Creaking

[steve_m]

Well, that explains the creaking noise I have been hearing; I thought it was the nearside exhaust falling apart but that has been fixed.
Here's what we found with subsequent examination.
Great, still can't add pictures, so annoying.
Anyway, there is a nasty crack along the seam just ahead of the radius arm forward bush, and the jacking point.
The creaking sound was the metal flexing and tearing; too many torques!
There isn't a huge amount of corrosion evident and there is still a lot of sound metal around.
I've obtained a pair of repair sections and have ordered a new radius arm bush dome (£56!).
The question is, how do you jack up and support the car if the jacking point is too weak?

[davidr]

You're sure the creaking wasn't coming from the aged occupant?

[steve_m]

Hadn't you heard?
Nearly 60 is the new nearly 50.
Anyway, how do I jack it up?
Or jack it in.

[davidr]

Make up a suitable load spreader from a block of wood and jack it under the tie plate of the IRS and then put axle stands under the bottom wishbones

[steve_m]

Ok, thanks.

[poprivet]

It sounds like quite a complicated repair, you may find the corrosion extends into structural box sections that are not easily accessible.

Personally I would be getting an experienced fabricator/welder with a proper lift to do the job.

[steve_m]

Thanks for cheering me up!
It's going to the local garage who do all our cars.
They will have to do a good job as they will be Mot'ing it in May!

[poprivet]

Didn't mean to be negative Steve, just worried about you using an angle grinder and welder upside down with a car close to the ground supported only by its suspension.

Less experienced readers may have thought that was a safe way of working. Having a Land Rover fall of its supports many years ago whilst I was repairing the outriggers has made me a lot more carefull.

[steve_m]

No worries there, I don't even own a trolley jack.
The chassis leg and the rest of it look fine, it just seems to be the corner where the jacking point is.
It looks like it's been pushed up by a miss placed jack at some time which has cracked the seam at the floor pan join.
Large amounts of wellie have caused the metal to start to flex and tear, hence the creaking.
Fingers crossed anyway, they seem quite confident that they can sort it.

[steve_m]

Oh well, finger crossing a waste of time.
The grot has spread a bit further up the chassis than wanted; all doable but is going to cost more in labour than expected.
They found the cause of it which may be useful to other owners.
In the bottom rear corner of the near side rear floor pan is a tube that passes through the bulkhead and extends up in to the wheelarch.
This is the tube that takes the handbrake cable to the brakes on LHD cars and should be capped; mine wasn't so water was getting in from the outside.
LHD cars will have the same empty tube on the other side.
Check your tubes!
Now have to find a sill end repair panel and chassis plates.