Replacing a nova XE crossmember *Mega Pics!!!*

[Big_Chap]

Hey, just finished replacing the crossmember on my Nova GSi XE, kept a bit of a photo diary with a view to posting it here as i couldn't find info myself when researching the job before hand.

gonna keep it relatively short as there are lots of pics, (tried to crop a bit aswell!)

here is the problem, felt the car pull to one side ever so slightly so pulled off and inspected, couldn't see much so then looked under the front bumper and realised i was in a bit of trouble, knew it was a bit soft, just not this much! lucky i stopped as i was about to slap a saab 900 turbo down a dual carriage way...

the tie bar had "sheared" the cross member around the area of the tie bar bracket. the damage is easier to see from the 3rd pic, the 4th is just to show the surprisingly good condition of the the usually rotten headlamp area.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/untitled1.bmp

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/untitled.bmp

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00113.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00115.jpg

the front coilovers had seen better days (purchased in 1996!) so i whipped them off to avo to see if they could be re-furb'd, turns out they were too far gone so i ordered a full new set (could have gotten away with just the dampers being replaced) with the brucie bonus being that they now have rear height adjustment!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00117.jpg

got myself a new crossmember (?48 from local parts supplier), the relevant harry hockley plates and then it was up to a mate to weld it all up. strengthened all the spot welded areas with stitch welds and fully welded the plates around the tie bar brackets.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00127.jpg

i then sent the crossmember to be powder coated (only to seal the hollow section of the crossmember and to replace all paint which was burnt during the welding)

here is the finished article along with re-furb'd tie bar brackets, poly bushes and avo coilovers

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00132.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00137.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00151.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00150.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00149.jpg

i also got to work cutting out the old crossmember and replacing any metal which looked like letting me down in the next wee while

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00141.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00154.jpg

getting the perfect fit for the new crossmember meant constantly bolting up the crossmember, marking the chassis legs, removing the crossmember and cutting. i wasn't too confident with the material around the ends of the chassis legs so i cut back a bit further and rebuilt with fresh steel, the drivers side had been pretty much destroyed anyway so it was time to refresh the old plating and fabrication skills.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00160.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00164.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00166.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00168.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00158.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00162.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00181.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00182.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00184.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00186.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00191.jpg

now with eveything welded in place, all thats left is a clean up of the welds and slap some underseal on.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00201.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00202.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00204.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00203.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00198.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00206.jpg

fitted the rear coilovers and now i just have to play about with the settings :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00197.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/Big_Chap/Crossmember/DSC00207.jpg

[benji]

nice.

[Riggy]

:o fook me that did look rotton

glad to see you fixing it looks like youve done it good job

amazing how good the rest of the car looks and engine looks well nice

plus how are the rear calipers mounted at the top like that :lol:

[benji]

they are probably golf gti ones

[nathan.]

nice one! was it hard to change? how long did it take? Ive got a cross member in the garage that needs fitting. Im gonna try it myself. just abit worried of welding it up slightly out of line. lol

[ANDYRACER]

Mine was as bad as that on my sr you don't relise till you take the bumper off. Looks good mate get a few more years out of it now.

[Big_Chap]

:o fook me that did look rotton

glad to see you fixing it looks like youve done it good job

amazing how good the rest of the car looks and engine looks well nice

plus how are the rear calipers mounted at the top like that :lol:


they are probably golf gti ones

nah lad, just the astra GTE rear hubs but rotated 90 degrees like the cossies

[Ste_Nova]

just one thing.... replace those alloy blocks with steel ones and weld them into the tie bar brackets

[-Bruce-]

just one thing.... replace those alloy blocks with steel ones and weld them into the tie bar brackets

Why is that Ste? do they move about or cause cracking or somthing?

Bruce

[Ste_Nova]

mine were covered in alloy powder from them rubbing slightly... i've rather have them steel and fixed