Body is separated from frame
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 121
Likes: 4
From: MD
Hi Wrencher, great project. The other poster is talking about the braces from #3 crossmember to the rear kick up. I don't know exact date but it appeared from the factory on 69 production cars. Triangulated the rear portion for strength.
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Instructor
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
From: Torrance Ca
I'd have to look at a 69 and see just exactly what you are referring too. I'm not much of a welder but I do have a little MIG set-up. Guess I could practice on something and see if I could do it, but all I planned on doing was making the tranny x-member removable, so in case I did need to do some clutch work it wouldn't be such a PITA.
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Instructor
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
From: Torrance Ca
No, close, I guess on 69 they braced that #3 cross-member on a diagonal to the rear frame where it kicks in a couple of inches, but I don't have anything to look at to get the dimensions, so if I did decide to add them they wouldn't interfere with anything else. I figure if it ain't broke, don't fix it. 320 HP 327 hasn't twisted the frame up yet, so I don't think I have a problem. Of course for the first 30 years of it's life, it only had about 290 HP, but I don't plan on dropping no big inch Tq monster engine in there in my life-time. That picture you posted shows the bracing I think they are talking about, but I can only see a little of it in the top right of the photo
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,445
Likes: 353
From: Athens GA
St. Jude Donor '12-'13, '15- '16-'17-'18-'19, '21
The other guys are talking about the gussets in the corners as suggested in the Corvette Power book.
Here is an example of what another guy did...
http://www.corvette-restoration.com/...engthening.htm
Bman
Here is an example of what another guy did...
http://www.corvette-restoration.com/...engthening.htm
Bman
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Instructor
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
From: Torrance Ca
Now she is looking pretty, no mods yet, had to get some paint on her, cuz she has to stay outside.
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Instructor
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
From: Torrance Ca
Trouble of a 'Diff'erent kind
Decided to take a break from painting, so decided to take the diff apart because shortly before the tear down begun, I remember a one-time hard thunk that felt like the rear end was going to drop in the street. Well when I got the cover off I found that three of the ten bolts that hold the ring gear on were sheared, one more was backed out and the rest weren't all that tight. Only one tooth on the ring gear had the inside corner broke off, and another tooth had the outside corner shaved off. Can't see anymore damage than that, pinion looked good, but the bearing felt pretty rough. I guess I got kind of lucky that it didn't do anymore damage. So I will need a set of 3.08 gears and bearings. Good thing I decided to tear it down and inspect. Frame-off means look at everything so you don't have to revisit later on.
2026 Loser of the Year
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 36,597
Likes: 7,046
From: New Or-leens Loo-z-anna
It would be a good thing to add those two braces to the rear frame....old metal gets fatigued. Even GM realized that it need to be done.
It's on my list for my '68 project.
It's on my list for my '68 project.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
From: Torrance Ca
.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,524
Likes: 61
From: Medina Ohio
Still waiting for someone that has a 69 or later to give me some dimensions on how far over on the cross member it goes, and where exactly it mounts to the kick-in of the frame, and what kind of brace it is. As far as I can tell it looks like channel iron and looks like it starts at the slotted hole in the cross member, but that is about all I know from what I've seen. I don't want to weld something in that will interfere with the battery box or cargo box.
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http://www.71corvette.com/frames.html
Look at the picture labeled "Extra Gusset Added Mid 1968"
BTW some of the vendors sell this piece. All you have to do is weld it on.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
From: Torrance Ca
If you look at the picture Rvzio posted, in the top right of it you can see the brace connected to the crossmember. It goes up at approx. a 45 degree angle to the frame rail.
http://www.71corvette.com/frames.html
Look at the picture labeled "Extra Gusset Added Mid 1968"
BTW some of the vendors sell this piece. All you have to do is weld it on.
http://www.71corvette.com/frames.html
Look at the picture labeled "Extra Gusset Added Mid 1968"
BTW some of the vendors sell this piece. All you have to do is weld it on.