TR2/3/3A Bumper frame brackets

[Frank Canale]

This is the front bumper brackets that bolt to the frame. The PO used a torch to remove the weld nuts from the bracket.

I am not a machinist, but I do have a small Atlas lathe that I played with at the shop I started in when I was in high school. A local machine shop was kind enough to give me a short piece of 3/4" hex stock to make the 3/8-24 weld nuts. These nuts are an odd size so I decided to give it a try and make a couple. This was an opportunity to try and do something that I don't normally do.

There was enough of the original hole that I could leave that part, weld in the repair and use a rotary burr to finish grinding the hole to the correct diameter for the weld nut.

Bumper frame bracket with the weld nut in place. I am going to wait to weld the nut in until I get a bumper and am able to bolt everything in place. It will be easier to make adjustments before the nut is welded in and I won't have to make the nuts over.

Both brackets have been repaired. They both seem the same but there might be a minor difference where the bumper bracket attaches so there might be some tweaking to be done once they are installed. This is why my restoration will take longer than it should, silly details like this, but I had a lot of fun making the nuts for this repair. I guess that is what its all about. Very cold and ice and snow headed my way so progress will be limited. Stay warm, Frank

 

[M_Pied_Lourd]

Nice! I don’t remember mine having captive nuts there.

Cheers.
Tush

 

[Tr3aguy]

I had to go back and look but there they are, great job Frank

 

[M_Pied_Lourd]

Well, look at that

Cheers,
Tush

 

[Frank Canale]

Thank you Tr3aguy, Great picture that confirmed what I thought it was like. There was a tiny sliver of the weld nut left on the bracket so I had a clue as to what I needed to do. Frank

 

[LionelJrudd]

Frank. Always good work!
in your last photo with the two frame brackets back to back, what is the bent bracket on the bolt at the other end. If memory serves me well it has a hole one end and has slotted hole at the other. I have the bracket and know it goes on the front fittings but haven't worked out its purpose. Lionel

 

[sp53]

Lionel the purpose for the little Z bent piece is safety/ insurance in case the weld breaks on the steering gear bracket on the frame . The metal bracket piece holds the 2 together for emergency, so people would not lose their steering when driving.

 

[Frank Canale]

Good to hear from you Lionel. I sure could use some of your weather. Steve is right the bracket is an additional support for the steering box. Frank

 

[CJD]

That finally makes sense. It's funny, my mind thinks of some projects as "engineering projects", where I plan to come up with better ways and means of building a part. My TR was segregated in my mind as a "restoration project", where all my thought is about making it just like it rolled off the assembly line. So, although I may have wondered what that strap was for minute or two, I never spent any real time thinking about it, because in my resto mind it just "is". I find the engineering projects wear me out thinking so much, so I enjoy the resto projects when I can work without thinking to much.

Sorry...I'm rambling as I wait for your next update, Frank!

 

[DavidApp]

I came across that piece in my box of odd parts. Randall identified it for me even though it was a bit more bent than your one is. I straightened it back to the correct shape.

David

 

[LionelJrudd]

Thanks guys. As (nearly) always tha brains trust on this forum comes up with the answer. Never even thought of redundancy matters when looking at it.