K11 Front Crossmember

[spiderpig]

Hi All. The front crossmember on my otherwise solid, 94 K11 is rotten and needs to be replaced. I understand that my best option is to replace the whole front panel. Is this reasonably straightforward, and is any welding required?
Any advice would be very welcome!

 

[squarepants]

yep the old one needs griding off, and the new one wleding on...altough you can just grid out the bottem panel off the new one and grid the bottem of the old one and just fit thr bottem insted off all the new cross member. alot quicker and easier.

 

[esha]

How badly rusted is it? If you know anyone who can weld it can be possible to clean the rust off and get a patch welded over, save you having to mess around too much, but it obviously depends on how bad it is, ive got the same problem starting to appear on mine but im getting my boss to weld a patch on before next mot

 

[spiderpig]

Sadly it's too far gone for patching - I put a jack under it to lift the front for an oil change, and the crossmember bent upwards in the middle! Looks like it rusted from the inside out.

 

[squarepants]

are you actually surpossed to jack the car up on the cross member? :S i know how bad micras are for cross memebrs and i wouldnt ever jack on up on there even if it was new! same goes for any car.

 

[spiderpig]

I've done it before with no probs - according to Haynes it's ok - but I won't do it again!

 

[frank]

hi spiderpig

it,s far easier to change the x member only, the towing eye bolt,s will line it up ok, then weld the flanges, it,s probably a 2-3hr job + 2hrs to strip and fit the damn bumper:glare:

 

[spiderpig]

Thanks Frank. It looks like that's the way to go. I think I can manage the grinding, etc, but I'll let someone who knows what they're doing do the welding.

 

[Broony]

i changed the full front pannel on mine just, but you can buy the lower part, just drill out the factory spot welds, mine was seam welded back on