This will be my fourth attempt at welding these supports so I should be able to get it right by now. I folded up the piece needed to provide the space for the clearance of the shock when it swings forward and backwards.I used the bench to make sure the two pieces were straight with each other. So as I welded the two parts together I set the bench alight, and didn't notice until I couldn't see the weld through the smoke and had to lift up my welding mask.
With the clearance piece welded in and a few more trial fits I then reamed the shock mount holes with an adjustable reamer and used one of the bushes as a guide. This didn't really work as well as I hoped. The reamer wobbled because it was such a large diameter for using by hand and this caused it to cut a jagged hole. I should have put it in a pillar drill. The hole still came out with a snug fit for the bushes just not as clean as I had hoped.
A few more trial fits and I was able to mark where the swing arm wanted to foul the edge of the support. The clearance issue was sorted using a huge mallet, steel dolly and some old decking that used to cover up the fish pond. Yup, just like Thor.
This time I tried to bend the radius where the two parts met before it was welded in place. but I ended up bending the two edges at different heights and still needed to place a couple of cuts to relieve the bends. I later dressed (hit with a large mallet) the ends so they aligned once the support was welded in place
A picture before assemble because I got a bit snap happy with the camera.
This is the support painted, assembled and checked for the shock clearance at the correct height for the top shock mount hole and the supports squareness with the other side.
The A arm and shock was then removed and the support welded into place with a seam weld either side at the top and a seam weld inside and out at the bottom but finished flush to try and make it look like I'm good at welding. I may add another weld inside at the top as the skin it's welded to is thinner on the inside of the chassis than the outer where the original mount was welded. I have seen a shock mount welded on the inside rip away from the chassis, so I will have to consider this.
I could try and sort out an anti roll bar but I'll recondition the hand brake shoes first, sort the hand brake cable out, work out what length drive shafts I'll need and see if the wheels are straight and square with each other first.
Heres the parts I've made or had made to get this lot to all fit together.
With a couple of used tyres slung on the wheels the van is finally on the ground with its new rear end. This has taken a lot of work, too much time, mental skills and help from a few friends but is now finished (nearly), so up yours to who ever told me it could not be done.
