Went to change my rear lower control arms....

[Trannyman95]

I had the Southside lift bars on my 86 Cutlass.... Yes the "I told you so's" can gloat now... But I have a MAJOR problem!!!! The bars have been on the car about 10-15K miles and lots of hard launches, 1.6 60's on drag radials. As expected the nylon bushings seem a bit worn but after I took the rear bolts out and dropped the arm down I was working on getting a wrench up to the front bolt inside nut and upon moving the arm around to seem how much wear was in the bushing I realized it wasnt the bushing.... Thats right- There is a broken weld on the TOP side of the damn front mount on the frame!!! This was on the right side, I havent even looked at the left yet. I bought a set of UMI double adjustable lowers to replace these with and I am sick right now. I am supposed to be driving the car 650 miles to a car show/meet thursday morning and I am in the middle of some other issues with the car and now this . I havent tried searching yet but have heard of this happening. What are my options??? Does the body have to come off to repair the top side weld that broke? It doesnt look too accessable from the bottom other than getting the front side of the bottom of the top part. I have seen buckets that bolt or weld in for the uppers but not the lowers so if anyone has any ideas please help!

 

[Trannyman95]

I searched for a little while and didnt come up with any pics of what mine looks like but did find mention of this and a link to HRParts website as they sell weld in plates which are now looking to be a great idea! Below is a pics from their website with the plates installed and I circled where my weld broke

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

good luck on the fix.

those plates are going on my wish list.

 

[SS_Sean]

I made my own but I welded some plates similar to those plates on my 78 Malibu drag car and have run a best of 10.49 @ 128, 1.44 60' time. Not a problem yet with the mounts. As far as the lower arms this was the only modification I did to the frame/mount. Works beautiful! This mod is highly suggested for anyone, even if you are running in the low 12's. It's only a matter of time and you are a lucky man!!

 

[turbo nasty]

Yep the pass side tears out everytime ask how I know

 

[Trannyman95]

So what am I looking at to fix this? Obviously it would have been easier to weld in reinforcements before the damage but now what? Does the body have to come off or get lifted up or has anyone successfully repaired something like this from the bottom side?

 

[novaderrik]

can you get a MIG welder up inside the mount with the arm out and weld it from there?

 

[Trannyman95]

The car is only jacked up in the back right now so it is hard to tell but the best I can tell is that I can weld the inside of the bottom section but no way I can get to the top side of it because the floor pan is too close and not sure that I can go very far back on the bottom side.

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

I’ll say what they are thinking, Cut a hole on the floor pan??

 

[novaderrik]

The car is only jacked up in the back right now so it is hard to tell but the best I can tell is that I can weld the inside of the bottom section but no way I can get to the top side of it because the floor pan is too close and not sure that I can go very far back on the bottom side.

then weld it from the bottom the best you can and add some bracing.

 

[Mac in SD]

A competent chassis shop can weld it by dropping the arm out, and also add gussets to reinforce it. It happened to me, too.