Stabilizer HELP!

Very Bad News!

Please see thread with pictures....

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need a fix!

Thanks,
Ted

If you have a welder it is a easy fix. I would use some mild steel about 12 guage maybe 10 inches long and slightly narrower the frame rail section.

First clean the crap off the damaged area and all around it.

Second Tack your old nut plate that is broke back in place. Don’t go crazy. 3-4 small welds about 1/2 long is enough

Third Measure location of nut plate and transfer measurements to your bolster made above.

Forth On your bolster drill some 1/4 inch holes in the center for plug welds. 3/4 inch apart or so.

Fifth Clean the area of the nut plate with a grinder to bare metal, making sure your tacks in step 2 are level with the rail.

Sixth Prime the frame rail with some weld thru primer as well as the top of your bolster.

Seventh Align your bolster with the 2 holes transferred through to the nut plate with the original bolts and bolt them in place. Make sure your primer side is up.

Eight With a couple self tapping sheet metal screws screw the ends down so the bolster is following the contour of the frame rail.

Nine Weld the bolster on starting as close to the nut plate as possible with a nice fat tack. Weld the plug holes going from the inside out. Weld one skip to the other end weld one and go back. Take out the screws from #8 A little hammer work may be needed to keep it flat. Next Stitch weld it maybe 1/2 - 3/4 long one side at a time skipping side to side and end to end. DO NOT be tempted to weld it all at once, unless you are tig welding it. I would leave about 1/4 - 3/8 of an inch between my stitch welds.

Ten Once the welds are cool dress it up with a grinder and spray it with some self etching primer and finish it with a little spray on or brush on seam sealer. Truck bed liner works well too. Major thing is to seal any gaps so water cant get in and cause rust.

If you are weird like me, I would make a spacer out of the same gauge material and space the other sway bar mount down the same. Or make another bolster and pretty much do the same on the other side.

If you need to drive it somewhere to be welded. Make your plate attach it with the bolts and screws and leave the sway bar off.

I have seen several of these break in this are and the normal cause on a track car is a worn strut or too light of spring.

The bolts you used to hold the bolster in place while welding, throw them away, dont even put them in your bolt bin, they will break.

OH YEAH

Keep a fire extinguisher handy on that greasy car!

Thank you for the very detailed response.

One small issue - for the original mounting plate - there is nothing left of frame where is was once part of. As a matter of fact, I can almost pull it completely out. Just a couple of odd edges keeping it from coming out now. So I guess the next thing to do would be to weld it directly to the bolster part first then weld the whole thing to the frame? (actually,now that I look at your post again, I think that this is what you suggesting)

That frame material is awful thin. Should I be concerned about it being fatiged after it is all weled back up?

I dont weld myself, I'll need to find a good local to help me out.

Thanks,
Ted