Powder Coating with bushing

[canman]

I was going to powder coat my frame, but the PVS bushing on my Pro Street Cruiser would melt when it goes to the powder coater. Second problem is once you weld the pitman arm on you cannot get the PVC bushing out and if you don't weld the arm on then you just screw up the powder coat after trying to get the arm on. Does anyone have a solution to powder coat the frame with welding the pitman arm on and using a bushing after powder coating.

Thanks
Chris :dizzy:

[jjmorris]

Hey, I wanted to re-address this problema nd see what you guys did for this..^^^
Did you just leave the steering shaft on the frame when u got it sandplasted/painted(powdercoated)? Did you have to map a new pvc bushing for the steering shaft?

Maybe I will get a better visual when i get that far...(got everything but barstool and tires atm) but i was just looking ahead and hoping to get some first hand experience insight.

Thanks brosefs

[mudboger07]

Is it possible to put a roll pin in the pitman arm, if you drill a hole all the way threw the coller were the set screw would go just smaller than the roll pin, then after everthing is powder coasted you can slide it back together and tap the pin in. I did this on a cart and it worked great.

[jjmorris]

So you didn't actually weld the pitman arm to the steering shaft if i understand correctly...right?

And you say when everything is powdercoated, you can tap the pin in....Are you saying you tap the pin into the side of the pitman arm? I'm confused on how you would use a pitman arm, roll pin, and steering shaft in conjunction with eachother...I know what they all are, just confused on how that would work.

[mudboger07]

Youll have to weld the pitman arm to a 5/8 coller, were the allen set screw goes threw the coller drill it all the way threw this will allow for a roll pin set the coller and arm ont he shaft were it would ride before powdwer coating, mark and drill. then after powder coating set the arm up to the steering shaft and tap in the roll pin. you will have to design it with the pitman arm at the bottom of the shaft.

[jjmorris]

Yea yea, that makes perfect sense AND i bought an extra 5/8th lock collar. Thanks man

[kkuenemann]

I had my complete frame balsted and coated after all my welding was done. I used a brass bushing for the shaft. Only issue was where the shaft came out of the bushing on the bottom, the powder coating was thick enought that the shaft/upright was now "coated" together. I just cut the coating with an utility knife and worked the shaft around to free it back up.

The yellow one in my avatar has a removable steering up right. I put the steering shaft in AFTER it was powder coated. I just rattle canned the shaft with some gloss black on the portion that was exposed. It has a plastic bushing in it, top and bottom of the upright. I just used a clamp on BMX neck with a steel bushing that adapted the 1" ID neck to the 5/8" OD shaft at the top.

[KiwiMike]

When you send anything off to get powder coated, fill any holes or bushes up with balled or rolled up masking tape. Mask up any pieces of a shaft that you don't want to have to sand off the coating. This will save you a lot of trouble, sanding, filing and chasing threads after you get your frame back.