Wooden cross member!!

Post by **leyther8008** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:06 pm

: Help! my vans got a wooden rear crossmember

, well inner rear valance actually, somebodys Idea of a repair I,ve got a steel one coming, but my question is
What does the rear inner vallance actually connect to? obviously theres no weld between the van box and the current wooden beam, cant see any bolts other than the ones that go through the tops of the ends of the chassis, which appear to go through the van floor through the wood and into the above holes.
When I put my new cross member in does it weld, bolt or connect in any way to the van box? also do you reckon its a box off job?
Bern
PS It passed its MOT with a jokey warning about dry rot!! so it must be sound enough.
Also posted on LCV site.
Bern

Post by **aupickup** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:32 pm

the rear inner valence is bolted to the chasis, and then welded to the floor panels only

Post by **leyther8008** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:05 am

Many thanks for the quick reply. I,m going to try to do it insitu with a support on a jack and the van wooden floor out.

Post by **bigginger** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:52 pm

Good luck - the inner can be a pig to fit into the outer

Post by **leyther8008** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:13 am

well it took me two days, and not everything lined up exactly, took a bit of fettling but I was amazed when I took out a 'sleeper'! yes, one of british rails finest, I suspect that when it was done the replacement parts werent availiable, however it does mean that all the fixings at the rear of the van had been replaced by woodscrews so does any body know what size and threadform the rubber bumper block fixings are?
Plus I had to replace the panels below the indicators that the brake lights mount to, made up simple repair patches and let them in, Looks like I,ve a couple of days filling and sanding to do, but its to cold in the garage at the moment!

Post by **leyther8008** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:51 pm

Also while reading some replys posted elsewhere on the MMOC about panel quality, I think the misaligment problem may have been caused by one of the support brackets being welded to the inner valence in completley the wrong place, I could get one side in but the other was about an inch off, if I put that one in after releasing the other one the ends of the panel where off centre with the van box, I must admit I never checked the measurment between the mounts, you just sort of accept that it must be right. I ended up drilling through the bracket in the new required position, this all assumes my chassis is right of course.

Post by **bigginger** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:53 pm

And the angle of the bottom seems to usually be completely wrong, meaning you have to cut, reshape and re-weld the brackets. P'raps that's just the pick-up ones though, but it's very annoying...

Post by **leyther8008** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:17 pm

They supply the same inner valance for vans and pick ups its the outer one that different, It dosnt look bad now I,ve primered the bits up, the welds even look better!

Post by **bigginger** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:10 pm

Ah yeah - that's the one I was thinking of!

Post by **wibble_puppy** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:05 pm

leyther8008 wrote:all the fixings at the rear of the van had been replaced by woodscrews

oh dear lord

so does any body know what size and threadform the rubber bumper block fixings are?

They vary depending on the size of the hole in the rubber bumper. ESM stock both types and might well agree to send you one of each so you can try them out and see which is right - if you speak to 'em nice

Post by **leyther8008** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:10 pm

As well as doing all the work listed above I,ve now bolted a lowlight front to my van, nothing that cant be reversed eventually, but definatly a talking point as most people have absolutly what the heck it is.

Post by **alex_holden** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:18 pm

Have you got a photo of that?

Post by **leyther8008** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:40 pm

Its still work in progress but my avatar which should be up and running now will give you a taster.
Bern
Or if your really interested I could pm one to you!

Post by **alex_holden** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:55 pm

Looks nice. Are you leaving the wings a different colour to the body? I like the contrast between the white and the blue.

Post by **leyther8008** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:15 am

Thanks, I like it I Was going to paint the wings , but like you say they sort of suits the van as they are, raw fibre glass gel coat, I got the lights working last night, the indicators to do now, then finally tighten everything down and I will be out for a run through town on Saterday, if its not raining that is!

Post by **dunketh** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:29 pm

fpmsl.. a wooden xmember... doesnt bare thinking about.

My Dad told me once about a car he had that had plywood floorpans.
It seems bodging is as proud a British tradition as creme teas.

Post by **bigginger** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:56 pm

Once upon a time, they built them with wooden floors

Honest, btw

Post by **alex_holden** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 3:10 pm

You'll be telling us they used to build warships from wood next

Post by **bigginger** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 3:42 pm

Now you're being ridiculous

Post by **leyther8008** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 2:18 pm

I loved the comment I got from a neighbour 'You dont see many of those anymore, I didnt have the heart to tell him that he probably never had seen one before, as the old guy swore his brother used to drive one delivering pop around Manchester in the fifties, and I didnt want to spoil his rant! I find I cant work on the van on the drive for more than 15 minutes with out somebody stopping to tell me all about the moggie they used to have, I love it but its annoying when you,ve just mixed up a blob of filler and its going off fast!