The crossmember ends will need replacing for an MOT this year.They've been replaced once in the early 90's so what I'm wondering is do I just replace the ends again or the whole crossmember?How much more work would be involved with the latter?
Your thoughts please.....
crossmember replacement
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Re: crossmember replacement
You don't say whether you have a Saloon, Traveller or Convertible but whichever you have, replacing the whole crossmember is a BIG job. If you have a convertible it's a VERY BIG job as there is no roof to help hold the vehicle in shape whilst the cross member is out.
Ideally you would need to roll the car on its side which just makes access easier and allows you to check if there is any other welding work needed whilst the car is stripped. Both torsion bars and associated locator plates need to be removed, Propshaft out, brakelines and wiring loom. Internally the seats and interior trim need to come out and the gearbox tunnel cover removed. Some will take engine and gearbox out too.
If you can, have a very close look at the condition of the original parts of the cross member. Any signs of rot or separation of sections (some cross members were laminated and made up of a number of sections then welded together and are thought to be of poorer qualiy and not as long lived as the original pressings) and you will probably need to replace the lot. If it looks OK then new ends would probably be fine.
Just a tip - if you do just buy the ends, opt for the ends without jacking points, even if your car currently has them. They serve no real function these days since the jack they relate to is less than useful and probably very dangerous and all that happens is mud a and stuff get lodged in the casting and they just rot out quicker.
If you can post a few pics of the cross member, we can probably tell you what needs to be done
Good Luck
Ideally you would need to roll the car on its side which just makes access easier and allows you to check if there is any other welding work needed whilst the car is stripped. Both torsion bars and associated locator plates need to be removed, Propshaft out, brakelines and wiring loom. Internally the seats and interior trim need to come out and the gearbox tunnel cover removed. Some will take engine and gearbox out too.
If you can, have a very close look at the condition of the original parts of the cross member. Any signs of rot or separation of sections (some cross members were laminated and made up of a number of sections then welded together and are thought to be of poorer qualiy and not as long lived as the original pressings) and you will probably need to replace the lot. If it looks OK then new ends would probably be fine.
Just a tip - if you do just buy the ends, opt for the ends without jacking points, even if your car currently has them. They serve no real function these days since the jack they relate to is less than useful and probably very dangerous and all that happens is mud a and stuff get lodged in the casting and they just rot out quicker.
If you can post a few pics of the cross member, we can probably tell you what needs to be done
Good Luck
Re: crossmember replacement
Thanks,she's a 2door saloon.The sills, floor and chassis legs are ok and have been replaced/waxoyled/undersealed recently.It's been a few weeks since I last peered underneath and from what I can remember it's the just the replacement sections that are happily rusting away.The centre section is nicely covered in oil and grease from the gearbox and engine!I will endeavour to take some photos.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Re: crossmember replacement
Yeah that's an unusual but helpful by product of the A series engine and gearbox tendancy to leak oil. It does have a semi-protective element to it sounds like the centre sections will probably be fine. Post pics if/when you can
sounds like the centre sections will probably be fine. Post pics if/when you can Re: crossmember replacement
The replacement ends sold these days are not worth the money...you could EASILY make much better ones, very simply. I fitted a new end last year (and seriously grudged the cost when It arrived..first thing I had to do was to weld it up properly!!) - that's a bad enough job - fitting a new X member is a MUCH bigger task - avoid it if you can. And yes - forget the daft jacking points......
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PaulTubby
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Re: crossmember replacement
Very true, be prepared for all of dollying, improving, filling re shaping and sometimes extending the panels...les wrote:As with most spares now, allow time to remake them!
Re: crossmember replacement
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OK I've bitten the bullet and one new crossmember end is lined up.As can hopefully be seen in the picture it doesn't line up completely with where the old one was!I've bolted the wishbones across the eyebolt, and attached the tie-rod to line it up at the front,and bolted the rear torsion bar to the new cross member as it should be.Now,do I accept that this is the way it wants to be now(and maybe it wasn't done very well the last time it was replaced) or do I weld it up in the old position and force everything to fit ?!Also, how much splined torsion bar is it safe to have showing at the eyebolt end?
Thanks in advance.
OK I've bitten the bullet and one new crossmember end is lined up.As can hopefully be seen in the picture it doesn't line up completely with where the old one was!I've bolted the wishbones across the eyebolt, and attached the tie-rod to line it up at the front,and bolted the rear torsion bar to the new cross member as it should be.Now,do I accept that this is the way it wants to be now(and maybe it wasn't done very well the last time it was replaced) or do I weld it up in the old position and force everything to fit ?!Also, how much splined torsion bar is it safe to have showing at the eyebolt end?
Thanks in advance.
Re: crossmember replacement
Do it as it is now....you obviously got your new 'end' from a different supplier than I did....mine had a plain flat bar across the top - and bottom.
Re: crossmember replacement
Well hows about this then?As being the only thing I hadn't checked ,I decided to clean up the torsion bar splines.Particularly the rear ones as the arm wasn't moving.Once everything was sliding nicely and bolted up with the crossmember, all was as it should be and the crossmember was back in the same position as the old one!Phew.
I got these replacements off of E-Bay ages ago.According to the old label,they originally came from a motor factors in North London.I think I will be very generous with the Dinitrol when I've finished!
Cheers.
I got these replacements off of E-Bay ages ago.According to the old label,they originally came from a motor factors in North London.I think I will be very generous with the Dinitrol when I've finished!
Cheers.
Re: crossmember replacement
Ahh yes - 'good old stock' I can tell you the nasty thing I received through the post made me regret ordering.... I had also waited 4 days for it...and I could have MADE a better one in a couple of hours..