Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

chassis bare 5.jpg
This is where the new cross member will sit in relation to the holes for spring hanger. Cross member will have to be slightly aft of the spring hanger. To put it exactly where it should go, there will be issues with existing holes being a problem. They would have to be filled first. That's a job I don't need! You can see some of the holes in the photo but these aren't a real issue. There are more, and of greater concern, where the big bracket would sit. By dumb luck, a couple of the existing holes are 1/2 a 'hole' away from where the new holes would go. Brilliant

On the other hand, in the position you see above, I can mooch of an existing hole one each side, as a 'starter for 10'! And they are even equal side to side. So are the spring hanger mounting places. I woke up one night with the sudden fear that a bodge may have been done.

TONY3875_2c.jpg
Looking at Tony W's photo, my cross member should be about 4cm (just over inch & 1/2) further forward, to look like this one. I can live with the difference, and there will still be sufficient room to cut off the bad part of rear chassis rail, leaving a fairly neat finish. I do note that mine will have a slightly different appearance anyway, because my rails are double thickness.

Will I need to cut the hole through the chassis rails, to match the large opening in side of the pintle brackets? If this was not always done, mine won't be either. If it is..........well........thats a problem for the engineers

At least my chassis is nice and straight. Well it should be too, there's hardly enough metal in the rear section to keep it out of level. The chassis engineers use a system for keeping chassis perfectly level while assembling the bits back together. Some of those parts are now in the boot of my car, to be sandblasted seperately, so I can show the guys how the parts are supposed to go together. Don't really want them to put it all together splendidly and then find a cross member is back to front!!!!