VW frame

[WannaB-class5]

Well after the race last weekend I ran the track and this is the carnage. I have heard that once frame heads crack its all over. Here is the damage...it's the rear 3x3 arm attachment to the frame.

Can it be fixed? Can I just weld it back together? Should I do something crazy like remove the torsion housing and go custom/coilover and run my own frame or attach something out to the existing frame? I would love to keep this cheap but unsafe is not acceptable. Any and ALL help needed. I do realize there is no bolt in there and that is what caused the cracking, guess my prep wasn't good enough. Be harsh if needed, just let me know if I should be building a sandrail or if I can save her!

[Erik Irvine]

Yeah you can save it (IMO)!

1. You could grind out the cracks, re-weld it then gusset the crap out of it.

2. You could cut of the mount fix/gusset the uni-body & horns then weld an after market mount

3. Sell it to me for $200, then buy a class 1 for $150,000 j/k

Those are what I would think about, I am sure there are better ideas out there though

[Ryno]

Cut out all the old mount. Get a new set of mounts, and repair the factory horns. Weld in the new mounts.

[WOOPRDR]

totally fixable-did it to mine about three times. tack weld the bolt next time, it will help it from backing out(old vw trick)

[MikeAdams]

The easiest would be to make sure the alignment is still were you want it, and weld it.

The best would be to buy the new style brackets with a nut and bolt, cut the old ones out, get the alignment straight, weld the brackets, and plate it all in with access to the nut on the tranny side. But that's a lot of work.

I just realized I retyped what everyone allready said...

I'm surprised it just cracked, I would have figured the loose arm would have punched the bracket into the frame horn.

Oh yeah, don't forget to make a way to keep the bolt from ever coming out again...

[WannaB-class5]

Thanks guys....I would love more input so keep'em comin. I will tear the car down and make sure eveything is straight. The new tabs are cheap and I found some with the nut tacked in place (a nut and bolt would require a hole in the frame for the nut and wrench.

I fig the only reason more damage wasn't done was due to my front coming loose so I took it easy the last hour. I love this things as much as I hate them! On a good note this is by far the worst thing I have broken yet!

[ChuckH]

Yep you broke it, good job... JB weld and duct tape should fix that ;)

What 67baja said is what i would do, no 1 with a new tab, brace it good, or else no 3, except you sell it to me for $225, Note i bid higher :D

[WannaB-class5]

$225 do I hear $250, anyone $250, can I get $250 (now read that as fast as you can and run all the words together)!

If you can't tell I am preping the bug for a Pismo trip on my birthday (July 6)...so I have one more question: Can I run normal nuts with lock washers and loc-tight on my front arms (the 5/8 bolts that connect the arms to the spindles)? or do I NEED nylocks?

[ChuckH]

Alright $250, its a deal where do i pick it up, lock washers and Lock-tight would work but Ny-locks don't cost much.

Of course i knew your birthday was coming up and your going to pismo and you have to get your Ba-ja ready, jeez do you think im a Neanderthal or something !! ... haha.

Sounds like your having a blast driving and breaking things, though i agree the driving part is a little more fun.

[ntsqd]

IMHO lock washers on things structural are a waste of time and money. By the time a joint is loose enough for a lock washer to do what it's supposed to do, the joint has already failed. Split type lock washers can often be the CAUSE of the loose joint due to their tendency to open up or break in half and abandon the car.

Nylox if you want/need to be able to re-use the bolt.

Grade 'C' (aka "Stover") nuts if the bolt is or can be a one time use only bolt.

If you're the belt and suspenders type of person then Blue locktite on bolts 1/4" and smaller, red on 5/16" and bigger.

[uncledirty]

Here is a way to lock the pivot bolts. (Sack 5/16)
http://www.desertrides.com/features/vehicles/sack_class5/images/DSC00830.jpg

[therail]

why not just use safety wire? will that not pass tech? sorry for the noob question.

[WannaB-class5]

I don't race anyway so no worries and there the nut is not accessable, its threaded frame. Good idea though for anyone who has the aftermarket tabs.

[ntsqd]

The force trying to unscrew that bolt has the potential to be large enough to break Safety Wire. I don't know that it does, only that it's possible that it does.

The old skool method is outlined in Hibbard's book. Weld on a piece of tube with a hole in it over the bolt head and put a cotter pin thru it.

I've also seen a method that used a nut that fit into the hex socket of the bolt. That nut was welded to a piece of flat stock. The flat stock was then bolted to the frame such that the nut was engaged in the hex socket of the bolt.

[WannaB-class5]

I will try to do something with the extra hex heads I have and some tubing like in the link that uncledirty posted. Does anyone else do anthing to prevent this? Erik you have aftermarket nut and bolt mounts right? More ideas would be great, I should be doing this soon! And thanks to everyone else

[uncledirty]

The after market pivot bolt would be a good idea. It doen't taper down to smaller threads, they come with a new weld in nut, you just have to cut a hole on the inside of the frame horns, cut the old nut out and weld the new one in. once you get the new pivot bolt installed then do the secondary locking dealio. I'll try to take a pic of mine for ya I did it a little different than the pic I linked.
Talk to Rich Fercsh at McKenzies he'll get you set up with the parts ya need ad more ideas, he's a baja bug guru, (he helped me a ton when I built my 5/16, 15 years ago)