Superaquarama Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Hi Guys, Before I start the rebuild on an absolutely bare chassis (4A) suitably strengthened, is there any downside to having it galvanised ? Cost is circa £150, but would save on paint and effort. May have to ream out some suspension brackets etc., but this would be simple enough. Thanks, Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ntc Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 No Good idea IMHO, it will weigh a bit more but that is it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ade-TR4 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 I wouldn't bother. It adds quite a bit weight to the chassis and you can never be certain that the acid has been fully drained from within the box sections. Have it blasted, zinc plasma sprayed and 2-pack (rather than powder) painted, then waxoyl the box sections, flipping it over several times. Just my opinion! Ade Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 There is a risk of distortion with galvanising. I can recommend Corroless (look on the internet) as it provides a 'plastic' top coat which is very resistant to rust and to damage from flying debris. What's more, when cleaned with Gunk, the accumulated oil/dirt of 19 years of use just washes off! Waxoyl can be applied to Corroless and to the vulnerable parts of the bodywork. The inside of the chassis, sills and other such areas/cavities should be treated with Waxoyl or similar. I would recommend wheel arch liners, as they greatly reduce the risk of damage from grit and other road rubbish, and they stop a lot of the water getting into the bodywork. Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ntc Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) Up North Ian they know how to do it right Edited June 21, 2012 by ntc Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roy53 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Have seen ruined chassis through galvanising. Agree with ADE hot zinc spray which gives a very good base for follow up coatings hammerite in my case , to grip on to and easy to touch up along with the waxoil internal. ROY Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ntc Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Have seen ruined chassis through galvanising. Agree with ADE hot zinc spray which gives a very good base for follow up coatings hammerite in my case , to grip on to and easy to touch up along with the waxoil internal. ROY Gates Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Superaquarama Posted June 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Thanks for the replies, everyone, looks as though the galvanising option might be best avoided if there's a danger of distortion. Land Rover chassis must be much stronger ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 My TR2 has a galvanised chassis and its perfect, no distortion whatsoever. If the chassis is good or new to start with then there shouldnt be a problem other than the slight weight penalty. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Depends whether by galvanising you are implying hot dip or electroplating . . . . . Hot dip will generally result in a thicker and heavier zinc layer, with more effective protection, but it is not without distortion risk - the principal concerns being adequate support for the chassis, and extensive chassis repair. If chassis metal thickness differs significantly as a result of major overplating for example, it will not heat up evenly and may distort - which should not be a concern with a new or properly rebuilt chassis. Cheers, Alec Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ntc Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 At £ 150 I doubt it is done as it should be Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Menno van Rij Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Now... what do you want to achieve / leave your children? You should ask them... Most TR chassis already last for at least 40 years or more. Most survived pretty well due to the 'automatic oil spray'. Reality check: my car's chassis survived for 44 years before I started to take care of it in 2002 and now, restored, painted etc. it will survive another 44 years. I won't, Perhaps I will, but not behind the wheel of the TR. What I'm trying to say is that every proper treatment will be enough to enhance the chassis' life considerably. Practical: try to find an industrial quality paint - marine quality. If it can be used to withstand salt water, it will be good enough for normal road use. Menno Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 (edited) Problem is with the unknown internals on an original chassis. As illustrated by these two pictures of the internal webbing on a 6 chassis just behind the rear mounting box for front wishbones. Note the missing re-enforcing web and the welding wire from a poor previous repair. Stuart. Edited June 22, 2012 by stuart Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Vincent Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Having done a lot of work in the past with hot dip galvanising and had more than my fair share of problems with it, I offer the following advice: Make sure that the company who are doing it are expert at dipping hollow sections and know where to put the blow holes that will be needed. If they do it wrong that in itself can cause distortion. If your galvaniser knows what he is doing he will also ensure that excess zinc can drain out when the item is removed from the bath otherwise your chassis will end up a lot heavier Beware of any new welds, the process of dipping can lead to the release of locked in stresses and distort the fabrication If you want to paint it after galvanising you will need to passivate the coating with something like T-wash or leave it outside for a while (12 months) otherwise the new paint won't stick - unless you etch prime it. Don't try putting ordinary paint on fresh galvanising it will peel off very quickly Personally if I wanted a chassis that was going to last forever, I would hot metal spray it and paint it rather than HD Galvanising. - it's safer. The inside just needs a generous coating of waxoyl or one of the many equivalents. And on the issue of Land Rover chassis, are they box section or are they channel section - the latter is easier to galvanise. Rgds Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chris59 Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 My serie 3, 88" Land Rover has a galvanized chassis, bought new and fitted 3 years ago. It's absolutly fantastic for this kind of car, but I wouldn't play this game on a Triumph. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tr4Tony Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Hot zinc spraying will give a far better result than galvanising, also will reduce the tendency for weld cracking, which is heightened by galvanising. My TR4a had a hot zinc sprayed chassis and after nearly 20 years I'm sure the current owner will agree that it's still fabulous. The TR4 chassis I had galvanised some years ago is still sitting in a arm and the welds crack periodically when I move it ..... I know which I'd choose again. Furthermore, at £150 I would suggest that you won't get a good job done as I would put money on a 'field gate' type dipping process for that price, not a vaccuum or vented set up. Next time you're in the countryside look at all the steel 5 bars and the broken welds on them. Enough said. Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sandandlime Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 My TR4a had a hot zinc sprayed chassis and after nearly 20 years I'm sure the current owner will agree that it's still fabulous. The TR4 chassis I had galvanised some years ago is still sitting in a arm and the welds crack periodically when I move it ..... I know which I'd choose again. Having been under Ludo whilst she was on a car lift a number of times I can wholeheartedly advise that the chasis is still 'ab fab'. Your past efforts have given me something to live up to. Thanks Tony! Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tr4Tony Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 There you go .... I rest my case ! I also remember than even in 1995 that cost well in excess of £1000 to do properly and get painted in tough gloss black, appearing as it is now so £150 wouldn't buy the primer ..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Superaquarama Posted June 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Right guys, thanks again - I'll go with the majority view and not galvanise !! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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