should i be concerned?

[magnumdust]

I've been debating whether to go with a coilover conversion or keep the T-bars, but i'm a little concerned about the pass side T-bar socket. It looks like it may have broke at one time and it was booger welded back in place.

Its not perfectly aligned because when i install that side, i need a brass punch and some light tapping to get it into the LCA.

So, should i be worried, and is that difficult to repair the correct way??

 

[wjajr]

It’s not perfectly aligned because when i install that side, i need a brass punch and some light tapping to get it into the LCA.

Remove upper control arm bump stop so arm can hang lower, and back off nut securing lower control arm so it can flop around, and the bar should slide right in. Don’t forget to pack both ends of bar with grease.

The repair would entail cutting out the bushing that holds the rear end of bar, prepping cross member to accept new patch part, and welding it all up.

Safe T Cap makes a repair patch for torsion bar to cross member repair. They are engineered to spread the high torsional forces placed on a corroded thin cross member, and correctly locate the torsion bar. These parts are available from several resellers.

Read installation instructions listed on this page:
http://autorust.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=229

 

[HemiDenny]

doesn't look like it failed from decomposition (rust) .....

I would remove the torsion bar, clean off the surface rust....grind off the birdshit weld (looks like one of mine)....and re-weld the area, preferably by someone that knows how to weld (if you don't)....do both sides ,pass and driver while you're at it.

she's save-able....just looks like the "new guy" might of welded that at the factory....seen some dandy's...God Bless the UAW (hope that didn't offend)

Good luck,
Denny

 

[magnumdust]

doesn't look like it failed from decomposition (rust) .....

I would remove the torsion bar, clean off the surface rust....grind off the birdshit weld (looks like one of mine)....and re-weld the area, preferably by someone that knows how to weld (if you don't)....do both sides ,pass and driver while you're at it.

she's save-able....just looks like the "new guy" might of welded that at the factory....seen some dandy's...God Bless the UAW (hope that didn't offend)

Good luck,
Denny

haha, I didnt know the UAW gave us "monday" cars back then. I thought that was a late 80s/90s thing.

Thanks for the info(both of you), i think i'm gonna pick up that autorust piece and have my friend(who can weld) grind off the booger welds and add in the bracing just for peace of mind.

 

[Jim Lusk]

Monday cars were considerably more common back in the 60s and 70s than they were in the 80s and 90s... I've never seen worse welds than those found on k-members, especially original Direct Connection units...

 

[younggun2.0]

when you do the repair. make sure that you release all the tension on the torsion bar by backing off the adjuster in the lower control arm and jacking the car up and letting the suspension hang down. if you dont and go grinding out that weld it will break loose and spin in the cross member.

 

[magnumdust]

when you do the repair. make sure that you release all the tension on the torsion bar by backing off the adjuster in the lower control arm and jacking the car up and letting the suspension hang down. if you dont and go grinding out that weld it will break loose and spin in the cross member.

oh yeah, i don't play around with these bars. I remove them anytime i do work on the suspension.

 

[magnumdust]

Monday cars were considerably more common back in the 60s and 70s than they were in the 80s and 90s... I've never seen worse welds than those found on k-members, especially original Direct Connection units...

What's weird though and made me suspect that the socket had broke free is that the drive side looks perfectly clean. As if this car's t-bar crossmember was half built on friday night and finished monday morning.

 

[magnumdust]

In case anyone knows, i was looking at the instructions for that autorust cap. do i have to cut out the sockets or could i slip the caps over the existing crossmember and just welded it solidly? Wouldnt it serve the same bracing function?

 

[BillGrissom]

It looks fine to me, and better than many of my welds with my $90 Harbor Freight flux wire welder (ugly, but work). I suspect that someone beefed up the anchor just to be safe. The factory often didn't weld it all the way around and I have heard of them breaking, particulalry in the rusty north. I sure wouldn't cut it off to fix. If still concerned, take it to a shop and have them clean up the weld and go all the way around.

 

[Woods74]

^--- Hey, hey, I lay some damn fine beads with my HF welder.

Clean the boogers off, and make and install some of these plates while you at it:

 

[magnumdust]

^--- Hey, hey, I lay some damn fine beads with my HF welder.

Clean the boogers off, and make and install some of these plates while you at it:

what thickness is that plate??