What's wrong with this picture?

[stag36587]

Hello,

I hope you can help me out with a query on rear bodywork, specifically the area where the rear chassis rail and boot floor join togeher.

I'm concerned about the size of gaps in the L-shaped sections? Does this look about right? Is it just the accuracy (or otherwise) of various repair panels? It's virtually the same on the other side. What should I do for maximum strength?

Also, I'm assuming that the very rearmost corner of the chassis rail should be welded to the boot floor?

Did anyone else have similar issues when repairing this area?
All thoughts gratefully received!

Many thanks

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[taupe]

Hi

Assuming that you have aligned the existing rear damper pin and the rear spring rear mount hole as existing I would assume that the L bracket has been folded a little short on the repair panel or that you have welded on the rear floor a little too far back.

Ideally you would have adjusted this before welding it in! In any case 5mm isnt going to make any great difference to spring alignment plus its the same both sides.

The original L piece was spot welded to the sloping bit of the floor and the cutout in the L corresponds with the plate on top. You would probably have to plug weld it now or seam weld around the edges.

Your best bet is to hammer it back to touch the sloping floor bit using a bar to hammer in the corner and open out the fold or use a big clamp- it looks like it should move! (If it wont go you can either cut it off and move it back and fill up the gap at the side with weld or you could fit a 5mm plate underneath against the sloping bit and gain some extra strength.)

You should check that the floor isnt too far back first - Im not sure of the alignment required on saloons having only worked on my travellers.

Good luck with it

[stag36587]

Thanks Taupe, this area was all very rotten on the car so it's been a mixture of careful measurement, lots of coffee and guesswork - this result is the best compromise I could make..

I think the boot floor repair panel is OK for position - it lines up well with the curved repair panel that sits below the boot lid. Any further forward and there would be a big overlap when the bootlid is shut....actually, I have seen many minor saloons where the lower half of the bootlid seems not to sit quite flush with the aperture. Wonder why?