I realise this is a bit "Heath Robinson", but I'm looking for any opinions on the best / preferred method for patching 'flaky' sections on a 109 chassis?

The worst section is in the bottom of the main rail, next to the fuel tank, under the drivers seat (either side of the seam - v. thin!).
In this kind of situation is it best to cut entire sections out and patch in new?
Or just clean up perforated bits and patch over them entirely?
Also any advice on outriggers / spring hangers?

This is just my regular vehicle and is just a bit of "peace of mind" patching, its not going to be heavily loaded and it doesn't need an MOT (Manx Reg).
It's just to give me something to sleep in when I need to escape London in the summer.

Thanks for any advice.

James

[This message has been edited by ManxScamp (edited 29 March 2004).]

[This message has been edited by ManxScamp (edited 29 March 2004).]

Hi James

IMHO - The more you cut out the more chance you have of things twisting whilst it out and being replaced - I'd say grind it back and clean it up = then plate over the top of it...

At the end of the day - if it's anything like the 4 square meters of steel I have plated in mine - it's all a stop gap to putting a new chasis in at some point.... you can't stop the rot now....

tony.

__________________
Tony Robson
I'll try anything once, twice if it didn't kill me!

Thanks Tony...

Great advice, and yes I realise I'm on a slippery slope to either a new chassis or sell it and get something else if I really want to go anywhere serious.

Out of interest, what type and guage of steel plate do you use? and do you buy formed (C / angle) sections or just bend your own from flat plate?

Cheers

James

hi James

I use what ever steel I can get my hands on for free - or as little as possible - as close to what I consider the original if I get a choice - but in reality there are parts from old machines and chunks of all sorts welded into it....

I always use flat plate and then bend as neccessary - the only exception to this was for a support bracket for the rear floor cross member - that was a L shaped strip cut down and bent welded into the angle and welded onto the chasis....

It helps having a couple of friends and relatives that are good welders - my skills are poor BUT it's only taken a couple of days to get it sorted..

It's worth taking the rear floor out if it's looking rough - this way you can replace it with a lump of shiny zintec that can be bolted in and out - also give you loads !!!!! of acess to the rear chasis.... the front has good access apart from where it goes under the front bulkhead - but you can still get to this on your back!!

I recently had my diesel tank out - easy job - if you have all the replacement nuts/bolts jubilee clips etc to stick it back in with..... - also it twists out in an odd way - there is loads of room you just have to find the right place.....

the seat box should come out aswell with no problems - changed mine over to a new in a night - again - it's worth spending time getting the floor panels out in advance to save you time and effot - but with it out you get good access to the other main rail.... NB: you might want ot spend a bit time removing the seat belt mountings and re-fitting them on a previous evening - again speeds the job up when you need to remove it...

hope some of this helps - need to find a chunk of steel and weld another hole i've just found!!!!

Great.

tony.

__________________
Tony Robson
I'll try anything once, twice if it didn't kill me!

Great advice again
Thanks Tony...

I'm going to be putting in some new foot wells (bought them over a year ago) at the same time so I'll strip out the seats and maybe the tank if it looks easy. Thanks again.

James.