gilmore03

Well i was taking off my tire today to patch up a hole, and when i took it off i noticed in the wheel well there is a metal bracket with 2 bolts that looks like rotted through the bracket....What is this for? I really didnt get a chance to look at what its there for. I dont think it rotted through the wheel well, just the bracket. The rest of the wheel well is perfect...Also what can i do to re-do the whole underbody of the car, as for getting rid of ruust ect, and getting it recoated?

SparkienSuggah

that bracket is actually a stiffener plate welded to the unibody.

it stiffens the chassis for the upper four link mount. ours was rotted to hell and when i welded another plate over it (to cover the hole which pokes into the cargo bin) the car seemed to turn better (i take right turns with a flick of the wrist in third gear now.. before it was second)
this is of course all subjective, but i really think it improved the suspension geometry while under corner loads. weld the **** outta it my friend.

gilmore03

is that where most 1st gens rust, behind this bracket?

capt murph

Many posts have been written about checking the bin area for rust, but I think it is this bracket that is the start of rust. The inner fender is thinner so it shows up on the interior of the bin area first.

The bracket is spot welded to the inner fender, and moisture/dirt can get between the bracket and the base (inner fender), and promote corrosion.

Maybe it is a lack of proper paint protection. I don't know how these cars were painted at the factory, but if it was sprayed, it is unlikely the inner surfaces get properly coated. If they were dipped, there still could be a lack of coverage on the inner surfaces. Some dipping methods use vibration to enhance penetration into lamainated (layered) areas, such as this bracket application.

If the bracket has a rust hole, then it is likely the inner fender has a hole too. Not to worry though, if the rust area is small. With enough good surounding metal, you could have it welded/reinforced - perhaps inside and out.

I'll try to attach a photo here of the bracket I removed - spot weld cutter is shown beside it. There are 12 spot welds. I made a new plate from 18GA steel.

[IMG]C:\Documents and Settings\murphyp\My Documents\My Pictures\RX7 Rust[/IMG]

Hades12

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/wheel-well-rot-repair-476479/

capt murph

Ok feeling pretty stupid and resolution for new year is to be not stupid - how do I post a photo?

Not wanting to hijack this thread but I do have some good photos for this topic I'd like to share...


The below instructions are from this forum FAQ, and they seem simple, but I do not understand where this browse button reference - I see nothing there at the bottom of the composition page...

To attach a file to a new post, simply click the [Browse] button at the bottom of the post composition page, and locate the file that you want to attach from your local hard drive.

Someone help please.

gilmore03

just go to www.imageshack.us and hit browse and find the pic, and then copy the link into here

Hades12

Click the Manage attachments button, then browse to the file, then upload.

capt murph

spot weld cutter attachment uploaded. testing....

gilmore03

what should i make the replacement support out of?....i wish i knew how to weld

capt murph

gilmore03: 18 Ga is the thickness of the original support, so I used the same.
I had little welding experience and learned alot when I purchased a cheapo 110V mig welder from Harbor Freight - about $110 on sale. It worked well, but it does not use gas as an arc shield, and it spatters quite a bit more than the gas units. The wire is coated with something that creates an arc shield.

MattG

iTrader: (2)

Yea its call a flux wire welder. They dont give a clean of a weld as gas shielded ones, but take a wire brush to it and you will never know.

Welding isnt that hard, I taught myself. You can pick up a cheapo one and start practicing. It aint like your welding together a bridge, just a little piece here or there, you will be fine!

gilmore03

arite maybe next paycheck ill pick up a mig welder...Ill let you guys know if i burn my eyebrows off. Also is it ok to drive? can it do any damage to anythign else? the driver side is through the bracket, but almost through teh bins, and the pass side is threw both.

capt murph

It is probably ok to drive. When it gets really bad the upper control link will shoot through the car and hit you in the ***...just kidding...but it is OK to drive as long as no drifting, no hard cornering, or other maneuvers are done that place additional stress on that area.

gilmore03

well i mean the floor boards are perfectly fine, so its just the bins that are rotted through

gilmore03

if i were too pull the bins out, what can i do to close that area off

capt murph

pull bins out and close them off? Doesn't seem practical. What are you looking to gain? You could just leave bins in and screw the doors shut if you wanted to close that area off.

My door hinges broke so I just left them off for now and am finding it much easier to use the bins -just reach back and I'm in. No door/seat hassles.