http://www.vtr.org/maintain/diff-mounts.html
Here's the link from VTR on the side plates for the diff mounts. If your
right mount is cracked I bet the cross member is also cracked (hopefully not!)
at the stud.
I ended up welding two 1/8" (I think) plates on the top of the cross member
to strengthen the stud area. Each one had a hole in it which allowed the stud
to protrude through, then I welded up this area. This may not be an option for
you as the body has to be removed.
The side plates are one pain in the &^%$ to get the mig nozzle in at the
right angle. All I can say is turn up the heat and do your best. Grind off
rust in the area to be welded to allow good welds.
I had extreme difficulty even with the frame bare and upside down. It was
like playing Twister to get the nozzle in the right position and to see what
was going on. Put into the equation a welding helmet on too.
It shouldn't be too hard to cut the welds to the bracket with a 4" cutoff
wheel. First relieve the welds to the bracket ( trying to save it for a
template for the new one) at the cross member, then try prying them free.
Then depending on how bad the bracket is cracked remove the stud by either
grinding the welds to the bracket or cutting the bracket in half, left to
right and not front to rear. Mine was cracked from left to right and from what
I've seen most TR's crack in this way.
Once the bracket is removed measure the stud diameter and take what's left of
the bracket to a machine shop or sheet metal shop and have them make you one.
While your at it have them make four side plates from the above link.
Inspect the stud at the cross member and if it is cracked make a 1/8" steel
plate with a hole for the stud to go on underside of the cross member. Tack
weld the plate then weld the circumference of the stud, be careful not to
change the studs angle to the cross member. Finish completely welding the
plates now. You may want the length of the cross member plate to stay within
where the side reinforcing plates go. Either way you want to do it.
Trial fit your new bracket for fit get it to the same height as the left one
and same distance from the vertical cross member support as the left one, then
tack it in place. If your 1/8" plate goes past where the side plates will be
welded remove 1/8" from the top side. That is if you use the VTR drawings.
He's a few pictures at the link below.
http://groups.msn.com/Richards69TR6Restoration/framerestoration.msnw
Hope this helps and isn't to confusing, I'm not the best a giving these type
of instructions. Others might have some better ideas too.
Cheers,
Richard
69 in the works, but sleeping (hibernating) for now.
----- Original Message -----
From: Ronald A. Dowty
Sent: Monday, November 11, 2002 3:48 PM
To: 6pack@autox.team.net
Subject: Welding advice
I'm sending this message out again since I only got one respose and I'd
like to hear from someone who's been-there-done-that before.
I've got to replace the forward differential support on my frame which
is off the car. The old bracket appears to have been welded to the stud,
then the stud was welded to the cross member. Since I don't want to cut
the stud out and it's a tight fit for my mig what should I do or have
done to get a good weld on the bracket to stud joint?
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