Torsion bar cross member replace?
- Thread starter Auggie56
- Start date
Would you be better off to cut the member out, torch or grinding wheel, and once there is more room to move in there, just grind the surfaces where they meet the new piece, and install ?
Dodge33
Well-Known Member
What year car are you working on? I have some used torsion bar crossmembers here, that
are already had all the spot welds drilled out. Just let us know if you may be interested.
are already had all the spot welds drilled out. Just let us know if you may be interested.
Thanks but I already bought one.
That one looks pretty bad. I hope the frame rails are better than that.
Otherwise you've got a ton of work.
Otherwise you've got a ton of work.
threewood
Well-Known Member
That doesn't look fun with the floorboards in place. I'd say cut off everything below the flange you can as close to the flange as you can get. Then work on chiseling or drilling the spotwelds. You can probably get much of it with an air hammer and chisel with a little finesse.
Dodge33, Your Inbox is Full. Like to contact You, Thanks...
JimCoronette
Well-Known Member
- Remove fuel and brake lines and cable.
- Support front frame rails with jack stands as far away from the crossmember as possible.
- Remove torsion bars
- Remove front seats and carpet
- Support transmission.
- Remove trans mount bracket
- Drill out spot welds along the floor pan
- There are a total of 4 spot welds (2 and 2) on each side under the floor where the crossmember attaches to the rockers, and the top of the front rail. Cut 2 small openings on each side, and bend up the floor to expose the welds. If you are replacing the floors as well, just hog them out.
- Drill out spot welds on the vertical part of the front rails
- Epoxy prime new crossmember inside and out.
- Fit new crossmember with torsion bars inserted.
- Mark the crossmember where new spot welds will be.
- Remove and grind out epoxy primer where spot welds will be.
- Reinstall new crossmenber with torsion bars inserted.
- Weld to the front rails and rockers.
- Weld to the floor if using the original.
Last edited:
"There are 2 spot welds under the floor where the crossmember attaches to the rockers."
I was going to ask about those and thanks for the detailed explanation.
Thanks for your input. I checked the whole under body before I bought the car frame rails were surprisingly good but not that cross member. The only other bad part was the left inner front fender which I already removed from the car. New one is here already.
JimCoronette
Well-Known Member
Based on that picture, it looks like there might be 2 more under the floor that hold the top of the crossmember to the front rail.
flypaper
Well-Known Member
- Local time
- 11:26 PM
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2008
- Messages
- 16,870
- Reaction score
- 26,818
how is the floor??
you can do it without removing the destroying floor
if the floor is good. it can be done
you just got to start drilling all the welds from the top first
then attack it from the bottom by hammering and Chiseling it apart with some finesse on both sides of the x member.
down the sides of the floor you have to drill down
and pry up the area that will expose the part where the x member connects into the rocker on both sides.
when you can reach that area and drill that out
you can then snake the x member in and out without disturbing the rest of the floor.
you can do it without removing the destroying floor
if the floor is good. it can be done
you just got to start drilling all the welds from the top first
then attack it from the bottom by hammering and Chiseling it apart with some finesse on both sides of the x member.
down the sides of the floor you have to drill down
and pry up the area that will expose the part where the x member connects into the rocker on both sides.
when you can reach that area and drill that out
you can then snake the x member in and out without disturbing the rest of the floor.
- Local time
- 10:26 PM
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2012
- Messages
- 66,000
- Reaction score
- 239,791
- Location
- Maskachusetts
https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/attachments/dscf4633-jpg.900336/
How long was the car submerged in the ocean?
How long was the car submerged in the ocean?
You do have the tortion bars removed before you start cutting the crossmember right! They are under torque, so if you cut the crossmember with them still torqued they will rapidly unwind! I pulled the transmission mount out of a C body motor donor once,and the frame was rotted around the tortion bar,and thet bar ripped out,unwound and slammed into the floor in a split second.
Got most of that torsion bar cross member out today it took eight hours. Found two small palm-sized rust holes near the toe board on both sides. Could make it nice with new floorboards, but the car is not worth that so a first-class patch job is called for.
New one is in and boy take my advice and don't buy a cheap one. The fit was terrible but since I have more time than money I saved a couple a hundred. It's just tacked in place tomorrow I'll finish the welds then remove the K member.
- Local time
- 11:26 PM
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2018
- Messages
- 20,979
- Reaction score
- 73,215
- Location
- Midland Ontario, Canada
Good time to do this...
I took a break from the body for a couple of weeks, doing small components for a while. Had to order a new welder gun off eBay they were much cheaper than ones here in town and to top it off the left frame rail was rotten on the bottom just aft of the control arm mount. I never noticed it as it was a pinhole that grew to an eleven-inch piece. I used a body hammers pick end to find further damage. So far the right one is solid. The engine block is at the machine shop for cam bearings. Take my advice, let a pro do them. I bought an eBay installation tool and trashed two of bearings and broke the tool in doing so.
Similar threads
