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Differential and rear suspension
- Thread starter neilert
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GregW
Yoda
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One thing I'll add from your first post about the axle sitting too high. When you put the leaf springs back in, don't tighten the nuts (at the outrigger and shackles) until you have the car on the ground. If you tighten them while the axle is fully extended, the bushings can't flex enough for full compression.
There's progress today on the floor pans and access to the outriggers (or what is left of them.
Here's an overall photo with the floor pan sheet metal removed.
The front driver's side outrigger is rusted out also.
Here's the driver's side outrigger, with several previous repair attempts.
Here's an overall photo with the floor pan sheet metal removed.
The front driver's side outrigger is rusted out also.
Here's the driver's side outrigger, with several previous repair attempts.
Neil, what I see there makes me very worried about the overall integrity of that frame, not to mention the sheet metal parts. Is a frame-off possible for you? If you remove the trunk floor, I'll bet you will find substantial rust at the rear crossmember, to which the rear springs mount.
Additionally, you should give real thought to opening up that frame to get some rust treatment, so that all your hard work will not just be a temporary fix. Rust never stops.
You have my sympathy and envy. I thoroughly enjoyed the year it took me to fix up my frame, pans, etc.
Additionally, you should give real thought to opening up that frame to get some rust treatment, so that all your hard work will not just be a temporary fix. Rust never stops.
You have my sympathy and envy. I thoroughly enjoyed the year it took me to fix up my frame, pans, etc.
Cutlass, unfortunately I will not be removing the body. My last big project was a '59 MGA. Here it is after 5 years of frame/motor/transmission/suspension work.
Before I had a chance to do the body work, we moved and I had to sell the car. After all of that work, I never drove it. Lesson learned, as I just don't have the necessary time or space to completely disassemble a car in my house.
I'm confident I'll be able to make these repairs and get the car buttoned up for summer.
I will definately be checking all of the frame members for damage.
Before I had a chance to do the body work, we moved and I had to sell the car. After all of that work, I never drove it. Lesson learned, as I just don't have the necessary time or space to completely disassemble a car in my house.
I'm confident I'll be able to make these repairs and get the car buttoned up for summer.
I will definately be checking all of the frame members for damage.
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I used POR-15 on the exterior and Waxoyl on the interior of the frame. When the car was painted, the frame was painted body color over the POR-15.
Now it's only been about 6 years, and in California, so I don't have long-term results.
Now it's only been about 6 years, and in California, so I don't have long-term results.
GregW said:
I know! Thanks for the reminder- I need to tent the entire garage before I start grinding and brushing the frame. It sure is easier to drop the frame off at the bead blaster.
Is the main frame member supposed to be straight on the bottom from the front outrigger all the way to the back? Mine is not straight, but is bent about the same on both sides.
GregW
Yoda
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I recently used some de-ruster from Blue Lightning. On surface rust, it almost washes the rust away. They also have a rust inhibitor that will keep rust from coming back for maybe 6 months to a year (they claim). Until you can paint.neilert said:
Ooooo, it should be straight on the bottom. The BJ8s have a section that jogs down under the axle. How is yours not straight?neilert said:
The main frame rails start to angle upward at the centerline of the rear axle to the rear crossmember. The total rise is 3/4". There has been a previous repair there as well, and because the axle hit the frame on rebound, I guess it pounded the main rails down and the rear crossmember up.
Bob_Spidell
Yoda
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I've had good results with a product called LPS-3. It's similar to Waxoyl, but probably thinner (I've going on product description for Waxoyl, I've never used it). I suspect it's paraffin (the American kind; i.e. wax) dissolved in a solvent, and it has a rust inhibitor.
Anyway, I put LPS-3 on bare metal on the chassis and the metal stayed shiny for over a year, so I decided to use it on the inside of the chassis rails. I bought a cheap spray device from J. C. Whitney which is supposed to be used for applying undercoating. It has nozzles that are small enough to get into the pre-installed holes in the later cars' chassis (our BN2 doesn't have the holes). I fogged it in--the sprayer worked well.
LPS products are available in hardware stores (I bought a gallon at OSH).
Anyway, I put LPS-3 on bare metal on the chassis and the metal stayed shiny for over a year, so I decided to use it on the inside of the chassis rails. I bought a cheap spray device from J. C. Whitney which is supposed to be used for applying undercoating. It has nozzles that are small enough to get into the pre-installed holes in the later cars' chassis (our BN2 doesn't have the holes). I fogged it in--the sprayer worked well.
LPS products are available in hardware stores (I bought a gallon at OSH).
GregW said:
They are the WORST I've seen. You have to wonder what people are thinking sometimes when they pick up a welder and whatever scrap metal is sitting on the floor next to the car.
The bend starts at the center line of the axle, toward the rear from the shock brackets. I'll take a photo with a straightedge.
GregW wrote:
I recently used some de-ruster from Blue Lightning. On surface rust, it almost washes the rust away. They also have a rust inhibitor that will keep rust from coming back for maybe 6 months to a year (they claim). Until you can paint.
I ordered the Blue Lightning rust remover and the inhibitor. Over the next several days I'll start ordering all of the sheet metal and frame stuff. Thanks everyone for the support.
I recently used some de-ruster from Blue Lightning. On surface rust, it almost washes the rust away. They also have a rust inhibitor that will keep rust from coming back for maybe 6 months to a year (they claim). Until you can paint.
I ordered the Blue Lightning rust remover and the inhibitor. Over the next several days I'll start ordering all of the sheet metal and frame stuff. Thanks everyone for the support.
GregW
Yoda
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I wouldn't want to venture a guess without my seeing the car in person. Could be a rear end collision, could also be the frame is rusting. One thought, in the trunk, are the brackets that hold the bumper damaged? I'm referring to the brackets that are welded to the frame, not the brackets that attach directly to the bumper. Those are thinner metal and should deform before the frame rails would.
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Hi Neilert, Your showing alot of detail and getting some good advise. I wanted to talk about the aspect of removing what you would call the body. I too had an MGA and did the car over like you did. the body on the Healey is not built like the MGA as you of course have already noticed. the Healey could be called maybe an early example of a Monocoque. Being all one unit or an early attempt at a unibody. So what I'm saying is all the upright or verical panels of the body are welded to the frame section to make it one piece. the body does not lift off the frame as in the MGA. I'm sure that some people have removed all the body sections from the frame to do their restorations, but give it good consideration before you do it. When you cut those upright panels off, alignment when putting them back on will be critical. Alignment in the fore and aft, and the left and right. How would you like to have your dash 3/4 of an inch closer to your chest than the factory had it when your finished. Or maybe your door latch piller angled in too far so that when the door closes it is out away from the body about an inch. I wanted to paint a scary senario to give it some thought. Fortunately for me my frame was pretty good and solid except for just the outriggers and some top rust near the transmission. That was because water had gotten under floor pieces that were rusted. In you case, because there appears to be serve rust damage as well as accident damage and possibly poor previous work, I would suggest that you take all mechanicals and attached panels off the car then sand blast of some sort of media blast the frame and what not to see what you really have.
You can buy most frame sections individually to replace damage and corrosion.
You can buy most frame sections individually to replace damage and corrosion.