Re: 1930 front cross member

Posted by Bob Carabbio on July 04, 1997 at 14:32:29

In Reply to: 1930 front cross member
posted by Dale Beckman on July 03, 1997 at 18:16:45

In general the use of bolts is not appealing to purists, and won't wash in judging, but works well for drivers.
The problem is that 14/20 bolts are common, and just too small.The holes should be tight to the bolt diameter since they will loosen up due to frame flexure.I reamed mine to 5/16", and used grade 8 fine threaded hardware intalled with Loctite RED (death grip) thread locker on both the front and rear crossmembers.If the holes are really bad, 3/8" - 24 hardware would be an option.Make sure the countersink on the three top bolts on the front are deep enough to permit the bolt heads to come down flush.Check for cracks on the ends of the member, and through the spring seat section (also on the rear member).
Also look for extreme wear inside the front and rear crossmembers - they get pretty thin sometimes if the spring U-Bolts were run loose (common).You might not notice it if you don't specifically look for it.I added a brace made of 1/8" x 1.5" steel strap from side to side welded to the inside of the crossmember to repair this area.
Bob Carabbio

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