"Timothy F. Murphy" <timmurph@execpc.com> wrote
Have finally gotten the TR-4 almost completely disassembled down to the tub
and frame.
By the way, I was in a quandry how to get the frame and tub off of the hoist
and move it around once I had the suspension off.
Thanks in advance for the help and I continue to enjoy and learn from the
postings. Now that we're getting to the "putting back together" and
re-designing stage, I am sure to have more questions.
> Tim Murphy
> TR-4 CT511
Tim - When I did my TR3A from 1987 to 1990, I had to put in new floors as
well as new inner and outer sills. The front and rear clips were totally
apart from each other. I MIG welded everthing that was needed to be
repaired and welded on the front clip and then did the rear clip.
With the frame on stands (exactly under the front and rear axles !!!), I
bolted in the floors, the inner sills, the front clip and the rear clip. The
bolts were slightly loose. Then I mounted the doors with the hinges onto the
"A" posts.
With the prescribed pads under the floors and other areas, I got everything
square and adjusted. Then I tightened the bolts and welded the front and
rear clips to the floors and the inner sills. Then I took off the doors and
welded in the outer sills.
I can't remember how many times I installed the front fenders and the doors
to make sure it would turn out right and to get the door gaps equal, take
them off again, put them on again ........
The gaps are all even and square. The doors shut as they should. And they
still shut as they should - after 12 summers and over 70,000 miles of hard
driving and long distance touring.
BTW, make sure that you have the car on its wheels when you weld it all
together again or use stands exactly under the axle centerlines. Do it with
the engine, gearbox and rear axle in place. If you don't, you may have nice
gaps when you finish welding etc. but then when you lower the car onto the
wheels and install the engine etc. (because of the weight), you will find
your gaps are all unequal and your doors may wedge instead of shutting with
a nice click.
When I got to the stage where it was all finished and ready to go to the
paint shop, it was all welded together so rigidly with the new sheetmetal
parts, inner and outer sills, new floors, etc. that I didn't use any
additional bracing. It didn't flex at all and it worked out fine. But as
Bill suggests it would have helped if you had used bracing when you took it
off to keep it from flexing.
Don Elliott, Original Owner, 1958 TR3A, Montreal, Canada
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