Ever have one of those weekends when you had big plans for getting a lot done and in the end you spent most of the weekend on your back under the car looking, thinking and scratching your head?
Well that was this weekend, but in the end I think we have a pretty sound plan for finishing up this rear torque box. We've successfully removed the shackle in one piece, although I'm debating having a new one made (or buying one if there is a place who makes them).
We've removed the rear frame rail from right behind the bolt for the leaf spring.
The plan is to use these 2x3 inch steel tubes (1/8 thick) to replace the rear frame rail. Then also use two more pieces welded between the frame rail and the inner rocker to add strength and again insure against my crappy welding.
Here's the question though...
In the original Comet torque box design the bottom of the rear frame rail is a little bit lower than the bottom of the inner rocker. And the thick steel bottom of the torque box angles slightly down from the inner rocker to the frame rail.
Not sure why this is? Seems like it would have made more sense to have these two surfaces be parallel... and that is the question.
I'd like to move this frame rail piece up and make the bottom parallel to the bottom of the inner rocker. This would allow my cross supports to come into contact with the bottom of the torque box so I could weld the crap out of them as well, linking the inner rocker, the frame rail and two cross supports all to the bottom of the torque box.
However, it would require a few adjustments.
1. I'd have to move the center line of the leaf spring bolt up about 1/4 inch to remain within the rear frame rail tube (I'd do this on the other side as well).
2. I'd have to cut the opposite side tab off the shackle in order to move the entire shackle up by the same 1/4 inch. If I make a new shackle, I'd just make it this way.
Is there any reason why I shouldn't do this? The only thing I can see happening is that the ride will be lower by 1/4 inch.
What do you think?
