67/68/69 cuda dilemma
A bit on the torsion bar crossmember butchery. The strap I am making is the same thickness as the crossmember. Once its burned in, I would like to double strap it on the inside, cut the excess off below it, and grind the exterior side smooth. Then I will locate the additional holes and weld in the tube spacers for the crossmember mount bolts. Between all this, additional welds holding it to the floorpan, and a heavy duty trans mount bolted in, this should be plenty strong. Was a lot of work tweaking and bending this stuff to make it fit.
Tech tip if you use your vise with the jaws open between 1/8"-1/4" you can feed the metal in and make slight bends every 1/8" or so and get a decent radius. That's exactly what I did. Also note, I am leaving part of the right angle edge at the front side of the crossmember all the way around. Really no need to cut that all the way out. Leaving it makes the crossmember stronger than cutting it all out, and making the whole thing a flat strap. And the gratuitous final pic of the scrap headed for the scrap trailer.
A bit on the torsion bar crossmember butchery. The strap I am making is the same thickness as the crossmember. Once its burned in, I would like to double strap it on the inside, cut the excess off below it, and grind the exterior side smooth. Then I will locate the additional holes and weld in the tube spacers for the crossmember mount bolts. Between all this, additional welds holding it to the floorpan, and a heavy duty trans mount bolted in, this should be plenty strong. Was a lot of work tweaking and bending this stuff to make it fit.
Tech tip if you use your vise with the jaws open between 1/8"-1/4" you can feed the metal in and make slight bends every 1/8" or so and get a decent radius. That's exactly what I did. Also note, I am leaving part of the right angle edge at the front side of the crossmember all the way around. Really no need to cut that all the way out. Leaving it makes the crossmember stronger than cutting it all out, and making the whole thing a flat strap. And the gratuitous final pic of the scrap headed for the scrap trailer.