Top of B Post on 2 Door.

[wanderinstar]

I have welded the joint up about 3 times on this panel.

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Obviously not this particular one. Does anyone have any long term solutions to this joint cracking. I have cut this from a scrap car to try and find a solution to the problem.

[Willie]

Perhaps your door is wrongly adjusted so that when closing it all the impact is on this section. I have never had a cracking problem in that area on my saloons.

[wanderinstar]

Hmmm, possibly Willie. But I thought it was a common fault on 2 doors.

[wanderinstar]

When I cleaned the joint up that one was cracked as well.

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So what I have done is made a strengthening brace from 1" x 1/8" bar. After drilling trial holes to check everything lines up I intend plugwelding this into pillar.

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[bmcecosse]

Blimey - you got the car upside down Ian ? That will surely strengthen it - although not sure how you will do the plug welding.

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

Mine cracked a couple of times on the blue saloon. i welded the crack up, ground down and then made a piece to go over the top and welded this along all the edges. This seems to have done the trick as its been in everyday use now for about 8 years and has not re-occured. Also make sure the door is correctly adjusted and that the hinges arent worn as they can all lead to having to bang the door shut causing the crack.

[kennatt]

it won't be easy to get a good weld with the thickness of the brace,and the thinner body work.one of the tricks of the cut and shut brigade of write off rebuilders,was to make a piece up of the same thickness to go inside the joint, plug weld this to both upper and lower bodywork then weld through the joint thereby welding three pieces of similar thickness metal together. Thats what I would do with yours.

[wanderinstar]

Hmm, that is food for thought. But I just spent all Sat afternoon fashioning 2 braces

Is that what you were meaning Roy about not being sure how I was going to do the plug welding?

[TEDJordan]

Hey, when metal fatigues and cracks you need to stop this stress continuing through the metal, welding it isnt good enough, you have to drill a hole around 8mm in your case at the end of the crack, then as you've done, shape something similar to sit behind the piece, drill holes in the outer skin to plug weld through, weld through the plug holes and over the crack, then grind it back if its a visual finish. Hope that helps?

[jonali]

If you plug through onto the 1/8 flat I think the stress the section must be under will eventually just pull the weld through the bodywork.

Better to use 2 or 3mm plate plugged onto the back. I would then grind along the crack opening it up a bit. A good weld will then catch the repair section as well as both sides of crack.

[Redmoggy]

Wot are the inner sills and diaphram panel like? If the body can flex this part of the B post will always split.

Rod

[bmcecosse]

Yes Ian - that was my comment - welding that thickness via a 'plug' weld is unlikely to be a success for long. I would do as other have suggested - grind it (and drill a wee hole at the end to stop it running) and then weld it up/grind back/weld again grind until it's sorted. In fact - I would gas weld it which would allow me to melt in some extra metal! Then apply a small patch over the top - and weld it in place. But I agree with RedM - is the whole problem caused by too much flexing in the rest of the body shell ?

[jaekl]

When you originally welded it, did you pull the sides in? I put a clamp across the car and pulled until the crack closed and welded it. That was 29 years ago and hasn't recracked.

[wanderinstar]

Well actually Red I am about to replace the inner sills and floor panels. the inner sills are those reallt thick ones from ESM and I think I will also fit the convertable reinforcments between inner sills and B posts.

[Redmoggy]

If the shell is back to being solid then push crack together with a hammer handle and weld along it. Mines not cracked in four years.

Rod