Reinforcing the steering box mounting on 80 series

[fester2au]

So finally got my arse into gear to try and get the cruiser back on the road after pulling it down to fix some minor front end panel work and tidy up the engine bay. Noticed when I pulled it down the steering box area of the chassi rail was pretty badly cracked. Here is a pic just after I welded up all the cracking. There was some on the outer side as well but not as bad.

So I decided to reinforce the area as well given the amount of cracking. I made 2 braces out of 3mm sheet, an inner and outer.

Here's the outer welded on.

Here's the inner welded on.

And from above.

The outer is simply flush fitted to the chassis rail and welded along the top, down both sides and it's stitched along the underside as the brace has to be cut around the edge of the weld of the brace for the panhard rod which comes though underneath the rail. The inner was shaped around the panhard brace already there and holes cut to match the crush tubes that poke out on the inside. The brace plate actually sits flush with the crush tubes and therefore sits about 10mm off the chassis rail. So I bent the sides around at each end and it's welded along the top edge, down both sides and around each crush tube. There is no real room to tuck under for the length of brace I chose so it finishes flush with the bottom rail. To finish it off I have sanded each crush tube face flat again for the bolts to sit on and have also sanded the top face flat where the weld joined both braces together. It was not possible to make the brace in 1 piece as it would have been near on impossible to get it over the rail. Final step which I have only just made my template for is to fold up a brace to triangulate the cross bar that supports the panhard mount. I am going to triangulate it out about 120mm along the bar then up to near the top of the bracing that sits against the chassis rail now. Going to make it as a channel shape with a radiused top edge the same size as the bar to make it look a bit fancier and more factory. Think of a taco shell with the backbone at the top and the open ends being the parts welded to the bar and chassi rail to form the trinagle so it is double skinned as such, if that makes sense.

Oh and whilst I'm in the engine bay pics here's one of the finally painted engine bay now looking back to factory, actually better than factory as it's clear coated, rather than the cheap chassis black that was put on sometime in a past life.

[torrentialreign]

Good work!
How did you end up going with reinforcing the panhard rod mount? Any more pics?

[rickstrap]

is it a normal thing with the 80's i was presure washing mine last week and found large cracks around the steering box. i freaked dont no if the lift caused it or the 35's

[badger]

it is common as on 80's and 105's
especially full time ones

you should make a kit now that you have sorted the templates