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Since this was a Super Trak Pack, 4-Speed car it came with the stout Dana 60 rear with a 4.10 Sure Grip setup and that will be how it is restored. The rear was caked with many years of rust so it went off to Chassis Service to have its innards removed then off to the dippers for a bath. After it was scrubbed and cleaned it went back to CSU to get the touch of the “Assman”, Jimmy Quinn. Jimmy can set up a rear like none other and my Dana was treated to new bearings, clutches and seals. The mighty 4.10 gears showed very little wear and they put back in. Back to my house for a shot of epoxy primer then some high build and sanding. |
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There were hundreds of tiny pits all over the Dana like every other piece on the car that was not replaced and they all needed filling. The best way to do this is with some high-build primer and for this piece I used the PPG Omni brand. Spray about 4-coats on the piece then start sanding with 180 then 240 then spray a few more coats on and go to 320 then wet 400 and it is pretty much ready. |
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Most of the time was spent on the tubes since thy will show any pits the most but don't neglect the housing. It has a rough, cast texture but it also needed sanding and some smoothing. The driver's side tube had a little dent that I used a bit of filler but other than that it was all high build primer. |
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So here it is all sanded and ready for a coat of sealer than some semi-gloss black. |
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After the first coat of semi-gloss black it is looking pretty sharp. I used a PPG black with a flattener to get the semi gloss texture I wanted. If you go this route don't have the paint shop add the flattener but mix it yourself so ensure you get an even finish. Mixing it is a little tricky as you have to calculate paint, flattener, activator and reducer but it can be done and the result f spraying the Dana with a gun versus a rattle can is amazing. |
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Here you can see how smooth the tubes came out from the high build and sanding. It took one Saturday to get the finish correct but it was well worth the time. |
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Still wet from the second coat but you can see how even the paint looks and the coverage you can get with a gun instead of a can.
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Okay the paint is all dry and it is time to assemble the rear. First on the list was to bolt the axles back in with the backing plates then run the parking brake cables. Mopar used cables made from flat and round wire and both are correct. Mine came with the round-wire cables so a pair of new ones were procured from Inline Tube and then slid and locked into the backing plates.
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