[T3] Axle Beam Clamp Replacement

[Bobsnotch at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/14/2014 6:27:05 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
gbforsmo at gmail.com writes:
 
>Mike Fisher wrote:
>They are big bolts, but i never had  any trouble getting them apart.

Mike ... you say: "big bolts" ... are  all the bolts the same size?
Does the Bentley specify the size?  (I  haven't looked, yet.  My book is
kinda packed away.)

Is your  experience working with "rust-belt" Type 3's?
I know you've parted out lots  of cars.
Do you have the luxury of parting out those (desirable) west-coast  cars?
Or have some of them been the "rust buckets" we (almost) always see  in the
mid-west?

Have you ever removed those Axle Beam Clamps with  the Axle Beam mounted *IN
*the car?

Just asking.


 
I'm not Mike, but what he means by "big bolts" are that they're M10  bolts, 
with a 15mm head (at least those I've taken apart were).
I'll say right now that the only car I've replaced a beam "in the  car", 
was my wife's 70 Fastback, and that was 1 year after it came up from  Texas 
(with very little rust, and it had a bad lower left control arm  bushing).
All the other ones I've swapped out were during "body off" work,  which 
made things a lot easier. Granted, to do a "body off", those bolts still  need 
to come out. I think this is one of those areas that really doesn't  see a 
lot of water (that holds in place), and is why they seem to come apart,  even 
though the rockers, floors, toe panel, beam mounts, and all the  other 
areas further back seem to be rusted out. At least this is MY experience  
dealing with beam swaps, and type 3s. 
I always prepare myself for the worst, and hope for the best, when  dealing 
with rusty cars (not just t-3s either). I'll have a die grinder ready  to 
cut access holes (to replace the nut hidden inside), or a torch to either  
warm something up, or cut it off at the ready. It's something a lot of "West  
Coast" people don't think about, but those of us in the "Rust Belt" deal 
with  on a constant basis.
I hope this helps.


Bob 65  Notch S w/Sunroof and IRS aka Krusty
64 T-34 Ghia aka Wolfie
71  Square-vert under  construction


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