Mind the gap please...
Discussion
Hi Peeps...Getting a bit concerned about the gap between the N\S door and the rear quarter..The other side is fine, I have checked the boot to make sure the body mount isn't coming through the boot..There are no cracks..One of the washers have rusted and come off but the bolt is fine..The packing under the boot also looks ok...I have even pulled the boot up from the inner edge on that side and not seen any movement, I even got a friend to do it so i could watch it..There is a tiny amount of movement but it looks normal..The gap at the top is 8mm and I'm sure i measured it a while back and it was only 6mm...Any ideas please...Thanks...Ziga
Hey Zig,
I was amazed how much the body tub moves and how much this depends on how the rear is packed out when i took the body off.
When we first put the body back on, the gaps were huge on my door tops so we packed out under the boot a lot before we bolted it down.
Good news is the rear bolts (if you do decide to do this) are easily accessed although will be a menace to get out (hopefully they come out or snap!)
Easy to put back in. You can get a mate to lift the boot and try and loose the gap and put rubber strips in to pack it out.
I was amazed how much the body tub moves and how much this depends on how the rear is packed out when i took the body off.
When we first put the body back on, the gaps were huge on my door tops so we packed out under the boot a lot before we bolted it down.
Good news is the rear bolts (if you do decide to do this) are easily accessed although will be a menace to get out (hopefully they come out or snap!)
Easy to put back in. You can get a mate to lift the boot and try and loose the gap and put rubber strips in to pack it out.
when I had the body off the silver wedge I was amazed at how much flex was in the rear.......you could literally lift and move the boot up / down a couple of inches (which then alters the door gap)
if it was smaller at the top vs the bottom I'd have said chassis flex / rust / sag.......but as its the other way around definitely a packing issue.......you got anything real heavy in the boot that could be causing it to open up like that???
if it was smaller at the top vs the bottom I'd have said chassis flex / rust / sag.......but as its the other way around definitely a packing issue.......you got anything real heavy in the boot that could be causing it to open up like that???
..You think I'm joking....
...Although if i take it all out it will only add up to about 2-3mm of flex....
Zig,
The amount of flex in the stock factory wedge chassis must have something to do with this and probably goes some way to the premature wear of the packing washers.
This is what is inherently wrong with these cars and why my guys added a whole bunch of strengthening during my chassis rebuild.
Honestly, there was no comparison in chassis integrity between the before and after.
Go check my build thread.
Phil
420 SEAC
The amount of flex in the stock factory wedge chassis must have something to do with this and probably goes some way to the premature wear of the packing washers.
This is what is inherently wrong with these cars and why my guys added a whole bunch of strengthening during my chassis rebuild.
Honestly, there was no comparison in chassis integrity between the before and after.
Go check my build thread.
Phil
420 SEAC
Whilst the root cause is still undetermined, like Phil my chassis was flexing a great deal. This was due to poor welding from the factory and some tubes that had corroded. As you know I had my chassis strengthened with extra tubes and more inside the car down the sides next to the sills and across the footwell, together with a roll-over bar. Not only does this ensure the suspension is working properly, but also the doors can be opened and closed on any slope. Also, the pedal box is attached to the chassis and not the fibreglass.
Originally I had the body taken off as it was sitting lower on the nearside rear. I did not know what to expect. That is history now.
Even after all that, recently the car was on axle stands at the front foe a while and still there was a change in the door gaps, but not as much as yours Mark.
Originally I had the body taken off as it was sitting lower on the nearside rear. I did not know what to expect. That is history now.
Even after all that, recently the car was on axle stands at the front foe a while and still there was a change in the door gaps, but not as much as yours Mark.
I think i need to get it up in the air again...I had a chassis tube welded when i first got the car last November, A hairline crack was found on one of the outer tubes to inner..(Ladder) and apparently this was also done some years back according to a receipt i have...So maybe it is a weak spot..More investigation needed me thinks...Cheers...Ziga
I have owned and used five Wedges so far, and have been keeping a close eye on chassis behaviour and door gaps of each car. I can tell you from experience that each car behaved quite differently depending on the way the body is packed against the chassis, and chassis weakness due to corrosion. I noticed that the cars with the better condition out riggers seem to be more sturdy. For example, the way the door shuts, especially on a gradient or when the car is jacked up. Uneven door gaping, I believe is to do more with the set up, when the body was packed against the chassis, rather than chassis corrosion or flexing. In any case, once the outriggers are made sturdy or replaced, the body can be packed once again achieve an even gap in the doors. I also believe that the chassis was sturdy enough from manufacture but had structural weaknesses as some joints were known to come apart. I've had one Wedge with none of the above problems, but I have also come across a Wedge just over one year old (my brother in law's SEAC in 1988) with a front section of the chassis detached at one of the front welding joints.
Tony. TCB.
Tony. TCB.
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