I got the frame prepped for Chassis Saver-ing. Wire brushed all the loose stuff off. Dawn dish soap and water with a brush to get a few greasy spots clean then finished with lacquer thinner. I pressure washed the frame to get all of the dust etc off of it.


I also removed the rear springs, axle, and rear most spring hangers. I had to cut the spring eye bolts out of the front hangers with a 7" disc cut off wheel. I just looove the smell of burning spring eye bushing in the evening! I did pretty well with it and only nicked the hangers a couple times.


I ended up torching the rivet heads off of the rear spring hangers from the hanger side then used an air chisel with the pointy bit to drive them out of the frame. Worked pretty well.


I'm going to drill out the holes to 1/2" to eliminate as much slop as possible when I bolt the new hangers on. I might get to paint tonight depending on weather.

 

Time to bring this thread back from the dead! I have a bit to update on the pile o' Dodge in my shop and yard.


After I was done patching the frame I parked the truck outside for a few weeks and sprayed any unrusted metal with salt water so that the Chassis save would stick. Then I prepped the frame as described earlier.


I spent a marathon evening painting as much of the frame as I could get to with Chassis Saver paint. Basically the entire frame from the front axle stop brackets back except the top of the frame under the cab. I put down cardboard and news paper under the frame to keep the paint off the shop floor. The first coat took a long time because I had to work it into all of the pitting on the frame. The next three coats went more quickly.


It worked out pretty well: I started at the back left side and worked towards the front on that side then did the right side. By the time I was done with both sides and a beer or two the left rear was dry enough for the next coat. I started around 6pm and finished in time to enjoy a beer while the sun came up.

 

At this point I've finished both front 1/8" steel cab mounts and they are welded in along with new floor boards and inner rocker panels.