re-fitting the tub to the chassis

[John Morrison]

I've seen this here before, but have tried and cant now find it.

Anyone rattle off the body tub back onto the chassis sequence?

I'm thinking must start with the four square body mounts to outriggers?

John.

[stuart]

If the body has been restored correctly using the chassis as a jig then you should already know the amount and location of the body shims. Get the chassis up on stands and level front to back and side to side, glue the shims to the chassis mounts and the rubbing strips along the chassis legs and then drop the body on loose fit all the body bolts and then pull them down like you would a cylinder head. However if you havent already worked out shim numbers and position then good luck getting anything to fit.

Stuart.

[John Morrison]

Thanks Stuart

putting the tub back on a new, to this car, replacement chassis so it’s all to be worked out from scratch 

John

[stuart]

23 minutes ago, John Morrison said:

Thanks Stuart

putting the tub back on a new, to this car, replacement chassis so it’s all to be worked out from scratch 

John

Then your going to have to do what I do which is the same chassis up on stands and level front to back and side to side then you need to start with the nominal amount of shims starting from the front and working back. What car is it on? Depending on model then I can tell you what you need.

Stuart.

[John Morrison]

Thanks again Stuart TR 6

John

[stuart]

2 minutes ago, John Morrison said:

Thanks again Stuart TR 6

John

OK so starting at the front (This is per side) 1 thick rubber washer, next on the turret support bar 1 thin rubber washer 1 ally slotted spacer 1 thick rubber washer. Then on the inner front of the foot wells 1 thick rubber washer. Front main chassis mount 1 flat rubber pad 1 steel shim plate 1 flat rubber pad Rear main chassis mount same as front so 1 rubber pad 1 steel shim plate 1 rubber pad. On top of the front of the "T" shirt one thick rubber pad (Thats the one that has the steel plate on top of the floor) and then just behind for the seat belt mount 1 ally slotted spacer. On the front mounting of the spring bridge 1 slotted ally washer. At the rear end of the chassis leg 1 thin rubber washer 1 slotted ally washer and 1 thin rubber washer. in the centre where the cross bar runs under the spare wheel well is 2 thick rubber washers. Also you need the rubber strip glued to the chassis in the appropriate places as per the spares catalogue.

Easiest is to buy a new body mounting kit first as last then you should have enough with a few spares.

This is a nominal starting point and you will need to allow some considerable time to balance the shims out to achieve the best fit which is with the body as low as possible on the chassis and still level. Do be aware that your also going to have to juggle door/panel gaps now as well as they never quite go back the same and adding or subtracting shims does need to be done with the whole thing bolted down tight every time hence the need for plenty of time being allowed as especially with trying to add or subtract main body shims you need the whole thing unbolted to be able to lift it sufficiently. (Although not in the case of that dark blue 4a advertised recently that didnt have any floor brackets )

Stuart.

[John Morrison]

very grateful Stuart

Many Thanks 

John

[dave bailey]

This is an interesting conversation, as I'm just in the process of rebuilding the body onto the chassis, although my body is being refitted in separate parts, as it was a cut in half job with new floors and sills. I've bolted the floors on with all the mounting shims, but firstly I found that if I put the circular metal shims on the forward holes on the T shirt as per the Moss diagram,(interestingly not as Stuart says, on the seat belt holes-have Moss got it wrong?) then it holds the floor panels too high at that point, and they rock on the shim. So I've placed thin rubber shims instead, and that seems fine. Also I found that in several places the rubber mounting strips were not in contact with the floor, now this might be because the chassis in it's long and glorious career has had welding done that has raised the profile slightly, but I assume that these strips in order to do anything meaningful, should be a tightish fit when everything is bolted up. Woolies do a thicker rubber and I think that I will buy this. I've found it quite difficult to tell exactly if the floor ends up flat and level, and am a bit reluctant to add and subtract shims as it will ultimately change the distance between the chassis and the body maybe causing me problems later with panel fit. Maybe I'm overthinking it but it's constantly on my mind that what I do now, will have a consequence later in the build.

Any thoughts/advice would be welcome 

Dave.   

 

[stuart]

FWIW I have done the same type of build with a shell that had been cut in half and I fitted the floors and inner sills and body mounts together and put them on the chassis with shims as per my above post (Yes the Moss catalogue doesnt make it clear with the ally spacer to rubber shim order) Then I fitted the rear tub to the floors and then slid the front onto the floors, doing it that way means its easier to get the door gaps right by sliding the front section fore and aft a little as it just sits on the floors/sills whereas the rear tub is tucked into the floors so is at a fixed point.

Stuart.

 

Edited April 25 by stuart

[Dave McDonald]

9 hours ago, dave bailey said:

Also I found that in several places the rubber mounting strips were not in contact with the floor, now this might be because the chassis in it's long and glorious career has had welding done that has raised the profile slightly, but I assume that these strips in order to do anything meaningful, should be a tightish fit when everything is bolted up. Woolies do a thicker rubber and I think that I will buy this. 

Any thoughts/advice would be welcome 

Dave.   

Dave, 

I also found the rubber strips weren’t in contact with the floor and chassis after I’d fitted the body on what were the correct mounting pads to suit my car. I bought a selection of different thicknesses of rubber strip from Woolies and used what was needed in each section. I filled the complete chassis length between each pad/shim and even ended up with 2 different thicknesses on top of each other in some areas to get complete support for the floors. 
Dave McD

[dave bailey]

Thanks Stuart.

As you say, the rear bulkhead will only fit where it has to ie relative to the rear wheel arches, so will be 'first in' There's not a lot of 'wiggle room' for the front bulkhead, as the bolt holes on the diagonal turret supports don't have a lot of leeway. I have a pretty comprehensive body tub support frame, which was set up before dismantling the tub, so I'm hoping that by refitting that, the two halves will be pretty much where they should be. 

It's a good job you posted the photos, because I realised that I haven't yet welded on the four floor mounting brackets, which of course will affect the shim thickness. Sometimes I amaze even myself!

Thanks for the input Dave, I'll do the same thing as you.

Dave.   

[stuart]

3 hours ago, dave bailey said:

It's a good job you posted the photos, because I realised that I haven't yet welded on the four floor mounting brackets, which of course will affect the shim thickness. Sometimes I amaze even myself!

 

We have already had to dissuade one person on here from buying a car that was built without the floor brackets and I had one through my workshops years ago that also didnt have them. It does seriously compromise the integrity of the shell.

Stuart.