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TR2/3/3A Anyone got a TR2/3 Frame??

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CJD

CJD

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Well, it's all apart, so the surprises are all over. Whew! Turned out to be easy. I just hit the thing with a big hammer and the whole body dissolved into rust...

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My first step is to get the frame up to speed, but the last surprise was a big one. There is extensive rust damage. I can fix it, but not sure it is the prudent thing to do.

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Just wondered if any of you guys are sitting on a decent used frame that you would be willing to sell. If anyone does have a frame, please PM me. Also, I have heard that brand new frames are available, but have not been able to locate them. I'll make a decision on which way to go once I know all the alternatives.

Thanks!
 
Call Scott Harper at Team Triumph in Warren, OH for a used frame. 330-392-7176. He is usually there after 11:00AM Eastern Time. On Wednesdays he's gone around luch time but in later in the day. His fax is 330-392-8253. NFI, Scott is a regular guy who treats folks fairly. I wonder what shipping will cost however?
 
Thanks guys. I'll check those out.

Yep, I'll have to work on that engine to get it leaking right!
 
Yowzers, and I thought that my original frame was bad. Hardest part about a replacement frame is the shipping if you cant find one locally. If it comes down to a whole new frame from Tony at RATCO they're costly, but extremely well made, and stronger than the original 16 gauge sheet metal frame by far.
 
When I first read your thread title I was like "of course I do, my cars sits on one!" :wink-new:

Whew, sure glad mine leaks now!
 
Be cautious with used frames as I've recently come across two that were paper thin in places. The youngest sidescreen frame (TR3B) was made over 50 years ago and they were never painted on the inside, so rust just quietly eats away from the inside out. Try to inspect before buying and if the vendor allows, tap very lightly along the side members to confirm solid metal.

Check if the rear leaf spring front pins are in or out. If in they can be siezed solid and very difficult to remove. At least with the body off they can be left in place, as the springs usually go back before the body. There's only a problem if a leaf subsequently breaks, and even then it's usually easier to lift a corner of the body to remove a spring than get the pin out.

Viv.
 
Personally I wouldn't just "tap very lightly". I'd use a ball pein or pointed body hammer, and tap it fairly hard. But last time I looked at a rusted out frame, I could dent the metal just by pushing hard with my thumb.

Definitely been lucky, I've always gotten those pins out. Start by soaking them in PB Blaster or Kroil, then whacking them with a BFH to set up some vibration. Repeat every few days for several weeks. Then use a bottoming tap to clean out the threads in the head, and the highest tensile threaded rod you can find to make the puller. That's always done it for me, but the next step would be to start heating the pin as much as possible, while keeping a strain on it. The penetrating oil will catch fire, but it should go out quickly.
 
Just an update...

Talked to Rasco. Theirs are the brand new, but they are not identical to the original. The price as I write this is about $4,500. If I were going to race or drive the car hard, these are a great option, but not for me going with an as original restoration.

For the restoration I am planning, I will stick to a used frame or the one I have. Scott, mentioned above, doesn't have any used, but seemed very nice. Marv, of course, has everything and anything British, including a frame. I think my plan right now is to study what I've got to see if it's true...blast it to see exactly how extensive the rust is, and then decide whether to use mine or Marv's depending on what I find.

Thank you all for the input. I've learned a lot from your suggestions and made some useful contacts along the way!
 
Finished a week of sand blasting. Not good...but I put the tape on the frame to check every dimension listed in the service manual. It's actually within 1/16" on every measurement. Unbelievable! With the bent suspension and body, I thought the frame would be crooked. Says a lot for the strength of these old cars.

I've decided to take a stab at refurbishing the original frame. Hey, figure I'll have the only frame inspected and painted on the inside without dipping!?! Plus I'll get my rusty welding skills patched up in time for the body work coming up...

The metal used appears to be 16 gage...I just bought $70 worth of 14 gage steel and will start patching tomorrow. I'll have a lot of time invested, but less money than the cost of a single replacement outrigger from Moss or TRF.
 
Looking forward to seeing some frame work John.

Cheers
Dave
 
My 4A frame had gone out at the bottom like yours and about halfway up the vertical side faces. I got a sheet metal shop to fold up two U-sections, one with 1/2in flanges and the other a big U to match the original.

