MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

TR parts and Triumph parts, TR bits, Triumph Car Spares and accessories are available for TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8, Spitfire and Stag and other TR models are available from British car spares and parts company LBCarCo.

Triumph TR6 - cleaning trailing arms

Hi All
I have a question regarding the aluminum trailing arms. I am sending the frame and other assorted pieces in to be bead blasted and then I am having new trailing arm frame members lower criciform plate and diff mount upgrades done before powder coating. Being in the boiler business has allowed me to find two different people who normally dont do car frame work (the powder coater does) to do this work very inexpensivly for me, but I,m not sure how to approach cleaning up the trailing arms. I have cleaned all the suspension and brake pieces myself and por15 all so if I can clean the trailing arms up I should have a pretty nice undercarriage soon. Please answer with any experience good or bad you have had with cleaning yours thanks in advance John OMeara Hamilton Ont
jh omeara

I had my TA powdered in a nice silver.If you can have your frame dipped. Has everybody seen the roller bearings Racetorations sells?
Don K.
DON KELLY

John
I had my TA's bead blasted (with plastic media) which "sealed" the pourous nature of the cast aluminium. They looked spectacular when done. Have them clear powder coated for an "original' look.
R
Roger H

Hi John,
When I did mine last year they were thick with dirt and undercoating..I bought a kids toy storage box about 2x2 put one arm at time in it with varsol, hooked up an old water fountain pump and let it run over the arm for a while with periodic brushing with a stiff bristle and wire brush. When clean I used Tremclad aluminum paint.about 3 or 4 coats. The first coat took forever to dry so I put some tin foil on the oven rack and put the arm in there for 30 mins at 325 which did the trick and the others coats dried fine. Of course the wife was a bit shocked at the slight smell and car parts in the oven !
I've got before and after pix if you'd like to see them.
If you have someone who can do it for a good price that will save some work.
Charlie
Charlie B.

John,
I did my TA's the quick and dirty way, wash the gunk off with paint thinner, buffed them up with a hand drill mounted scuff pad/rust remover till they were very shiny and spray can clear coated them.
Chris
Christopher Trace

Hi all

Thanks for your fast replies. I managed to get my frame and a bunch of small pieces into a boilerworks shop I deal with through work on saturday. The shop foreman has restored a few cars over the years so he was most helpful . He showed me how to operate the beadblasting booth and I spent two happy hours cleaning my bumper brackets rad support sway bar trailing arms and whatever else I could find in the garage! tommpoow he is going to do the frame for me and Tuesday I'm moving it to a frame shop to install mew trailing arm frame sections lower cruiciform and differential mount upgrades. then all pieces are off to be powder coated trailing arms clear of course.I took this week off work and I have my Father coming up to help with engine clucth gearbox diff seals and Ujoints He's been a mechanic for 50 years or so and use to service a lot of British Leyland stuff when He lived in Ireland so lifes pretty good in my garage these days! thanks again for any advice and look for my pleas for help this week!
jh omeara

With these great contacts can I become a close personal friend of yours ..I'll buy beer !!
haha
Charlie
Charlie B.

Hi all,

I noticed that powder coating is more and more popular in frame restoration. Is it easy to find a place to do that, and what will be an average price for a complete TR6 frame.

Thanks,

JGC
Jean G. Catford

I'm not sure if many places have the space to powder coat a car frame, it would require a fairly large oven to finish the job. I would imagine it would be expensive as well. Rims tend to start at $25 - $30 each to be done.
Charlie
Charlie B.

John- Bring it to Seattle,lots of places w/ ovens big enough.
Don
DON KELLY

I beleive there is a powder coating shop in Scarborough that has an oven large enuff to do frames. If anyone interested I will check it out.

Regards,
Ken
Ken Jackson

Ihad my frame and assorted pieces powder coated black and my trailing arms and diff cover done in clear for $400. Theres 5or6 places in Stoney Creek (beside Hamilton) making it more affordable I have this guys name somewhere around if your interested He had a really nice large modern shop with a 12x40 foot oven Regards John
jh omeara

This thread was discussed between 14/03/2005 and 07/04/2005

Triumph TR6 index