Sagging front suspension

[Fingolfin]

Now I'm home and have been poking around under there. The good news is that the damper is in nigh-perfect condition, and it's close to full of thin, ink-like oil (though I'm going to fill it up all the way soon -- SAE 20?). The bad news is that the front half or so of the chassis leg is missing, and was replaced with a very crummy sleeve that could barely provide any support. Someone in the past was either very pressed for cash, or was just an idiot.

You can see the difference here: the rusty front half is the 1/8 inch thick steel sleeve, and the back is the original leg. Through the middle is the torsion bar: is it normal for a torsion bar to be slightly bowed upward in the middle?
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The sleeve bows up the middle just barely: the divergence is probably less than a millimeter.

The inner wing isn't in terrible condition, but it'll need replacing within the next decade. The big flitch panel is nice and solid, as is the half-dome. But the area under the steering gear is impacted inward, exposing the inside of the sleeve:
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So it does indeed look like I shall need the new chassis leg. To think we were driving the car with that sleeve on there! The rest of the car's underbody will be inspected carefully soon, looking for similar awfulness, and so will the floorpan.

In the meantime, would it be prudent to adjust the torsion bar? I've read that for each spline down the lever is turned, the trunnion descends roughly 1 1/2 inch; that could make it at the least moveable, for the time being. I know the leg must be replaced for a permanent solution, but having it resting on the bump-stop like that worries me.

[kennatt]

adjusting the torsion bar seems pointless at this stage if you are going to do the leg it has to be sorted afterwards why do it twice,unless you want to drive it(Not recommended in its present state) it can still be moved by pushing or driving slowly to wherever the work is to be carried out,but at slow speed. Just sitting on the stop will not cause any further damage. Why not just jack it up to take the weight off the inner wing

[bmcecosse]

It's obviously badly buckled - no point in doing anything other than stripping out all the rotten parts ready for renewal. When the time comes - drain the dampers and refill with sae30 engine oil.

[Fingolfin]

All right then -- more information about the structure. I'm learning all the time!

I pulled out the seats and the carpets today, and found that the original floor had gone some time ago, so somebody just welded new panels right over it. About ten separate panels, and most of them still in fair condition; the bad bits are the floors behind the front seats, and to an extent in front of the driver's seat. The cover for the gearbox looks practically new on one side but is rusty on the other, and the cover for the master cylinder is (strangely) completely loose: not a single screw holding it down. Just the carpets were doing it.

I put the front on jack stands and looked as well as I could at the underside. I'm no professional, obviously, but it looks as though, on a scale of one to ten, my right chassis leg is a 2, the center crossmember is a 5, and the left chassis leg is an 8. There is no sleeve on that left leg, and not but a lick of rust, either -- and it's perfectly straight. Thank heaven. The crossmember is another story...
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What's with the ripples along the bottom?
Also so far as I could tell, the attach points for the rear springs are pretty solid. But all of this stuff has to be tested somehow by a professional, and it looks like that's what's going to happen.

Happily, the new leg and xmember are surprisingly economical; together they're $204. With shipping, they may come to about $350. Granted, this is more than I have to spend right now, but I'll have that much soon. I'll probably end up having to order new floor panels too -- should I get the quarters or the halves?

[bmcecosse]

The crossmember looks much worse than mine - and i've been expecting mine to fail for a few years now! You 'may' get away with just fitting one side - repair piece - as long as where it attaches to the old is still solid enough to take weld.

[MarkyB]

The ripples along the bottom aren't very serious compared to the hole on the left hand side of you picture and the lack off attachment between the bottom and top also on the LHS.
The centre of the crossmember is usually OK as there is an anti rust system for it, the engine!
As the PO was of the out of sight out of mind persuasion I'd keep looking before you place an order.

[Fingolfin]

Aha, but for what am I looking? I'm running out of ideas.

[bmcecosse]

You have found plenty already - double skinned floor panels are hopeless - and the sills ??? Have you removed the sill covers to inspect the sills ? Boot floor and rear spring mountings (both ends) are also favourite rot spots.....

[Fingolfin]

Good suggestions, BMC. I'll be replacing that chassis leg, the crossmember, and the floor panels very soon -- I've already gotten quotes from ESM and BM, and due to wildly shipping costs I'm thinking of going with ESM -- anyone know their reputation? Feel free to PM.

I've taken off the left sill cover and cleaned it out really well. There was lots of dirt and gravel and whatever from the wreck. The metal was sound and had almost no surface rust -- but I'll be taking the cover off again and looking again. Of course, the right side cover needs to come off.

The boot floor appears very strong. I'd read quite a bit about the spring mounts and made sure to check those when all this started -- those seem sound and rust-free. Obviously, though, I'll be double- and triple-checking all of them.

Any other important places?

[oilypaws]

Hi,

I recently bought repair sections for the front chassis legs and cross member for mine, from ESM. I was very pleased - The order was shipped out the day they got it and arrived in a week (to New Zealand), half of which was spent in customs and with couriers over here. The only small complaint was that they hadn't wrapped the items well and they had been rattling about in the box. No serious damage though. I would recommend them but maybe add a note requesting that they pack things thoroughly! I mentioned it to them and they gave me a small credit for next time which was nice.

[Fingolfin]

That's good to know, Oily, as -- tada -- I've just ordered the stuff! Hopefully they'll get here (to the other side of the planet) as soon as yours did.

Bits:
Rear spring hanger repair sections, right and left;
4/4 floor panels;
Center crossmember;
Right front chassis leg;
Left floor edge panel (inner front);
and front suspension bush kit, both sides.
So that should do really well for the car, yeah? I'll do my best to get them attached soon.

Do keep me advised of how you're fitting them, Oily! And everyone else, if you have recommendations or whatever, feel free.

[Fingolfin]

Thought I'd come back and relate what had gotten done over the summer. I successfully redid all of the body work listed in my post from 19 June; and have done much patching and grinding and grinding. Am soon going to order the other side sill repair panel (what I refer to as the left floor edge panel -- so I mean the right side for the new one), and a half left chassis leg.

So Mog will soon have 1 1/2 new legs! Major surgery!

Back to the old sagging suspension topic. During the deconstruction of the car, I discovered that the right torsion bar (right being the side that was sagging) was significantly bowed. When I removed it, it straightened some, and I left before I could see the effects of having it back on. The car did sit some higher (all around, considering the new rear spring hangers -- rear end some 2-3" higher! -- but particularly also at the front right), but still not quite as high as the other side.

I am certain the car has taken a severe frontal collision that buckled the right side something awful (which we realigned when putting in the new chassis leg); could this have caused the torsion bar to bow?

And, more to the point, should I get a new one?

I'm afraid I have no photo of it, but I'll take some when I return home this weekend (if I can get my camera to work again).

[bmcecosse]

Must have been quite a blow to bend the bar! I think it will be fine - you can adjust the height easily enough- although keep your eyes open for another at the right price! well done with the repairs.