OK heres my dilema, I have recebntly removed the Rear Subframe on my Austin Mini in order to complete some repairs I have already started in the boot. On removing the Subframe I noticed some tin worm holes!!
I have stripped the the Subframe to get a better look and it is worse than I thought.
I need some advice on whether it can be repaired and if so how?
Most of the rot is on the bottom rear of the main spars that run back to front as these are the areas that hold the water. Looking at the fantastic advice in this thread, these parts should be easy enough to fabricate and replace. There are however some parts that need renewing that look very hard indeed.
Here's the complete stripped subframe:
This is the RH top skid plate of which the front end at least needs to be replaced:
This is the LH top skid plate which also needs the same treatment:
This is a view of the inside RH main strut which looks a relatively easy part to replace:
And here is the rear of the same main strut:
The other side of the same strut is not as bad but does need repairing at the rear and the outside LH main strut also needs repairing at the rear and towards the front, as seen here:
And here is another (better) view the inside RH rear bottom strut:
Now here comes the tricky part.
The mini rear suspension consists of a radius arm on which the rear wheel drum is fitted. The bumps are absorbed by both the rear shock and by a rubber cone that sits in a cup in the rear subframe attached to the radius arm by a rod (trumpet) knuckle joint.
The rubber cones I think (not sure) have a metal rim around the base which sits in a cup which in turn is welded to a support plate?
The cups (if that's what they are called) are welded in a recess toward the rear of the subframe, one side is pretty bad and the other could also be part replaced. the worse side actually came apart when was a little over ambiguous in removing the trumpet and cone.
In the following pic I have put the trumpet and cone back in position to give you an idea, the other trumpet is just there to hold it in place temporarily:
And here's the knuckle end that would sit in the radius arm if it where in place:
Here are the two cones, the RH one in the pic is the LH cone on which is the metal cup that ripped out, looks like it may have been spot welded?
Here is a pic of the base of the rear cone support that appears to sit on a support piece located on inside of the bottom and the top main strut. This pic shows what it should look like (apart from the main cup which ripped out) the top support in this pic is rotted as is the support piece that it sits on. Question - how on earth will I replicate this circular cone cup support?
And here is another pic of the support piece that sits on the top and bottom plates in between the main struts:
And here is a pic of an intact (but badly corroded) cup, once again how on earth can I replace these?
And here's a pic of a corroded support piece and cup support that will need replacing:
Questions:
Is this bad boy repairable?
How can I make the various circular pieces in the pics above?
Should I get it shot blasted before I start or just attack the parts with a grinder (twisted knot attachment)?
If and when I do start to repair it should I brace the Subframe before I start cutting bits off of it? E.G. weld some support bars between the front and rear cross members to prevent the subframe from getting distorted?
Should I do small parts at a time to avoid distortion?
Should I just cut out the rusted parts or try and make complete parts using a larger gauge metal?
Is there a list of recommended minimum sheet metal fabrication tools?
Sorry for the uber long post and dumb ass questions but help would be appreciated :-)
P.S. Here is a pic of what I hope it will end up looking like, in this pic the guys has fitted an adjustable Hi Lows? instead of the standard trumpets, interestingly the metal ring around the base of the rubber cone looks like it has been replaced so maybe I don't need to make at least the large circular bits that the rubber cones sit in? I'll ask on a Mini web site to be sure and confirm what is and is not part of the subframe.
I have stripped the the Subframe to get a better look and it is worse than I thought.
I need some advice on whether it can be repaired and if so how?
Most of the rot is on the bottom rear of the main spars that run back to front as these are the areas that hold the water. Looking at the fantastic advice in this thread, these parts should be easy enough to fabricate and replace. There are however some parts that need renewing that look very hard indeed.
Here's the complete stripped subframe:
This is the RH top skid plate of which the front end at least needs to be replaced:
This is the LH top skid plate which also needs the same treatment:
This is a view of the inside RH main strut which looks a relatively easy part to replace:
And here is the rear of the same main strut:
The other side of the same strut is not as bad but does need repairing at the rear and the outside LH main strut also needs repairing at the rear and towards the front, as seen here:
And here is another (better) view the inside RH rear bottom strut:
Now here comes the tricky part.
The mini rear suspension consists of a radius arm on which the rear wheel drum is fitted. The bumps are absorbed by both the rear shock and by a rubber cone that sits in a cup in the rear subframe attached to the radius arm by a rod (trumpet) knuckle joint.
The rubber cones I think (not sure) have a metal rim around the base which sits in a cup which in turn is welded to a support plate?
The cups (if that's what they are called) are welded in a recess toward the rear of the subframe, one side is pretty bad and the other could also be part replaced. the worse side actually came apart when was a little over ambiguous in removing the trumpet and cone.
In the following pic I have put the trumpet and cone back in position to give you an idea, the other trumpet is just there to hold it in place temporarily:
And here's the knuckle end that would sit in the radius arm if it where in place:
Here are the two cones, the RH one in the pic is the LH cone on which is the metal cup that ripped out, looks like it may have been spot welded?
Here is a pic of the base of the rear cone support that appears to sit on a support piece located on inside of the bottom and the top main strut. This pic shows what it should look like (apart from the main cup which ripped out) the top support in this pic is rotted as is the support piece that it sits on. Question - how on earth will I replicate this circular cone cup support?
And here is another pic of the support piece that sits on the top and bottom plates in between the main struts:
And here is a pic of an intact (but badly corroded) cup, once again how on earth can I replace these?
And here's a pic of a corroded support piece and cup support that will need replacing:
Questions:
Is this bad boy repairable?
How can I make the various circular pieces in the pics above?
Should I get it shot blasted before I start or just attack the parts with a grinder (twisted knot attachment)?
If and when I do start to repair it should I brace the Subframe before I start cutting bits off of it? E.G. weld some support bars between the front and rear cross members to prevent the subframe from getting distorted?
Should I do small parts at a time to avoid distortion?
Should I just cut out the rusted parts or try and make complete parts using a larger gauge metal?
Is there a list of recommended minimum sheet metal fabrication tools?
Sorry for the uber long post and dumb ass questions but help would be appreciated :-)
P.S. Here is a pic of what I hope it will end up looking like, in this pic the guys has fitted an adjustable Hi Lows? instead of the standard trumpets, interestingly the metal ring around the base of the rubber cone looks like it has been replaced so maybe I don't need to make at least the large circular bits that the rubber cones sit in? I'll ask on a Mini web site to be sure and confirm what is and is not part of the subframe.