To patch, or not to patch...

[missrenaissance]

Crawled under Piggers today and started cleaning/prepping the underside and frame for some paint before I put the clean and spiffy fuel tank back into place. While attaching all the rust and dirt with the wire brush (and ensuring an expedient shower on my part) I found 2 rubber flaps covering the backside of the torsion bar, with the drivers side appearing to have some sort of adjustment screw/bolt. The rubber was cooked and crispy, and crumbled when I tugged at it, so off they went.

To my horror, one side was packed with grimy mud (partly due to my pressure washing right before this), and I wonder, should I patch these holes? I'm planning on eliminating the torsion bar anyway, since I'm chucking the rear window and tailgate guts in favor of a latching liftgate instead, and my torsion bar makes that unmistakable crunching rust noise everytime I lower and lift the tailgate.

So, I don't need the holes to access the bar, and they seem to attract muck from the rear wheels, which to me means rust, and if I were to weld them up, now would be the time before I reinstall the tank. Any reason I'm not seeing why I should keep them?

 

[NikP]

For one, the holes allow access to the bolts that secure the body to the frame not just the torsion bar. If you weld them up that could be an issue.

 

[PabloCruise]

I'm chucking the rear window and tailgate guts in favor of a latching liftgate instead, and my torsion bar makes that unmistakable crunching rust noise everytime I lower and lift the tailgate.

Sounds like some major mods!
I bet others will be interested in how you pull this off.
Do you have a plan for the the lift struts and hinge locations?

 

[missrenaissance]

Sounds like some major mods!
I bet others will be interested in how you pull this off.
Do you have a plan for the the lift struts and hinge locations?

No yet, haven't gotten that far! This week's fabrication project is the transmission tunnel and floor so I can mount the mercedes bucket seats, and run fuel lines without fear of cooking them. I had to stretch the tunnel 4 inches back to accommodate the longer 5 speed, and added a few inches so I could mount the rear heater on the top of it.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

my vote is to clean the gunk out, get rid of as much rust as possible, use a converter or rust treatment so you ca make sure you fixed"" the problem, then find some old scrap conveyor belting to make new rubber flaps and platic rivit them over the body mount bolt windows...depending on where you live, the old conveyor belt strips can be had for free and stand up quite well to the elements and abrassions...I am going to use it at my front fender wells to keep the road dirt from the new engine in the bay. the lift gate I think is a good idea. I did a hack job version of it using some 3/8s lexan or polycarb-whateven the clearest version of that type of plastic is.....I used gas shox as lift supports and back seat back latches at both lower sides...I gave up before getting the thru the hatch actuators done. If you look closely at the 60/62 liftgate frame, and are able to copy it to a certain degree, I feel it would lend itself well to a pig and be a welcome addition when camping or loading in the rain. My latest and greatest version of this mod has me cutting some reliefs in some strategic locations on the pigs back end in order to make a nice seal and give a flush look. I think you're on the right track there, anyway, and a mod like that should be done, done again, and refined for future generations..... BTW, I'm going to use 4runner buckets...so far they sem to me to be a great mod giving more leg and back room as well as more storage options....Keep at it

 

[scrapdaddy]

Lambcrusher,

Thank You! While I was cutting hay, the last two days, I was trying think of what I had that would work for those rubber flaps. Belting! Got alot of it, use it all over the farm. Love this group, somebody always has an idea!