Securing Front Wings

[alan_thomas]

I am at the point in restoring my TR7DHC16v where I am fitting new front wings. I was going to drill holes and plug weld much the same as the original spot welds but would like to do a good spray job on the inside of the wings and the hidden inner arches tops. Inevitably some paint will have to be removed to get a good weld and this will make a good start for the next bout of rusting.

Alternatively I thought why not fit them (dare I say it like MGB) with cage nuts in the shell and bolts thru the wing bonnet gutter. Spaced every 75mm this would offer good strength and with seam sealer between the panels before bolting up it would offer best resistance to further rusting and make any crash damage repair much easier.

 

Any thoughts?  -Alan

[maddog]

Alan,

Unfortunatly I have just changed one of mine and on asking my friendly MOT man about what will pass due to changes on rteplacement panels, he informed me that ANY panel including  front wings have to be contunuously welded, not spot welded even if the original was.

 

Andy

[andrewt]

Andy

I don't believe that is the case for a replacement panel, though it is the case for patching, to get round the problem of people tacking on plates to hide holes. My wings are welded on as per original specs (or close anyway) and no problem with MOT's.

For the bolting of wings, bear in mind that welding the wing as per original effectively makes the wing a closed box, adding to the strength at the front of the car. Bolting it down the flange is fine, but you will not be able to do that to easily, round the arch. The rally cars had bolted on panels but they had the added stiffness of the cage to compensate.

My advice, weld on for a road car, use the right sealers & waxoyl in the back to minimise corrosion.

Cheers

Andy.

[danny]

Hi,

I bolted my front wings on, using plenty of seam sealer and mastic between the metals, the car has passed two MOT tests with no comment.

The wings were originally factory bolted along their rear edge inside the door shut and also where they meet the front panel.

I do not think the stength is compromised as the cars have a lot of strength in the inner wheel arches if they are rot free renewed or repaired properly.

Danny

[alan_thomas]

Hi,

I bolted my front wings on, using plenty of seam sealer and mastic between the metals, the car has passed two MOT tests with no comment.

Danny, that was what I was proposing, how did you fix wheel arch to inner arch? - Alan

[danny]

Hi Alan,

When I repaired the inner wheel arches I welded an extra wide strip of metal to the inner arch flang, this was needed to have enough space to fit the bolts and washers. During trial fitting of the wing I used many mole grips and clamps to hold the wing in position and I then drilled all the bolt holes. I painted all the flanges prior to the final fitting.

Danny

[Guest ajttriumph]

The welds are structural, i have hit (glanced) a wall at a hillclimb flat out in 3rd gear in my 8 and was able to drive it still, even though the force of the impact split a substantial portion of the welds, bolted wings would not transmit the stresses to the monocoque the same way and i would strongly advise against.

 

I i go back to my second year mechanical engineering the problem would lie with the ability to find bolts of a suffiecient size, install them in the space available then torque the bolts sufficiently to act the same way as a weld.