First post here, and also a broken body mount point (to forward left k-frame bolt)

[lebaron dude]

Hi everyone. Long time reader here, but I think this is my first actual post on Turbo-Mopar.

So, the car. a 1989 Lebaron Turbo II GTC Convertible.

I tore down the entire suspension on my 89 Lebaron GTC convertible (putting in new bushings and a new steering-rack, struts, etc).

Right before lowering the k-frame (with jacks in place to support it) upon loosening the forward driver-side bolt of the k-frame, I noticed that the mount-point on the body has broken. The mount point on the car-body, the cube-like structure, essentially has no floor now as the "walls" of the cube have broken about half-way up.

So the bolt goes thru the broken "floor" of the mount-point and then through the receiver clip. So the k-frame and would have contact during compression, but would be free-floating from the body of the car when in tension (i.e. on jack-stands) or when the struts are lengthening.


Has anyone here experienced breakage in this area and what is the solution?

a) Drop the k-member to get the best access possible to the frame, have someone wield that bottom-piece of the car's mount-point back together?

b) Can it be welded with the k-frame still attached to the moint-point?

c) maybe strengthen it with additional metal?


The metal of the car's attachment point (again not the k-frame itself) looks very thin and flimsy. I'll have to get a picture of it and post it.

Thanks for any help!

[BadAssPerformance]

Welcome to the forum! Got some pics of this?

[shadow88]

Pics would be helpful, but it sounds like the cage on the nut is broken. Front k-frame mounts are a nut and bolt design, so it could be as simple as removing the cage and putting a wrench over the nut and loosening the bolt. Then a nut and bolt will work fine to hold it back together. If you're using a torch, be sure to clear the brake line out of the way before getting things warm.

[GLHNSLHT2]

my daytona did this. I dropped the kmember and a buddy at the time welded it for me. Was probably oh, 8 years ago now. Still going strong under the new owner too.

[lebaron dude]

Thanks for the welcome. I'll try to get some pictures of the piece (I had to bolt everything back up for now -- living at an apartment complex has its limitations)

@Shadow88: It's not the cage/flange on the nut but the bottom-half of the support structure of the car that holds the nut that's broken.

@GLHNSLHT2: That's good news. Did you add any supporting material or braces? i was thinking a trapezoidal plate on each side of the mount location.

I drew a picture but I don't see how to attach one other than providing a web address, so I'll have to post it on a web-server and add another reply.

Thanks again

[shadow88]

As far as posting pictures, the free way is to join photobucket, host them there, and link them to here. That way we all see exactly what's going on.

[DodgeZ]

Seen this twice now in the last couple of months.

http://boostedmopar.com/forums/showt...ll=1#post97255

[lebaron dude]

Seen this twice now in the last couple of months.

http://boostedmopar.com/forums/showt...ll=1#post97255

Yes that is it.

I created a photobucket of the picture from boostedmopar that best captures what happened.



Any ideas on rewelding this for better strength?

edit: picture is from boosted mopar, not my car, but it looks to be almost the exact same situation.

[GLHNSLHT2]

I didn't add any material, but mine broke the bottom out of that mount, so it would of changed things.

[OmniLuvr]

same happend to me on my omni but with a catastrophic result. make sure the other side isnt fatigued or bent at this time. i thought about welding plate on the outside but not on the bottom because i didnt want to space it out. if your going to make the part thicker that broke off, make sure the plate goes inside the cube.

also, make sure to have the piece welded all the way around the corners (no gaps). maybe even weld from the inside ALSO!

good luck, it should hold fine, my problem was when my chassis first broke, not the welding process (my frame bent to bad after the accident happend)

[MR. X]

I have fixed similar here. Weld in some 1/8 or 1/4 steel.

[OmniLuvr]

id say 1/8th

[Vigo]

Yeh, i dont think you could weld 1/4 to that without overheating the base metal.

I havent seen this problem before but.. i always wondered why i havent because it seems so likely to happen!