#3 bird cage rocker replacement
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 359
Likes: 0
From: Shoemakersville Pa
#3 bird cage rocker replacement
Yesterday I was grinding and painting my birdcage on my 69 when I noticed alot of rust in the #3 body mount area on the drivers side. Well one thing led to another and it looks like I need to replace the rocker from about the last 9 inches and three inches up the rear cage area. I found a company called Zip that makes a piece to weld in. Has anyone tryed using this piece with success? It does'nt look very strong.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 20
From: The only Corvettes in Highett Victoria
tin worm
shoemaker,
I have had no personal experience with your problem, but have been on this Forum and have subscribed to Corvette Fever for over a decade and have heard of this problem a number of times. The area of the frame you refer to is ususally the first place for the tin worm to get into and there are companies who make replacement chassis sections that can be welded in to replace the rusted part. I have not seen one and cannot comment on the thickness etc. but I do know that Zip Products has been around for a while and I would be confident buying a product from them.
Just make sure you use a competent welder to do the job. Don't scrimp on money in this area.
Regards from Down Under
aussiejohn
I have had no personal experience with your problem, but have been on this Forum and have subscribed to Corvette Fever for over a decade and have heard of this problem a number of times. The area of the frame you refer to is ususally the first place for the tin worm to get into and there are companies who make replacement chassis sections that can be welded in to replace the rusted part. I have not seen one and cannot comment on the thickness etc. but I do know that Zip Products has been around for a while and I would be confident buying a product from them.
Just make sure you use a competent welder to do the job. Don't scrimp on money in this area.
Regards from Down Under
aussiejohn
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,175
Likes: 3,990
From: Connecticut, USA
I did this on my 75. The #3 was gone on both sides.The 75 has rubber mounts, your 69 has aluminum spacers and shims. Regardless, if the area around the bolt hole is rotted then you first have to remove the bolt. This can be a problem if the bolt is rust welded in place. I just got mine out. To work I removed the fiberglass inner panel where the upper seam is. This will open it up about 12" so you can work in there. The repair bracket fits in the frame and you bolt it in place to spot it. Then when aligned you can weld it in place. I was able to do this with the body on the frame. I bought the bracket from Bair's.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,135
Likes: 1
if your talking about the rocker(bottom of the birdcage) mine was gone,,we were lifting the body for the restoration and while it was off replaced the rocker sections,,,,the companywe purchasedthe kit was ''caledonia classic cars 6331 ashley ave n.e. p,o, box 176 (616)794-5026----------------1968-1982 rocker channell repair kit,the only thing i ever saw in the catalogs is the frame sections,,2 different animals!-----------------------------------
Last edited by carl a; Mar 19, 2006 at 08:02 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 971
Likes: 7
From: roanoke va
The pieces zip sells are made to go inside the rust and then welded in.
I bought the metal insert and used it as a guide for my repair. I removed the old insert and placed the new one in the frame. Then I drilled two 1/4" holes in the new piece and into good metal on the upright part of the frame. That way when I cut out the bad pieces I could insert the piece back in the bird cage and use it for a guide to get the bottom channel at the right depth.
I used pieces of a bird cage to repair mine. You need to get the rust out or it will be back.
I bought the metal insert and used it as a guide for my repair. I removed the old insert and placed the new one in the frame. Then I drilled two 1/4" holes in the new piece and into good metal on the upright part of the frame. That way when I cut out the bad pieces I could insert the piece back in the bird cage and use it for a guide to get the bottom channel at the right depth.
I used pieces of a bird cage to repair mine. You need to get the rust out or it will be back.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,685
Likes: 202
From: Waterford Mi
rocker channel repair
The repair pieces come as three parts, a repair rocker channel that is made to fit inside the rusty channels and welded in, and two inserts to weld in the post. Most suppliers sell the same thing. If the only thing you need is the #3 insert, they are sold separately.
The repair pieces come as three parts, a repair rocker channel that is made to fit inside the rusty channels and welded in, and two inserts to weld in the post. Most suppliers sell the same thing. If the only thing you need is the #3 insert, they are sold separately.
