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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - !!More accident damage found!!

While the nose assembly is off, I decided to replace the rack boots.
This is what I found. :o(
My thoughts are
A. Have the frame shop that pulled the frame rail extensions out see how far the could pull this.
B. Shim the bracket holding the rack out till its strait, approx 1/2"
C. Leave it as is. T/Since the inner and outer ball joints act like a U joint and make up for things not being strait, the car seems to steer OK
D. Hang it up and call the car a total

Please don't advise D.

Phil (gutted)

Phil Burke

E: Cut the damaged section out, fabricate a new piece from flat stock, weld in, drive. Don't forget to weld the nuts inside the box before you weld it in!

I've repaired several that had been run with the rack loose, enough to break all the weld nuts out of the tube, and about 2" either direction was just cracks. A common problem in Pittsburgh when the streets were all cobblestone, brick, and potholes. Never could figure out how people could drive them until the rack actually fell off the busted frame tube!

FRM
FR Millmore

Phil-

I cut (hacksaw) the damaged section away as a sort of fat wedge, widest part at the top front corner of the tube, narrowest at the bottom rear, cutting in and down. All the cuts wind up as angles, which gives lots of weld length to distribute the load, and makes it easy to precisely fit the pieces. And all your welds will be outside the bracket area. Then you make one piece to be the back and bottom of the tube, and weld from inside, working through the wide part of your hole. Then make a piece to fill the front and top cutaway, fit it to the hole, mark and drill for the nuts. Weld the nuts in, then weld the piece in both ends and the top rear & bottom front edges.

Only takes about an hour if you are working on a car that is already apart; was a PITA for customers who had no other problem though!

FRM
FR Millmore

I may have found a simple fix.
The rack mounting bracket is slotted at the top bolt.
By pulling the rack forward as far as I can, I'm within 1/4" of having the rack "parallel" if I expand the slot a bit, and shim behind the bracket at the two bolts attaching from the front, I can get it right on.
This would be a lot easier and less expensive that welding in a new piece a FR suggested.
Any thought why this won't do?

Phil Burke

Any thought why this won't do?

Only that it contributes to the rigidity of the front of the car. I recall that others strengthen that bar, to increase rigidity further, which aids steering.
Lawrence Slater

As an aside, since the rack has been impacted back at one side, I would very carefully check that the steering column hasn't been damaged, and that the bracket fixings behind the dash haven't been stressed sideways.

I also think that for a safety critical item like this, it would be better to do a proper repair of the section that it bolts to, as Fletcher describes.
Guy

"This would be a lot easier and less expensive that welding in a new piece"

"Only takes about an hour if you are working on a car that is already apart"

And $0.50 worth of 16ga steel
hacksaw
file
If you don't know how or have the equipment, $100 to get somebody to come and weld it. Try the local EAA guys.


You got paid to fix the car.
Don't be a jackass.

FRM

FR Millmore

Upon further review, it appears that the cross piece is now too close to the damper to change the fan belt.
I'll be taking the car to Strictly British Automotive here in Orlando, along with my '66 parts car. They have a '66 that has serious floor and trunk rust.
Hopefully they can swap out the crosspiece from their car, and replace the whole crossmember in mine.
While I'm way bummed out by this turn of events, I know I need to fix it right.
Thanks for reminding me.
Phil

Phil Burke

Phil, one other comment. Since you are having the cross member repaired/replaced, it might be a good time to consider having a small notch cut in the center, (and properly reinforced), to give just that little extra wiggle room when you have to remove/replace the engine/Datsun transmission unit. Don't know what the swap "over there" is like with the Sierra/Ford tranny (I think that's what's used), but I've found that with the Datsun, it's real tight at the front cross member with the harmonic damper, sometimes requiring the use of a BFH on the heater shelf to get it in. I've thought that next time I have to remove mine, I'll seriously consider a little minor surgery! Hope to see you in June.
Cheers,
Jack
Jack Orkin

Phil

Have a good look at the alloy rack mounting brackets - they aren't the strongest bits of kit, but a fracture may be difficult to spot until they are off the car...

James
James Bilsland

This thread was discussed between 26/02/2012 and 27/02/2012

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