Hi all, seems like a lot of Camaro's suffered from bent in steel on the underside of the cross member from being jacked up in the middle [fore-aft] of the cross member, or being heavily bottomed out over road dips.
At least I haven't seen a un-restored flat bottom Camaro subframe cross member yet!
Any tips/tricks to getting this straight again? or is it just a case of trimming that section off with a cut-off wheel. pressing it straight then welding it back on, then grind and linish the weld.
Hate having to cut n weld things though.
Then again, it would give me a chance to clean up and treat the inside of the cross member.
Have to agree with you. Very common to see that, even on otherwise well-restored cars.
It is not that difficult to remove the entire piece. Straighten it in a press, weld it back in place just as the factory did. If you have access to a shop with frame straightening equipment they can straighten it with out removal.
Quote from: william on May 15, 2015, 09:35:23 AM
If you have access to a shop with frame straightening equipment they can straighten it with out removal.
Do you know what technique they typically use?
Had looked into removing the whole piece - bit of welding to unpick.
Weld a hook to it and pull. Not as clean as pressing and requires finishing.
For now I am leaving the dents in mine. Adds character. :D
Have a look over at TC. Al (user name 'BPOS') did this repair on his subframe, and also reinforced the area with box-section steel so it wouldn't bend again if he used the jack there.
Quote from: ZLP955 on May 15, 2015, 05:45:44 PM
Have a look over at TC. Al (user name 'BPOS') did this repair on his subframe, and also reinforced the area with box-section steel so it wouldn't bend again if he used the jack there.
http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=194530
Paul
That's not the thread I was thinking of, but now I see where his inspiration came from!
Quote from: william on May 15, 2015, 03:20:59 PM
Weld a hook to it and pull. Not as clean as pressing and requires finishing.
That's another technique I had considered.
Quote from: bcmiller on May 15, 2015, 03:43:50 PM
For now I am leaving the dents in mine. Adds character. :D
bcm, I can totally relate to that. I drool harder over unrestored than restored :)
Thanks for the input crew, I'll keep searching TC
He did a pretty good job on the body bushing frame repair too.
Quote from: bcmiller on May 16, 2015, 09:02:33 AM
He did a pretty good job on the body bushing frame repair too.
Yeah, not just patched, but replicated.
Quote from: ZLP955 on May 15, 2015, 05:45:44 PM
Have a look over at TC. Al (user name 'BPOS') did this repair on his subframe, and also reinforced the area with box-section steel so it wouldn't bend again if he used the jack there.
Is this the thread?
http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=208703
Quote from: bcmiller on May 15, 2015, 03:43:50 PM
For now I am leaving the dents in mine. Adds character. :D
Come on Bryon! :)
Could not leave them in our 68 and they be gone now....
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z117/1-2-b-67L89/68%20Camaro%20Z28/Body%20Assembly%20and%20Paint/100_5212_zpszmfkwue2.jpg) (http://s192.photobucket.com/user/1-2-b-67L89/media/68%20Camaro%20Z28/Body%20Assembly%20and%20Paint/100_5212_zpszmfkwue2.jpg.html)
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z117/1-2-b-67L89/68%20Camaro%20Z28/Body%20Assembly%20and%20Paint/100_5213_zpswgxnykya.jpg) (http://s192.photobucket.com/user/1-2-b-67L89/media/68%20Camaro%20Z28/Body%20Assembly%20and%20Paint/100_5213_zpswgxnykya.jpg.html)
Quote from: 68camaroz28 on May 17, 2015, 07:45:00 PM
Quote from: bcmiller on May 15, 2015, 03:43:50 PM
For now I am leaving the dents in mine. Adds character. :D
Come on Bryon! :)
Could not leave them in our 68 and they be gone now....
:D Was waiting for a heckler to show up.
Which technique did you use to get yours straight?
Quote from: My68SS on May 17, 2015, 08:29:50 PM
Quote from: 68camaroz28 on May 17, 2015, 07:45:00 PM
Quote from: bcmiller on May 15, 2015, 03:43:50 PM
For now I am leaving the dents in mine. Adds character. :D
Come on Bryon! :)
Could not leave them in our 68 and they be gone now....
:D Was waiting for a heckler to show up.
Which technique did you use to get yours straight?
Heckler?????? :) Cut out and replaced but never plan to lift a car by that area again. Sometimes we forget just how long it takes to repair/restore all the mistakes/sins from back in the day. As William said just about every car has them to some degree. Old wool buffing wheels work great for placement between jack and sub-frame sides and the 4 lift points on a 2 post lift.
AMD discontinued the new subframe assembly they used to offer, they told me that they had quality and fitment issues.
So I ask them if the could just offer a patch panel never got an answer
After reading this discussion, I wonder, should someone offer a patch panel?
Buffing wheels ,what a great idea!
Taking a stay-cation , hoping to get a little quality Camaro time in between a few home projects.
Seems with the aftermarket subframes on the market, someone would stock the cross member: Fat Man Fabrications, Detroit Speed ?
Or even just another bottom plate section?
Some more subframe repair pics from BPOS on TC in this thread - post 25
http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=204629&page=2
Quote from: 68camaroz28 on May 17, 2015, 07:45:00 PM
Quote from: bcmiller on May 15, 2015, 03:43:50 PM
For now I am leaving the dents in mine. Adds character. :D
Come on Bryon! :)
Could not leave them in our 68 and they be gone now....
It's not real high on my priority list. :D
But I have no issues if people want to put them back to original. :)
My car is normally in storage or out "cruising" so rarely is anyone looking under it.
It really bothers me to see an otherwise nicely done car with the giant floor jack dent.
I did mine while it was off the car, and didn't spend 4 hours on it start to finish.
thread here: http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=214170&highlight=subframe+repair
Somebody had some of those bottom plates made but I can't remember who told me.