Guest Anonymous Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Hey guys, I'm in the process of welding in new front rails + subframe connectors and then most likely a cage ( but all the rust goes first). Right now I'm shaping new panels for the area where the frame rail meets the firewall/floor. It's tough making an perfect fitting/good looking panel! My big question is how do I make sure the car is level/straight so that when i actually put her back on wheels its not all gimped. I've done a search and haven't found much info. Pretty sure my garage floor isn't level (not much i can do about that). Right now i have the car semi stripped (interior/front end out, rear is in for now). Two blocks under the rear tires and one block on the mount in the tranny tunnel. Only doing one side at a time and cutting out as much metal as needed to make a rust free weld (which is quite a bit ). As always the help is much appreciated! ~Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Tricky. My theory is that the body should be supported to best replicate the loads it will be subject to when sitting on its wheels. The other day when doing some structural work on the front I figured the best way to do that was to put stands under both front suspension arms near the balljoints, plus another stand under the diff. At least by doing it that way I figured that on a reasonably level surface the load to both front suspension spring towers would be fairly even. A low tech way of levelling the body irrespective of where it is supported could be attained using a carpenters spirit level and suitable lengths of absolutely straight pieces of tubing or wood, sitting against two common body reference points Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Richard - I was thinking along the lines of the carpenters spirit level method. I like the idea of adding weight on the strut towers to simulate the real world if it wasn't rails I was working on I'd go for that, but with one of the rails fully cut out I'm not sure how structurally sound things are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 On a Saturday morning car show they were replacing the floorpans on a Shelby GT500. They first straightened the car on a frame machine, then welded the car to a massive steel table (on supports). That way none of the geometry would change as they cut off pieces and welded in new. Obviously not an option for most of us guys. But I have often wondered how guys with home made rotisseries make sure the geometry is spot on. I would be temped to weld temporary braces throughout the car prior to any of the work, then just plan on towing the car to a frame shop for an alignment prior to painting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Yes, it is a problem if the body is in such a state that it may sag or otherwise self misalign. For our DIY purposes I guess that the best we could do is support it as best we can, using braces as Jim suggested and as many levelled supports as possible. And then tack weld all the bits in first, then do the final welds without overheating any partricular part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74_5.0L_Z Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 I just finished such a project. Here's how I did it. I constructed a platform (25.1" wide by 8' long) that I stuffed down the driveshaft tunnel between the floor support/ frame rails. The frame rails/ floor supports are at the same spacing. I then drilled holes in the pan and bolted the car down to it. I then leveled the whole thing. I aligned the platform such that the back end was at point "c" of the 260Z frame drawings. Having done so, I could measure forward from the back of the support, or up from the support and the measurements would coincide with the frame drawing. Very important, make sure you establish a solid datum before you start cutting. I'll post a picture of the car on the platform in my personal gallery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Coolness thanks 74, those pictures are awesome. That front tube frame is exactly what the doctor ordered. Either that or major sheet metal work. Only problem is I've already started cutting, with enough supports though I think I could realign things before I go any further. I hope... I think what I'll have to do is move the car, build a level platform and replace the car on that and then make any minor adjustments via shims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nismo280zEd Posted August 10, 2003 Share Posted August 10, 2003 Sweet 8) There's another Ed on here Good luck w/ the weldn' -Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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