Cracked Rear Suspension Bracket Fix
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78invader440
post Mar 12 2007, 10:08 PM
IP: 68.188.237.116 | Post #1 |
Intruder
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Joined: 21-February 05
From: Dryden,MI
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O.K guys, I've finally got to this point of my restoration in order to show via pictures how I fix these rear suspension brackets. Mind you, this is not for the faint of heart. It is not an easy fix, but once completed, you'll never break a bracket again.
First of all, you need to understand what the failure mode is. A lot of people think it is the up and down motion of the rear suspension arms causing fatigue in the brackets. That is not the case. It is the LATERAL motion of the skid frame putting a sideways force into the bracket that fatigues them. Yee Haa power sliding around the corners is what kills them.
You must COMPLETELY disassemble the rear suspension. Right down to the point of drilling out the rivets that hold all the brackets on to the rails. Once you've got the brackts off of the rails, you have to sandblast them becuase you're going to be welding on them (see picture). A this point, you have to decide by inspection whether or not the brackts are too far gone for repair. If they're cracked the entire length, forget it. Find different ones.
The most time consuming part is making 16 "question mark" brackets (4 per suspension bracket) and custom fitting them to each suspension bracket (see picture). The material is 1/2 inch wide band iron available at most hardware stores in 3 foot lengths.
Once you've got all the question mark brackets made, weld them to the suspension brackets. Also at this time, you've got to repair your existing cracks. TIG welding is prefered here, because you can't have any weld come through to the inside. If that happens, the bracket won't slide on over the rail. Inevitably, you'll have some, so there will be some time spent with a small diamter round file trying to clean it up.
After that, sandblast again, and send the job off to the powder coater. Reinstall them on the rails using stainless steel socket head cap screws and nylon lock nuts.
I've done this fix on 4 rear suspensions now, and I've never had a repeat failure. BEST OF LUCK