68 Nova Rear Leaf/ 12 Bolt Rear Housng Colors???

[Crossbreed383]

Black or cast springs?
Black or cast 12 bolt housing ?
Or is it just preference
Thanks

[x77-69z28]

The 12 bolt was painted for sure. I believe the springs were as well, but not positive.
Buddy

[Crossbreed383]

All these restored cars on this website , and no one knows their leaf/springs rearends?????

[WILMASBOYL78]

Message sent..

[HawkX66]

A quick Google search will get you a ton of results while you're waiting for answers:

From William over on CRG.

"Rear axles were painted as an assembly; cover and brake drums in place but no lines. Pinion flange was masked. Paint was a glossy black. Yes the drums were black too.

Leaf springs were not painted. The forging process left them with a mottled black-grey finish."

I left my springs natural and this is what I did to my posi:







Here's a survivor 69 Z:

[Crossbreed383]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WILMASBOYL78</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Message sent.. </div></div>
Is it top secret ENCRIPTED ( LOL) as I haven't seen anything yet sir????
Thanks
Nick

[Lynn]

Because the rear leaf springs were not painted, they were (as William notes) left a mottled color. I wanted "pretty" ones on my Z. Here is what I did. Doesn't make it right. But I like the outcome. BTW, I made my own clamps. Bought some "100% factory correct" and the were NOT the same thickness, so i made some. I also made the "rivets" from carriage bolts.

1. Disassemble leaf springs. Keep then in sets.
2. Sandblast each leaf individually. There will be TINY, TINY pits that even fine sand won't remove.
3. Clean them very well.
4. Clean them again with lacquer thinner.
5. Clean them one more time.
6. Spray down with Permatex rust converter (no, do NOT, REPEAT DO NOT THINK YOU CAN USE THIS ON A RUSTED BODY PANEL AND MAKE IT SAFE TO PAINT... DO NOT) on the bare leaves. You will be shocked how much of the "clean" sand blasted surface turns black from the converter.
7. Go over each one with 1000 grit paper.
8. Clean
9. Clean
10. Lightly dust with any one of the quality "cast iron" paints. I believe I used Duplicolor, but it may have been Seymour.

I like how they turned out. Still look good today, 5 years later. I sprayed them down with Remington gun oil (kind of like Boeshield).

[Spooky]

Lynn, Those springs look great!

[firstgenaddict]

You can buy the correct spring end slides from Eaton they have the rectangle shaped box used to retain them in the rectangle recess of original springs... they are $1.00 each last time I bought them.

[Unreal]

I bought a new set of eaton 5 leaf springs, and used the primary spring from the new ones, and the original leafs for the other four. I cleaned them with a wire wheel, and had them re-assembled at a spring shop. Then I painted them with an OER rattle can product that was formulated for heat treated parts. Came out great, looking pretty close to the color of heat treated steel, and still look good 10 years later.