bug rear crossmember

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am just wondering on how much welding is required when replacing the rear crossmember on a beetle (passenger side).
on the main flange of the crossmember, that is in front of the rear luggage compartment floor, does the flange need to be welded from the top (inside vehicle), below (from underside of vehicle) or welded from the top and bottom.
just wondering as to what strength is required. or is spot/plug welding all that is required?

[K.Foust]

If the body is off of the pan, you could weld it from the top or the bottom, as long as your welds are clean with good penetration. With the body on, the foam/rubber seal between the flange and the pan will burn and contaminate your welds, leaving them weak. Are you replacing the flange where the body bolts down, or more like the upper part of the crossmember under the rear seat bottom, where the heater tube attaches to the body?

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it'll be the flange on the upper part of the crossmember not the angled flange that has the 2 bolts that bolt to the pan.

[[email protected]]

ok check this out I did that and replaced both on each side of my car.
I never welded before my off pan resto and I did a good job.
My whole area was gone to the point that you could see the tire.
With the crossmember out you can tack weld the whole top piece of the crossmember to the lugage area.
http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/majohnson/six/pages/PICT0025.html


and here is the hole
http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/majohnson/six/pages/PICT0026.html

heres the pan off with this huge area I had to fill in
http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/majohnson/seven/pages/PICT0028.html

and here I started putting it all back together with tack welds at each end and then after the luggage area was in on the top of the crossmember.
http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/majohnson/dayeight/pages/PICT0010.html

the whole page is here
http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/majohnson/beetleproject.swf
Hope this helps
Mark