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03-09-2014, 03:04 PM | #1 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 350144
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Rear shock tower?
Hey guys, while changing my fuel filler neck yesterday I noticed a hole in the shock tower (~2"x4").. the rest of the car is rustless so I think I'd try to replace both rear shock towers..
But I'm wondering how to proceed and what would be the easiest to do it.. Go to a pick and pull and grab some shock towers from a donor car, or make some with tubing and sheetmetal? Anybody ever done it or have suggestions?
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03-10-2014, 08:22 PM | #2 |
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Member#: 271525
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: BagEnd
Vehicle:7/2 STi/WRX wagon SWP/AW |
Can a patch be welded in?
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03-10-2014, 08:41 PM | #3 |
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Tri-State
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Can you get some pictures? Seems like a patch might work.
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03-11-2014, 01:42 PM | #4 |
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Join Date: Mar 2013
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I don't have a picture on hand.. but I think I figured it out.. I'll have to cut the inside part of the shock tower to access the hole, remove all the rust, weld a patch and reweld another patch to close the hole I did...
It's gonna be a fun project thats for sure... |
03-11-2014, 03:59 PM | #5 |
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Chapter/Region:
SCIC
Location: San Diego, CA
Vehicle:2014 Brocoma DCab 71 FJ40, 13 DRZ400SM |
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03-12-2014, 02:29 AM | #6 | |
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Quote:
I used my "paint" talents to explain it to you.. http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps82242ba0.jpg Don't know if its clear enough.. |
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03-12-2014, 01:35 PM | #7 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 105104
Join Date: Jan 2006
Chapter/Region:
VIC
Location: Coquitlam, BC, Canada
Vehicle:1979 BRAT / 01 RSTI 99 2.5TS (DEAD) |
there is many layers to the rear shock towers. it would be a ton of work to get it fixed with new towers. You could easily patch it but it will eventually return. I drove my car around with that kind of damage for a number of years before I decided to scrap the car and get a new one. Mine had random spots of rust all over the place though and wasn't worth saving.
The rust holes i had were also quite a bit bigger than that. You're the first person i've seen that has this issue besides myself. I think it is more common than most people realize but being that it is hard to see nobody knows about it. |
03-13-2014, 01:59 AM | #8 |
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it's not in a visible place, I never looked there before because it is so unusual to see rust there.. I noticed it because of the paint was peeling.. at the moment I put my hand on it, It went threw.... I'll see what I can do with it.
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03-13-2014, 02:08 AM | #9 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 105104
Join Date: Jan 2006
Chapter/Region:
VIC
Location: Coquitlam, BC, Canada
Vehicle:1979 BRAT / 01 RSTI 99 2.5TS (DEAD) |
Quote:
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03-13-2014, 11:14 AM | #10 |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 159682
Join Date: Sep 2007
Chapter/Region:
NESIC
Location: Maine
Vehicle:1995 WRX 2015 F150 |
I would check it real close. Rusted rear strut towers are common here and anywhere there is a lot of road salt. I've seen multiple subarus where the whole strut tower separated from the body. A few were wagons and the whole tower with strut attached were just floating in the hatch area.
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03-14-2014, 12:08 AM | #11 |
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Windsor/Canada & Detroit/MI
Vehicle:2004 Sti WRB |
I would patch it and reinforce the rear strut towers like this
Last edited by Serkan; 03-22-2014 at 12:47 PM. |
03-15-2014, 12:56 AM | #12 |
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Join Date: Mar 2013
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I like the idea!
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04-20-2014, 08:38 PM | #13 |
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removed the plastic trims and panels in the back... and it is worst than I thought...
Might need to cut a big portion of the shock tower and reweld a plate... while I'm at it... and do a little reinforcment.. hehe |
04-20-2014, 09:21 PM | #14 |
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Got the pics..
pass side: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps4072592d.jpg The holes I was talking about: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps9440a2da.jpg and the driver side... http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps377bf7b9.jpg It looks worst than what it is.. I didn't clean the mess... but thats what it is.. better take care of it right now.. |
04-21-2014, 02:45 PM | #15 |
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Member#: 22035
Join Date: Jul 2002
Chapter/Region:
SCIC
Location: San Diego, CA
Vehicle:2014 Brocoma DCab 71 FJ40, 13 DRZ400SM |
wow, thats going to be fun to fix. make sure to post pics when you are fixing it
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04-21-2014, 07:04 PM | #16 |
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Member#: 159682
Join Date: Sep 2007
Chapter/Region:
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Location: Maine
Vehicle:1995 WRX 2015 F150 |
Honestly I would scrap that car. That is bad and in a critical area. It's not like it's a little fender rot.
Once you've seen these things blow a strut and tower into the interior you get real leery of rust that bad. |
04-21-2014, 08:38 PM | #17 |
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As sir Charles Barkley would say. That's turrible. I've done a bunch of various rust repair. If someone was paying me to fix it but if it was my own no thanks. That's going to be a lot of work.
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04-22-2014, 12:57 AM | #18 |
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I'll try to fix it... worst case scenario.. I scrap it.. I'll take pics indeed
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04-22-2014, 12:05 PM | #19 |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 22035
Join Date: Jul 2002
Chapter/Region:
SCIC
Location: San Diego, CA
Vehicle:2014 Brocoma DCab 71 FJ40, 13 DRZ400SM |
looking at it, the fix shouldn't be too hard, just time consuming. i have been doing a lot of rust repair on a old 71 chevy vega and you just take one panel at a time. make sure to get some weld through primer and some sheet metal tools and it will make it easier.
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04-27-2014, 09:30 PM | #20 | |
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Join Date: Apr 2014
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I'm in the same situation with an SF Forester I just bought a couple days ago. I gutted the interior to replace the filthy carpet and carpeted trunk parts.
The black thing is the gas filler. The hole leads outside and the rust in the previous pic is just above it but out of view. I have no welding experience but plan to get a cheap MIG welder tomorrow. I measured the steel to be 22ga which I hear might be difficult to weld. Have you made any progress? Quote:
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04-28-2014, 11:28 AM | #21 |
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Location: San Diego, CA
Vehicle:2014 Brocoma DCab 71 FJ40, 13 DRZ400SM |
welding sheetmetal is going to be tough with a cheap welder and with no experience. welding 22ga sucks too welding sheet to thicker sheet is easier as you can put more heat into the thicker stuff, but still, its going to be a bitch.
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04-28-2014, 12:18 PM | #22 |
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i would consult a professional...maybe prep it yourself and maybe have the pro give you help/guidance....weld it for you
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05-05-2014, 01:39 AM | #23 |
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I redid mine, I'll post pics tomorrow morning..
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05-05-2014, 01:58 PM | #24 |
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okay so, I didn't take a lot of picture cause I was in a hurry to put it back together.. but i cutted all the rotted metal, grind the rest that had only light rust on it, afterward I used a mig welder with gas, to "spotweld" it, (i used 22ga sheetmetal) wen everything cooled down I removed the mess it created(dust etc etc) Used JBweld to cover the spots I didn't spotweld. let it dry..
And used a bodypanel sealant over everything to prevent rust. And sprayed gravelguard over both shocktowers so humidity stays away (at least from the inside) http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps392abcaa.jpg |
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