71 Vette: Front Stabilizer Bar Frame Attachments

[Terry M.]

Re: 71 Vette: Front Stabilizer Bar Frame Attachments

Gary-
your photos post sideways due to your camera settings in your iPhone. You need to lock the auto-rotate function before you take photos.
You can experiment with this a little in the Test Forum. Here is a recent thread on the issue from the Help & Support Forum.

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...ne-rotate-pics

Gary doesn't use an iPhone. He is an Android user.

[Patrick H.]

Re: 71 Vette: Front Stabilizer Bar Frame Attachments

There is a better example of original finishes on a 1971; I just don't know where it is at the moment.

There's a better example in the 68-69 JG too. It's a notation we made after the last 70-72 revision.

[Gary B.]

Re: 71 Vette: Front Stabilizer Bar Frame Attachments

Patrick, you are correct....
Gb

[Joe L.]

Re: 71 Vette: Front Stabilizer Bar Frame Attachments

I thought that you and I had tossed around the idea of the upper nut being silver cadmium plated instead of zinc. Even in your photo of well-aged parts, the color differs from everything else.

PH

Patrick------

I show the link nut and bolt to be zinc plated. However, it's possible that the nut, being an ancient part number, might have once-upon-a-time been cadmium plated. However, by the C3 era, if not prior, I would expect it would have been zinc.

The nut, GM #3654642 was a special nut. Of 5/16-24 thread size, it was 9/16" across-the-flats and 21/64" thick. A standard 5/16-24 nut is 1/2" across-the-flats and 17/64" thick.

The link bolt, GM #3817575, was also, of course, a special bolt. In addition to the short threaded length compared to total length, it also had a 9/16" across-the-flats head.

Both the nut and bolt were designed to function in conjunction with the bushing retainers with hex recess. The same bolt and nut were used from 1963 to 1982.

[Gary B.]

Re: 71 Vette: Front Stabilizer Bar Frame Attachments

One other bit of info that supports the zinc plating idea comes from the AMK Products repro of that nut. As you know, AMK makes repros of many GM fasteners. AMK uses cad plating for GM fasteners that typically came in cad, and AMK uses zinc plating for GM fasteners that typically came in zinc. Their repro for 3654642 is available only in zinc.

Gary

[Patrick H.]

Re: 71 Vette: Front Stabilizer Bar Frame Attachments

I can't say that we rely on reproduction parts companies to always get things correct.

From looking at a lot of original end links, the plating on the nut always appears different than the rest of the assembly. It is always less corroded and more silver, if that makes any sense. The conclusion we then made is that it must have a different plating than the rest of the assembly, and cadmium is the most logical plating that would give the appearance as viewed.

If anyone else can look at these and come to a different conclusion, please let us know.

[Gary B.]

Re: 71 Vette: Front Stabilizer Bar Frame Attachments

Patrick,

Until/unless someone has an original nut tested for plating chemistry, or someone like David Bartush reports on what the GM engineering print says, we can speculate until the cows come home.

Gary