cruiseroutfit
Well-known member
Looking sweet!
I didn't realize the Patrols were running ball/claw type from axles, really cool
I didn't realize the Patrols were running ball/claw type from axles, really cool
1964 Nissan Patrol soft top restoration
- Thread starter RMP&O
- Start date
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Looking sweet!
I didn't realize the Patrols were running ball/claw type from axles, really cool
Thanks!
Nissan called them "tracta" joints. They went to a CV axle in the early 70's.
cruiseroutfit
Well-known member
Right on, they look to have an oval shape? Not truly circular? The Land Cruisers ran them up to 1968 and went with the CV style (birf) after that. Call me crazy but I love the simplicity of the ball or "tracta" as you call them joints
I'm still running them in my 1966 LC pu, the are smooth as butter up to 60 mph in 4WD which is pretty much the top speed anyways
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Right on, they look to have an oval shape? Not truly circular? The Land Cruisers ran them up to 1968 and went with the CV style (birf) after that. Call me crazy but I love the simplicity of the ball or "tracta" as you call them joints
Ya they are kind of oval or egg shaped. I am/was pretty sure Rover used them early on but didn't know Cruisers did. Goes to show how many 40-series front axles I have had apart! As far as I understand the tracta joints were designed to last a very very long time. However, if you get a rough edge or burr on them they can seize up. Not speaking from personal experience just regurgitating what I have heard.
By the way, we have decided to re-make one of the spring plates. This one...
This plate is the oddball in the bunch. It uses one u-bolt which is larger than any of the others but also uses two bolts that go up into the axle housing. Hence it being the oddball. Any ways, didn't like how little meat there is between the side edges of the plate and the holes for the u-bolts. So fabricating a new plate that will be a bit wider and have some more meat along the edge. Will post a picture when it is done.
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
So today was spent working on getting chassis stuff ready for paint. We spent a solid hour deciding on a plan of attack and a bunch of other details. Final decisions worth mentioning were; tear down rear axle before paint, rebuild axles in my shop but rebuild the rolling chassis in the body guys shop. This means much less moving things around but more time for me spent in his shop. Not a worry, his shop rocks! I am not using the front axle housing seen in the pictures that is an assembly. I am using a better housing that is already torn down. I am using the brake drums on the complete front axle and probably some internals. Any ways, I am not tearing down the front axle all the way before paint since the better spare is already torn down.
Not much else to tell, I fought with the rear axle a bit...drum retaining screw busted off, easy out broke off in that after drilling! Axle shafts don't want to come out of the bearing cage without the right puller, ect ect. Should have the axle done in an hour or two tomorrow though.
Cheers
better skid plate in the foreground that will get used on the oil pan.
Rear axle tear down...
The front axle housing I am using...
The knuckle balls on this axle are good which is why I am using it. They should polish up nicely. Plus the other front housing has some scabby welds that would need to be cleaned up, this housing does not!
Oh ya and here is the new spring plate we made to replace the one that came out a bit unsatisfactory. This is the spring plate for the front that sits under the pumpkin. Plenty of meat along the edges now!
Not much else to tell, I fought with the rear axle a bit...drum retaining screw busted off, easy out broke off in that after drilling! Axle shafts don't want to come out of the bearing cage without the right puller, ect ect. Should have the axle done in an hour or two tomorrow though.
Cheers
better skid plate in the foreground that will get used on the oil pan.
Rear axle tear down...
The front axle housing I am using...
The knuckle balls on this axle are good which is why I am using it. They should polish up nicely. Plus the other front housing has some scabby welds that would need to be cleaned up, this housing does not!
Oh ya and here is the new spring plate we made to replace the one that came out a bit unsatisfactory. This is the spring plate for the front that sits under the pumpkin. Plenty of meat along the edges now!
bruzer1123
Observer
Just read through the entire posting from page 2. Amazing work!! I don't know anything about Patrols, but this thread makes me interested in this one. http://boise.craigslist.org/cto/3429772033.html
Thanks for documenting the build-amazing work!
Thanks for documenting the build-amazing work!
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
You are welcome and thanks for your comments!
