Refurbish is good!
Thread Starter
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Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 6,682
Likes: 12
From: Saskatoon SK Canada
Refurbish is good!
Just looking at my catalogue some prices just make me want to clean up my old parts. Like a new u bolt on the front costs me $12.50 each times four = $$$. I just picked the 4 best out of the 8 I have. I little while on the grinder and some paint. Good as new! What have you guys cleaned up instead of purchasing new?
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 266
Likes: 1
From: Suwanee, GA
Refurbish is good!
I'm a fan of using acid to clean up little parts... little brackets and such are a pita to sandblast or wire wheel, but muratic acid in a diluted solution works wonders... Just make sure you rinse well and IMMEDIATELY paint it. It it isn't broken or just plain cheap I clean it up and paint it. Thought, I did have new u-bolts bent at a local truck shop as mine didn't match... Large truck shops can bend just about any u-bolt you need from threaded bar stock they have....
Tyson
Tyson
Thread Starter
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Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 6,682
Likes: 12
From: Saskatoon SK Canada
Refurbish is good!
It's just I live in the middle of the two major citys. 1 hr to Saskatoon and Regina. So I don't quite have close access to the places in the city to get stuff made. I will have to get new rear ones made since the truck had overloads and normally they didn't so the ones I could buy probally won't fit. While I'm there I will get the overload springs arched more so it doesn't rub on the main spring.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 955
Likes: 1
From: St. Louis USA
Refurbish is good!
My feeling is if the part's in good shape, keep on using it. The few things I've replaced so far are the headligh and driving light buckets, taillights (yeah, 2 now), wiring and a few odds and ends. Had a pair of taillight brackets custom made to get around the bumper. Everything else can stay (so far). Love that old thick steel! 
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,363
Likes: 5,377
From: Central PA
Refurbish is good!
I did not want to buy new ***** for the wipers, lights, choke,etc. I cleaned them up real good and then painted them with gloss black. Look good and it is nice to know my hands are using the same ***** my grandfather used! I had a local sheet metal shop make the front panel for the cab. It looked good, but I ended up not using it. I painted the back of my rear view mirror and the sunvisor bracket with a silver made by duplicolor that matched perfectly!
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 266
Likes: 1
From: Suwanee, GA
Refurbish is good!
I understand the hassle of driving to the city to have parts made... Where I have my trucks (dads place) is about 1.5 hrs out of houston and I live in College Station (TX)... Both places are in the wrong direction of any of the shops I've had to have do work. Just last week I drove 3 hours to a powder coating shop in conroe that quoted me 45$ and 50$ for my 223's intake and exhaust manifolds (high temp on the exaust) to find out that they are 3~4 weeks behind, can't say the high temp won't burn off, don't know when they will run a batch of high temp parts, and that it would be 175$ for the exhaust. Needless to say I'll be trying eastwoods high temp coating for 20$ and will live with it.
Tyson
Tyson
