Chassis Cracks

**mauser** · 13-10-2011, 08:05 PM

A common belief is that we should be checking the chassis for cracks during the restoration.

Can someone post a picture of where the most common places are?

Mauser

PS The HQ V8 chassis I have has plenty of those shims still left in the upper control arms. More grapevine gossip indicates this is a good sign becasue the V8 chassis used to bend under the weight of the motor and they removed these to compensate and do a wheel alignment... True or False.

**wbute** · 13-10-2011, 08:13 PM

http://www.mysandman.com.au/forums/s...chassis+cracks

Yeah they use those plates to adjust the front wheels. Peders told me years ago that when they ran out of adjustment you had to twist the chassis back inwards to fix it. I have never heard of anyone having to do it though.

**jennie285** · 13-10-2011, 08:56 PM

More prevalent in HX and prior to RTS, we welded our HX Ute just behind the front end, as it had a cracked chassis....sorry can't post a pic as its painted over, and we dont' have a hoist...But good idea this needs to be checked during resto....

**ozbox** · 13-10-2011, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by wbute

http://www.mysandman.com.au/forums/s...chassis+cracks

Yeah they use those plates to adjust the front wheels. Peders told me years ago that when they ran out of adjustment you had to twist the chassis back inwards to fix it. I have never heard of anyone having to do it though.

noooo...works the other way..the more shims the worst the chassis is sagged in...less shims is good..

no your right..damned old mans moment..im thinkin hr front ends with the wrong stub axles...

**hxbunny** · 13-10-2011, 09:51 PM

Agree with Greg, the more shims the more 'out' the chassis is, the usual place for cracks is just behind the welded plates behind the rear shim and i have also seen the support that holds the top of the shock cracked as well, when you se them they are fairly obvious

**wbute** · 13-10-2011, 10:09 PM

I think if you add more/thicker shims it will pull the upper control arm inward toward the motor making scrubbed inside steer tyres worse, not better.

**Alien DNA** · 13-10-2011, 10:14 PM

My hq coupe had a crack between the lower arm and engine mount.....not naming names, but shouldve welded it myself, would've def come out a better job! :angry:

**stickthis** · 13-10-2011, 10:16 PM

ive seen the top wishbone mount thats welded to the chassis crack too. Something else to check.

**ozbox** · 13-10-2011, 11:20 PM

i had a wb statesamn once that was cracked from one side all the way across the crossmember to the other side..i had a customer recently who had his upper control arm leave the chassis with the chassis still attached...
so when you guys are looking for chassis cracks clean up everywhere forward of the where the body mounts and look everywhere..

**HK1837** · 14-10-2011, 05:39 AM

Jennie is right, HZ's seem to crack less but they still crack. HZ chassis have different lower mounts, chassis is different steel and when they have the strengthening bars attached they seem to crack less at the lower control arm mounts. They still crack badly though especially on commercial venicles around the entire upper control arm/shocky mount.