Then I unpicked the old tubes from the front-turrets, not actually hard, then posted the new U-sections through. I spot welded the flanges every 3/8in.
I did this everywhere that corosion ha dgot at it, one section at a time.

At the joints from old to new I included a backing plate. This allowed me to join the two with more weld-current without risk of blowing holes. Also helped with lining up.

This EVENTUALLY made a great job.

Al.
 
Thanks guys!

Al, sounds like you have been where I am. My biggest worry is warpage as I do the welds. Did you encounter any, or do anything special to prevent it?

Thanks
 
Are using gas or MIG weld?

By making U-sections I could be pretty sure they would stay straight.
Especially as I spotted the flanges together to make a completely new tube section before joining to the old tube.

Since I don't entirely trust home-made spots I added a second lot so they finally pitched at 3/8 in.
Every 3in or so I ran a bead with MIG. In lots of places something happens, like a tube joins, so this wasn't needed.

In some places I cut the old tubes on the diagonal so that the join did not take all the bend at one location.

In a few places I added a central vertical web across the join. This where the chassis has a lot of work to do.

I did quite a bit of MIG-spotting by welding through a 3/8in hole with a high current.

Al.
 
I have a TR2 rolling chassis with 8 solid rims. Thing is, it's buried in the back of the shop. Good news is, I've sold my unit and have to be out by the end of March. Haven't looked at the thing in quite a while. It was taken off the road some time in the early '60s by the previous owner,. The body was trashed and a fibre glass kit called a LaDari was put on it. He never got very far with the conversion and it sat in his garage till I bought it some time in the late '90s. Since then it's been in my shop. I'll be moving it in the next two weeks. Problem for you is it's here in Ontario, Canada, and you're in Southlake, TX. If you're interested I'll check it out once I get it out, and send some photos if it's solid. E-mail me at seven_plus2@rogers.com and let me know your thoughts.
Derek K
ps My e-mail address is 'cause I have a BMW 7 series, a Lotus Super 7 series 2, a Lotus Plus 2 and a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud 2
 
Thanks Derek, but I think the distance is going to be the killer there. Marv actually has a usable frame, but when I did the math on the drive to pickup/ship, I think I will be as well off repairing what I have got...but I have not split it apart yet, so who knows?

Al, we think a lot alike...I was planning to use diagonal cuts too, as it just seems like the strongest way to splice the new to the old without getting a stress riser. I was also torn whether or not to pre-fab some C sections, but have not gone that far yet. I like your idea of the vertical plates too, so will try to do that at the joints.

I have both mig and gas. 16 gage seems rather thin, so I am leening toward the mig to keep the heat distortion to a minimum. I'll get a better feel once I start putting the welder to the metal. That's also part of why I am using 14 gage patches...I think they will be more stable when welding.

Today I removed the first of the outriggers, and cut 2 new ones. I have been destructing the car for 2 months, so it was kinda nice to take the first actual step towards making it better. Boy will this take a while!
 
Just measured a bit of scrap left over from mine. This is 1.6mm Metric stuff. 0.062inch.

This is too thick for "amateur" bending over anything more than a few inches. Especially if you want a small flange.
This is why I got a sheet-metal shop to crop and fold the sections. I made 1.5m lengths.

I had no problem with distortion anywhere MIG-ing this on top current with a medium size welder using Argon-CO2 mix.
Tacked at 2in, ran beads of about 1in before breaking off to check.

I use a 1/2in wide Copper strip clamped so that my nozzle follows the weld line. I weld by "wobbling" the nozzle against the guide so as to steer the wire from new to old metal and back as I go. I welded by dragging the pool.

Rather than butting the tubes tight I leave about 2-3mm so I can see the backing plate and weld into it. You get a flatter weld this way even though you have the current and feed up high.

If you dont use a backing-plate and butt the tubes tight then you risk the weld being all on the outside.
You will be tempted to keep the current low so you dont make holes.

If you do make a hole its messy to recover and it will worry you.
You want to run every weld right first time.
A practised pro would do this in his sleep but I am guessing that this is not your day job. 'Taint mine!

I worked on the basis that a "patch" has four edges so you will do a lot of welding.
By running longish lengths in new tube I could concentrate on making a few, very good joints.

Only in very few places was I forced to weld a surface that wasn't horizontal.

Al.
 
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