TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:27 pm

Hi all, am slowly working through my 69 Bay attempting to restore it, after cutting away some rust ridden cargo floor to replace it, i have noticed that there are a number of holes in rear of the chasis around the rear torsion beam tubes. My question is, should i be worried about repairing this section, i am capabable of doing the work, i think that i`m just concerned because it is the chasis. :?

Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:31 pm

Worried as in can you do the job? or is it necessary?

It definitely has to be fixed, a few too many railroad crossings while loaded and it'll start to drive itself from the rear, I can say from personal experience that's pretty exciting :P
Expect to cut back more than you plan as the tube that passes through the frame will have holes as well.

Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:40 pm

I think i`m just after some reasurance, i have had a good knock around with a hammer and chisel so i think that i`ve found it all. I guess i`ll have to make up some panels tomorrow and start cutting the rot out. Poor access to that area is the only downside.

Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:44 pm

Yep, make sure you get a good look at the bottom of the torsion tube inside the frame rail, usually a hole in the bottom and that's where the crack starts.

At least it's thick in that area and easy to weld, and hard to see afterwards :wink:

Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:51 pm

Thats very true, thanks for the advice and encouragement. :wink:

Danny

Sat Sep 19, 2009 2:00 pm

thihnk you could take some pics? I did some repairs on mine recently and am curious what the rust i missed may look like, and how you chose to repair it.

Sat Sep 19, 2009 2:11 pm

I will take some pictures tomorrow morning, its 10:15pm in the evening over here so hope you can wait a few hours. I will take them all the way through the repair.

Danny

Sat Sep 19, 2009 2:43 pm

awesome, those are my favorite photo journals. shows me what my work should look like, vs what it does :roll:
good luck with your project, I caught my rusty frame right after winter, had I let the salt do its buisnessI would have lost my rear end in a matter of weeks.

Sat Sep 19, 2009 4:13 pm

There was a swell thread about frame repairs just a few days ago. A pro welder made up new frame sections and welded them in. He showed how the parts were made by a local metal shop on a simple bender, then how he welded them in and bonded them to the original structure

The thread is called "Rusty frame, how to fix it".Very impressive work on a very rusty frame.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=374883

He did not have to go to any special lengths to support the body he just cut out the frame rails and welded in the new ones one at a time. The body is self supporting, at least when sitting quietly in the shop, as long as the body itself is not all rusted out.

Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:48 pm

see what happens when you stop frequenting the bay forum? been a while since I was in htere. very interested in this thread however as it deals EXACTLY wiith the same problem I have. rusty torsion tube to frame mount, slightly more indepth then the center section of the frame, not to knock his work.

Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:58 pm

If you're looking to replace the corrogated flooring that's something you should cut from a donor bus. The corrogations aren't right on the patches so it's a real bear to make it line up. I have a patch panel that I just couldn't use because it was so far off. I eventually gave up on trying to make the patch fit and just cut a few rust free sections out of a junk yard bus.

Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:38 pm

I had a '79 Westy about ten years ago that had a few holes in the frame around the rear torsion tubes. I was driving home from work one day and the engine started to idle high.... when shifting I was starting to hear a scraping noise and it was getting difficult to shift.... then I noticed I could no longer see the horizon out the rear window in the rear view mirror.... yep, the torsion tube parted ways with the frame and the suspension dropped. I made it home but that was the last ride for that '79 Westy.

Sat Sep 19, 2009 7:21 pm

Yeah, I must have been less than 2 months away from that fate when I caught my frame going. some quick work with the welder and she's holding strong, but I want to make it stronger.

Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:22 pm

I have the exact same issue with my bus and the MOT test caught this issue. I have a guy booked to do some welding work for me.

Here are some pics of what it looks like right now. Interestingly, it is only the outside of the frame on both sides that has had the worst corrosion. Probably due to all the muck straight off the tyres over the years.

Certainly be interested in seeing anyones repairs.