Campy
Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2005
Posts: 4933
Location: Chico, CA
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 Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 12:09 pm Post subject: Replacing bus front frame rail--support braces? |
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The 1960 double cab that a friend gave me had the worst repair job done to it that I have ever seen: the right front was replaced going back through the right seat pedestal and the dog leg, using an arc welder and sheet metal screws to piece sections of two dog legs together.
The right front frame rail had been damaged and, again, he half-assed it using an arc welder. I have a right seat pedestal with a frame rail going back behind the front outrigger that I am going to install after cutting out the damaged frame rail back behind the outrigger.
Before doing the cutting, where should I weld on support braces on the body to give it support (the nose clip and running gear have been removed) ?
Also, I was planning on cutting an "L" section out of the top end of the replacement rail, and doing the opposite on the end of the rail in the truck, butt welding them together, then welding a steel plate on the inside for added strength. Is this overkill for a VW truck, or should I just butt weld the two straight ends of each frame rail together, like the old buses came stock, with the two frame rail sections butt welded together at the mid-point of the bus?
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Don't worry; be happy. (Baba) |
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Campy
Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2005
Posts: 4933
Location: Chico, CA
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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It will be about one foot in front of the factory butt weld that is at the mid-point of the frame rail. Butt weld the two straight ends together and no plate welded on the inside for added strength?
The factory butt welds at the mid-point of the frame rails on all five of my buses are skinny little suckers. The old VW buses are almost like uni-bodies so the stress is spread out.
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Don't worry; be happy. (Baba) |
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