Frame rails... Options

[Jeroen]

Didn't get to work on the 914 as much as I hoped over my vacation, but still made some good progress over the last couple of days...

Frame rails in the engine comp. are stripped naked
They still need some minor detailing here and there and the "hell holes" still need to be cleaned, but most of the hard work is done

Tonight I welded the rear shock towers to the frame rails
Quite a gap to fill...

[Eric_Shea]

At the seam marked "C" the long has a small lip (aprox 1/4") that is folded to the inside of the long. This lip is spotwelded to part "A" from the outside (shocktower side).  They must have done that before the shocktower was welded in place.

OK... That's the answer I was looking for. It is welded, just not very well. Thanks.

I've looked at Gint's tub again this morning. Here's some things I'll throw out there as was my discussion with Gint a few hours ago:

1. Brad is right. (first time for everything (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ). The factory stiffening kit gets welded to a cover plate not to the actual longitudinal and shock tower area. This is an area of sheet metal that is pressed into the inner fender well and it sticks up about 1/8" to 1/4" depending upon the area. Those who have been there know what I'm talking about.

After looking at that area, I believe there is a fix for this that will make the factory kit "VERY" useful. That fix is this:

Tack weld the ends of the factory piece or use clamps to hold it in place (this is the long piece that ties the longitudinal into the shock tower). It is drilled rosette. With the appropriate drill, drill out all the rosettes in the "outer layer" that Brad talks about. Next, rosette weld through both pieces to the actual longitudinal and shock tower.

2. I'm not sold on the need for seam welding the shock towers. After looking at this car and Jeroen's recent photo I believe the factory was simply chasing after whatever they thought might solve their problem. The seam in the shock tower has "2 rows" of spot welds and we've never seen one split there.

I do believe that Brad, Jeroen whomever "did" find the problem area and I think we've found another way to strengthen it "IF" you so care to do so without the surgery seen here (not that that's bad... just that some application would probably forbid this method). This is it...

3. Using a die grinder and a burr from the "inside" of the shock tower that seam can be accessed (seam marked C). A bead can then be applied from the backside and closed upon itself all within the shock tower.

So...

The factory kit can be made to work (I think, and so does Troy who would be doing the welding). I really think that a factory kit installed this way (weld the rosettes through to the actual longitudinal and shock tower) would do away with the need for most of this welding and reinforcing.

Seam welding the shocktowers looks like it wouldn’t be that effective based upon the massive amounts of spot welds there.

Most of the elusive "seam marked C" can be welded from the inside of the shocktower if you have a stockish vehicle and want to preserve the cosmetic integrity while strengthening that area.


Thoughts?