Not a bad looking Patrol in Nampa. It looks worthy of a restoration. Here i another a guy is selling in S. California.
http://www.rmp-o.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4222
Not a bad looking Patrol in Nampa. It looks worthy of a restoration. Here i another a guy is selling in S. California.
http://www.rmp-o.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4222
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
A good few days logged since my last update on the 64. There is always more work then you think when it is actual time to get things done.
Sneaky spy pictures!eepwall:
Here is the knuckle ball, polished with a wire brush. After polishing you can see the groove in it pretty good, this sucker is less than 1mm deep though. There is also some light pitting present. FYI, if water contaminated grease sat in the knuckle and the truck sat for years at a time, it is almost a for sure you have a groove on the ball. Pitting will also be present. I have seen much much worse then this and I actually consider this to be in very good condition. Without a good surface for the seal to sit on here, keeping the knuckle dry and clean will be very difficult. LandCruiser guys should be pretty familiar with this stuff. A badly pitted or deep groove can only be fixed by getting the ball chromed.
Here is the other side after working it for about an hour by hand with some 320g. It will get worked more with the 320, then get worked with 500 and finished off with 800g.
The frame was prepared for paint today, hung in the booth, coated 2x with sealer and then got three coats of Imron. These pictures are of the 1st coat of Imron.
I am very happy the paint is done on the frame. Long time coming on that! Tomorrow more better pictures of the finished frame.
BTW, I am really enjoying working in the body guys shop. He has just about every tool a man could need! What he doesn't have, I got. I am also learning a ton of stuff from him, mostly paint and body stuff but that is really cool. I know jack all about this stuff so I feel privileged to learn from a master. Not to mention we get along great and can talk cars all day long.
Cheers
Sneaky spy pictures!
eepwall:Here is the knuckle ball, polished with a wire brush. After polishing you can see the groove in it pretty good, this sucker is less than 1mm deep though. There is also some light pitting present. FYI, if water contaminated grease sat in the knuckle and the truck sat for years at a time, it is almost a for sure you have a groove on the ball. Pitting will also be present. I have seen much much worse then this and I actually consider this to be in very good condition. Without a good surface for the seal to sit on here, keeping the knuckle dry and clean will be very difficult. LandCruiser guys should be pretty familiar with this stuff. A badly pitted or deep groove can only be fixed by getting the ball chromed.
Here is the other side after working it for about an hour by hand with some 320g. It will get worked more with the 320, then get worked with 500 and finished off with 800g.
The frame was prepared for paint today, hung in the booth, coated 2x with sealer and then got three coats of Imron. These pictures are of the 1st coat of Imron.
I am very happy the paint is done on the frame. Long time coming on that! Tomorrow more better pictures of the finished frame.
BTW, I am really enjoying working in the body guys shop. He has just about every tool a man could need! What he doesn't have, I got.
I am also learning a ton of stuff from him, mostly paint and body stuff but that is really cool. I know jack all about this stuff so I feel privileged to learn from a master. Not to mention we get along great and can talk cars all day long. Cheers
Last edited:
cruiseroutfit
Well-known member
cruiseroutfit
Well-known member
Man that frame turned out killer
Do you know what kind of sealer they used over the bare steel? Did they do any prep to the steel following sand blasting? Wash it with anything?
Do you know what kind of sealer they used over the bare steel? Did they do any prep to the steel following sand blasting? Wash it with anything?
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Man that frame turned out killer
Do you know what kind of sealer they used over the bare steel? Did they do any prep to the steel following sand blasting? Wash it with anything?
Thank you!
Ya it got washed, not sure what with, something similar to acetone I think. Can ask the dude tomorrow. The sealer is also something from Dupont, perhaps in the Imron line, could ask that too. We had a little bit of "shadowing" as the painter calls it but I touched all that up today. I also made sure the black goes way back into the hollow areas. The Imron is actually Satin Black not low or semi gloss. I think it is perfect, not to glossy and not to flat but just right. Everything else on the truck that is black is getting the same paint.
I basically sanded the whole frame after blasting and before paint. I started with 80g and worked my way up to 180g. This was mostly to blend areas where work had been done with areas it had not been done. As well as to clean it up and remove any funk I had got on it during resurrection.
Cheers