Jumper seat under fender bracket rust repair help needed (1 Viewer)

[ginmtb]

So I posted this in my build thread but trying to reach a broader audience. Please see this post:

Won a '74 40 on a coin toss...

In case the above link doesn't work it is post #976.

Basically the bracket spot welded under the tub inside the fender is rusting and bubbling. What is the proper way to fix this? Grind it off the bottom, remove/treat bulging rust, weld back on? Grind it off, make new bracket and weld on? Obviously won't be able to spot weld it but I think I can weld it to the bottom of the fender, even with my marginal welding skills (again, isn't visible, that is helpful).

Has anyone done this repair? Couldn't seem to find it in a quick search.

Thanks!

 

[joyRidaz]

Can we get a shot/photo of the brace underneath the wheel well? Mine are a mess, and curious how good/bad your are.

 

[Tysano]

Drill the spot welds out and remove the plate clean everything up patch the hole in the fender well weld the plate back in

 

[ginmtb]

Doesn't look too bad under there here is a shot. I have some undercoating on the bottom of my cruiser.

 

[ginmtb]

Drill the spot welds out and remove the plate clean everything up patch the hole in the fender well weld the plate back in

Drill the spot welds! That seems WAY easier then trying to get a grinder underneath there. Makes total sense thank you!

 

[kiwidog]

Hi ginmtb,
Once you have the seat mount plate off and cleaned up, and the bad parts of the inner fender replaced.(You can do the whole patch repair from inside the Cruiser) Locate the hole for the seat bracket bolt and drill it in the correct location. About 1'' from each side of that bolt hole at 90 degrees to the centre axis of your Cruiser drill two 5/16'' holes in the inner fender patch. Bolt you seat bracket up from the bottom using the seat bracket hole. Line it the bracket up so it sits at 90 degrees to the center axis and plug weld through the two holes into the bracket from inside the Cruiser. Look at Gusb's excellent thread for more encouragement .

Thanks jb

 

[ginmtb]

Hi ginmtb,
Once you have the seat mount plate off and cleaned up, and the bad parts of the inner fender replaced.(You can do the whole patch repair from inside the Cruiser) Locate the hole for the seat bracket bolt and drill it in the correct location. About 1'' from each side of that bolt hole at 90 degrees to the centre axis of your Cruiser drill two 5/16'' holes in the inner fender patch. Bolt you seat bracket up from the bottom using the seat bracket hole. Line it the bracket up so it sits at 90 degrees to the center axis and plug weld through the two holes into the bracket from inside the Cruiser. Look at Gusb's excellent thread for more encouragement .

Thanks jb

Got it sounds very doable! Thank you!

 

[ginmtb]

What are people using to cut sheet metal? My grinding always seems to get a little out of control and I end up cutting past my mark.

 

[micruz60]

What are people using to cut sheet metal? My grinding always seems to get a little out of control and I end up cutting past my mark.

***4.5” PEARL CUT OFF WHEELS ***

No affiliation.
Do you have the side grip for your grinder? Helps to control it.

 

[Weber Sarge]

I use the Camel cutoff wheels since they seem to be best balance between speed and durability - especially on high torque 4.5" angle grinders . For about the same average price of $2 per wheel , they are the best bang for the buck and have no issue cutting hardened metals as well .

Just a tip about making marks in metal - try using a dark colored permanent marker , Sharpie Industrial ones are available at Staples and won't rub off so easily . Once you make the black mark , use a carbide-tipped or hardened tool steel scribe for a fine line - it will show up very well against the black backround from the marker . If necessary when fitting panels in for welding - cut short of the line and file/grind the remainder just against the line for a perfect fit . You can also spend some time on YouTube , search out sheet metal cutting/fitting panel videos - a wealth of info for beginners .

Sarge

 

[ginmtb]

So grinder sounds like the choice - I guess I just need to get more practice. I do have the side handle so will put that on as well. I was just wondering if anyone used anything other than a grinder - like pneumatic reciprocating saw or even a jigsaw with metal blade. Thanks!

 

[joyRidaz]

i used HF electric shears for cutting my patch panel to size/shape... Seems to work well for what I've done so far, which isn't much yet. I used a cutoff wheel for the actual surgery, and I had a hard time with precision/accuracy but then again it was my first and only time.

 

[ginmtb]

On a friend's recommendation I did buy this for the spot welds I'll report back this weekend how it worked.

 

[joyRidaz]

I'm curious how one determines where the spot welds are? Once u grind down the paint and rust. Is it easy to see? Pls post pics once u get to that stage.

I need to patch up my quarter seems and wheel wells. Watching your thread closely for couch inspiration/motivation! Go get 'em

 

[kruisinkid]

also handy. use these a lot at work.
High Speed Metal Air Saw

 

[ginmtb]

I'm curious how one determines where the spot welds are? Once u grind down the paint and rust. Is it easy to see? Pls post pics once u get to that stage.

I need to patch up my quarter seems and wheel wells. Watching your thread closely for couch inspiration/motivation! Go get 'em

There are clearly a couple of perfectly round circles/depressions near the threaded hole which I'm assuming are the spot welds. We shall see!

 

[ginmtb]

also handy. use these a lot at work.
High Speed Metal Air Saw

Funny I was checking that out while I was there getting the drill bit. Maybe I'll grab that next time. $20 hard to go wrong.

 

[Curt]

Those cheap air saws suck, buy a quality one if you want it to work.

 

[Weber Sarge]

I doubt the HF spot weld cutter will last long , especially if it encounters any rust or hard spots . If you are going to tackle a lot of spot welds , try to find a Blair (Hougen) cutter setup - they are made from seriously high quality tool steel and not recycled garbage . Made in USA and you can use the arbor setup with other size cutters to produce very nice , very round holes instead of the crappy results that hole saws produce .

Blair Spotweld Cutters

I prefer the standard pilot type versus the skip-proof drill bit type - less hole to weld up and less heat input .
Blair Premium Spotweld Cutter with Standard PIlot BLR11094: Advance Auto Parts
If you want to use the standard pilot type cutter a Starrett 18C automatic center punch is the tool to have and built to last a lifetime -
http://www.amazon.com/Starrett-18C-...ds=Starrett+heavy+duty+automatic+center+punch

Instead of hole saws , I have both a metric and SAE set of these as well as some larger/odd sizes -
Blair Equipment 11090N Rotabroach Cutter Kit - Hole Saws - Amazon.com

To take a short cut and get a wide range of sizes for fab work -
Rotabroach Cutter Combo Kit - - Amazon.com

Just an fyi...lol .
Did I mention I hate imported , junk cutting tools ? All of Hougen (Blair) products are US made and extremely high quality .

Sarge

 

[ginmtb]

No doubt I don't think it will last long - figured for two spot welds hopefully it will work for those. But I agree quality wise normally I buy better things but for some consumables I pick and choose. Thank you for the links!