Can the #4 body mount including the reinforcement be replaced without lifting the entire body? any info on the easiest way to accomplish this would be welcome.
Thanks
Nick
Thanks
Nick
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Re: 1973 #4 body mount replacement
I'm assuming that your talking about the steel reinforcement riveted to the body?
Best case is that your going to have to loosen ALL body mounts and lift/rock the affected side up just high enough to allow the body mount to clear both the body and the frame.
After you get the body up high enough to do what you need to do, put spaced blocking in between the body and the frame as safety insurance.
Make absolutley sure that your on the look out for body shims that may fall out from each body mount location.
If the body mounts are original, it would also be a great time to change them out with new components including the body mount bolts.
#4 is a bear no matter how you look at it.
Chuck -
Re: Now if your talking just the mount
I guess I should have added this in my last response as well Nic.
If your just talking the rubber cushions, then it's a matter of pulling the bolt and getting yourself just enough safe, free space to work in the new cushion.
Usually though, if one's bad, the others are dead and dying too.
Hope I covered at least a little of what your after.
ChuckComment
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Re: 1973 #4 body mount replacement
Nick, assuming you are asking about the mount riveted to the body? If so, take a good look at things to figure out how you reinstall the back rivet of the mount--the panel under the fender keeps you from bucking the rivet's backside. We did our 72 convertible and cut small hole in the panel so that we could set the new rivet. Also, I vaguely remember that the body had to be fairly high so that the cupped bracket could be removed as well as getting the new one back in (maybe 3 inches above the #4 frame bracket). I don't remember exactly how high since we lifted the body completely off.Comment
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Re: 1973 #4 body mount replacement
Nick, just a thought for approaching your problem. If you have to replace the frame bracket, I would think that you have nothing to lose by doing as little invasive work as required to cut/grind the bracket off. Our body is off so I don't know if the body actually would get in the way of this part of cutting off. I would think that you could get it removed without lifting or lifting very little to cut the bracket off. Worth a first step if you are ultimately prepared to lift body if you have to. If you are persistent and methodical I have to think you can do it without raising the body--best case.
CASE 1: If not replacing the reinforcement (and the cage nut), I have to believe it would be a fairly simple weld to reattach the frame bracket and position relative to the existing reinforcement. However, what a great time to replace a rusted out reinforcement and cage nut. Just remember that one back side rivet issue on the reinforcment.
CASE 2: If you want/should/have to replace the reinforcement, it could easily be removed while the frame bracket is already off. Possibly, you could replace the reinforcement and bracket this way without every having to raise the body or raise it minimally. Worst case, you would have to jacke the body up as Chuck indicated--Maybe. If you plan on replacing the other side reinforcement also but not removing the frame bracket, you will definately need to raise the body or you cannot maneuver the reinforcment off! You might be able to "cut" the old reinforcment up to get out but you won't be able to get a new one back on.
Hope I have not provided too much nonsense and it does make sense to you.Comment
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Re: Now if your talking just the mount
Chuck,
Thanks for the info,the reinforcements are rotten and an eyesore.It sounds as though the body would have to come up a few inches to accomadate fitting in new ones.
NickComment
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Re: 1973 #4 body mount replacement
Bill,
Great info,it's my reinforcements that are the eyesore when you look under the wheelwell.The frame mounts are good, but removing them for the job might be the way to go.Thanks,I'll let you know how I make out if I decide to take them on.
NickComment
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Re: 1973 #4 body mount replacement
Nick, a little more info that you probably don't need right now. Our 72 convertible was a perfectly good original all numbers matching driver before we got in to this body off effort--I am really glad we did at this point in time. Initially, we were only going to do a cosmetic restoration by replacing the upper and corner windshield frame and just doing some general cleaning/restoring/painting efforts. We did this and replaced the windshield glass also. As we got further and further in to the effort we decided that the badly rusted out #4 reinforcements and the seatbelt reinforcements should be replaced too. Well, the seatbelt reinforcement replacement was a no-brainer. The #4 reinforcement replacement was a "lesson" just beginning. We were going to lift the body just enough (we removed our doors and made some tube supports)to get the reinforcements out. But, every body mount bolt except the passenger side #3 bolt came out--this one was severely rusted/frozen and we had to cut/chiesel the head off (tricky operation). Now we were faced with the problem of repairing a #3 body mount and cage nut which DID REQUIRE US TO LIFT THE BODY UP! With the body up we could inspect the underside sill channels and one extension was nearly rotted away. It was at this point that we decided to just remove the whole body and go "full boat" restoration. Today, we have a pristine, recently blasted/painted frame with all new front suspension parts--simply beautiful!!!! Additionally, with the body off I was able to frabricate a new sill extension and weld back to the the sill channel. So, there is a message in all this, could the same thing happen to YOU? I am betting many other restorations got started this same way.Comment
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