Technical Ripping Off The Scab!

There is not right way/wrong way of building a hot rod but something to take in consideration is that Henry designed the Model A frame to flex due to the few & non-existent roads.

Boxing the frame does make it stiffer and in some ways probably safer when we stuff large engines in between the rails. HRP

 

Brett,

This is the cross member you need. Its from Roadster supply, and has the rivet holes in it and is the original length. At 85 bucks, you can have it swapped in an afternoon, instead of a weekend of cutting, lining up, trim, grind, trim grind, weld repeat. And will be a much more pleasant repair both to do and to see.

https://www.roadstersupply.com/Ford-Style-Front-Crossmember-with-Rivet-Holes-p/soc-60611.htm

 

Pretty sure the crossmember above would be designed for a 32 frame, which is a touch narrower than an A. Better confirm with the vendor before purchase.

 

I have a slightly similar situation on my ‘32 frame but more just a couple of small cracks. I was going to drill each end of any crack and then tig them up. Good or bad plan?

 

Could be done either way by a competent welder.
I personally would replace the whole cross member and then box around it..……

 

Well, My second frame was not quite as nice as I thought, so I went the 800-buy-parts route and ordered the Roadster Supply crossmember that @Nailhead Jason posted. Kinda the easy way out, but its a simple, safe, inexpensive solution to my problem.

I'll report back once I receive the crossmember and start fitting. Cross your fingers.....

 

Does the Roadster supply piece bolt to the lower frame flanges as well as the upper flange ?
The pictures suggest to me the existing X-member does. That is significant.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...70-873c-572a751ffeee.584474/full?d=1661021235

Crossmembers need to attach to frame rails in specific ways that transfer the forces into the vertical web.
Just like structural steel attachments to I-beams.
Loads added at a point require a "stiffener" to get the vertical web into the act.
Hanging the crossmember off just the upper flange will be wiggling/bending the upper flange the whole time.
A **** weld would be doomed.

https://i0.wp.com/theconstructor.or...eel-beam-connections.jpg?resize=563,352&ssl=1

https://www.researchgate.net/public...2956097/Single-plate-shear-connections-17.pbm

 

@Dan Timberlake My plan is to bolt it in place temporarily to locate the crossmember. Then, after checking square/plumb dimensions, I will weld the crossmember to the frame from underneath to hide the heavy welds in both the vertical (inside and outside the crossmember=4 vertical welds per frame rail) and horizontal planes (perpendicular to the frame rails=2 horizontal welds per frame rail). Once secure, I'll remove the bolts and blind weld rivet heads in the bolt/rivet holes like @Joe Rosales did on the Warbaby Sport Coupe. This should distribute the load in both planes quite well while keeping all things square and plumb.

 

Keep it simple. You have other stuff to do. I'd treat this as a repair, not an opportunity to get sidetracked down a new rabbit hole. Me? I'd find a crossmember to replace, rivet it and burn in the seams. Be done and move on...

Speaking from years of experience getting sidetracked and distracted. Whatever will keep you on track is the best choice.

Edit: I didn't realize I'm late to the party.

 

FedEx truck delivered my crossmember at lunch, so naturally, I had to open it up and try it in for size!

Placing it upside down to check hole alignments, I was disappointed...Aligning the radiator support holes with the appropriate holes in the new piece, I quickly discovered that the rivet holes did NOT line up!





It seemed to me that this crossmember was designed for "roadsters", hence why Roadster Supply was offering them for sale. When I got back to (cough) work (cough), I searched A frame dimensions and deuce frame dimensions and saved these:




Now I can see why it doesn't fit...even though it is advertised as 28-32 front crossmember, it's obvious that its built to 1932 frame dimensions! (@alchemy , should have heeded your advice, you were correct, sir!) IF I pinch the frames a bit, I can make it work, but will this cause me severe heartburn when I go to mount the fenders and other sheetmetal?!?!

 

Too bad you didn't read my warning a couple posts above. I told you it was probably designed for a 32 frame. Send it back.

 

Yeah @alchemy , you're absolutely right! In (weak) defense of my decision-making capabilities, their ad reads:

Stamped steel construction with original style rivet holes. Lowers stock frame 1". Features stock radiator mounting pad location with improved 7 degree caster angle (in relation to radiator mounting tabs) to eliminate binding. For use with Model A and '32 Ford frames.

Do you think using this piece in my frame will cause too much work to proceed with installation?

 

Ok, here’s what I’m thinking…get the old crossmember out, clean everything of rust/grime, and position the new one where it’s supposed to go. From there, mark/measure/repeat to get a template for pieces to widen the frame top and bottom AND to extend the crossmember to meet the frame verticals. Remove the crossmember, weld up the original A holes, mark/drill deuce holes, then proceed as planned.

"Pinching the frame" without pinching the frame....

Will it work?

 

Monkey motion. Stop doing dumb things just because you bought the wrong part. Do I need to send you a good original A crossmember?

 

Had a long conversation with @alchemy …felt like I was sent to the principal’s office!!! And just like in elementary school, it was well deserved!!

The Roadster Source crossmember is headed back to Cali…returning it, but asking for a credit instead of a refund (good people, they’ll get more of my business).

While taking my licks, I had a revelation…instead of replacing my frame with one I had, why not just salvage the crossmember!

Got the old one out and prepped for a transplant!



The cancerous member….The only thing holding this thing together is the added top strap and the vertical flange in the rear! So glad I didn't "fix" this one!!!




The donor member…




Now it’s all painted up and ready to bolt in…14 bolts!!!!

 

The donor crossmember is now permanently installed and looks great!

Thanks for all that helped me out and lent sage advice. Greatly appreciated!!



Follow the full build here:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/b4cdan-or-just-another-av8-build-thread.765768/

 

@Brett,

You gonna keep the bolts or replace with rivets? It does fit well and looks really good.