorable original parts can only serve one useful purpose.  As solid reliable reference to what was original or an assembly line part.  Brian