Front Crossmember!

[AlexW]

My front cross member has more holes than your average sieve!

Im thinking replce, but ive never done anything like it before and i cant weld!
So would need to ask somone else to weld it.

Was thinking just to plate it and hope. Altho for a couple of more weeks my engine bay is empty! so its the perfect time to replace/plate.

Im just not sure what to do... Been advised by a friend just to plate it, as i cant weld and its easyer/cheaper!

Susjestions?

[8v screamer]

i made a new top for mine out of 1.5mm steel plate and welded it in place, but it was only the top that was rotten under the rad

[AlexW]

i made a new top for mine out of 1.5mm steel plate and welded it in place, but it was only the top that was rotten under the rad

Mine is too, but its gone under what looks like strengh plates for the tie-bars?

staring to rust from underneath but not too bad, Yet!

[draper]

it depends how bad it is - if the engine bays already stripped down it shouldnt be to expensive to replace anyway, i bought i spare crossmember for 15quid

[R1CH]

If you can't weld then your pretty screwed either way !!
Replacing the crossmember and front panel isn't to bad of a job really, biggest pain is removing the old one, best way to do that is just to drill out all the old welds then it 'should' just pull out, the new one 'should' slot back in and kinda hold its self in place, have a measure up (from where the bottom arm mounts to where the tiebar mounts, measure the origional one befor eyou take it out first !) then tack it on, once your happy with it you can weld thru the holes where you drilled the old one off, then you may as well weld round all the seams while your there. Then just a case of fitting the front panel.
Most of the work is removing the old one / lining the new one up, theres not actually that much welding that needs done really.
If your gonna do it you may as well do it right the first time (fit a new cross member) !!

[AlexW]

what i was thinking, only thing in my engine bay is my gearbox and that isnt hard to remove...

Atm it will be eather my bro or mate welding it, want to do it proplery but im just aware that it wont be easy...

[7ova]

sounds easy,
I just need to learn how to weld lol

[R1CH]

what i was thinking, only thing in my engine bay is my gearbox and that isnt hard to remove...

Atm it will be eather my bro or mate welding it, want to do it proplery but im just aware that it wont be easy...

All you'll need is a grinder, drill, hammer, punch and chisel to remove it ... just a case of finding all the spot welds and drilling them out, you wont drill perfectly down the centre of them all so thats where the chisel comes in !!
Not difficult really, can just take a bit of time.

[mikey14sr]

There's loads of hidden spot welds too where it fits into the front legs, I had to get the cold chisel and lump hammer out on the last one I did, and it took a fair bit of grunt to get it all out. Managed to do it all in one day though.