|
|
 Now is the time to call in...  Now is the time to call in some of those favors your friends owe you. It is going to take a few buddies to make sure you get the frame in place without causing more damage that you'll need to repair later.  Remember the marks you made...  Remember the marks you made on the support pieces? Use the marks on the four corners to line up the frame, and then start retracing your earlier measurements on the new frame the same way you measured and recorded the old ones. If your donor is good, then it should drop in just as if you were putting the old one back in.  There is one bolt that goes...  There is one bolt that goes through each framerail to the body. They come through from the back seat area. Seeing these two points line up right away is a good sign.  Now clamp all the mounting...  Now clamp all the mounting points in place and take the time to measure it again.  Have your friends bring their...  Have your friends bring their extra clamps with them because you'll need a lot of them.  Let's fire up the welder....  Let's fire up the welder. Start at the front of the new frame where it attaches to the inner rocker panels. Once both sides are secure, tack the rear of the frame to its rear supports to help prevent anything from moving as you are working around the car. Check your measurements again.  As you begin welding all the...  As you begin welding all the holes you drilled to remove the old frame, be sure to clamp or at least hold or push the parts together as you do. Don't allow any gaps in the panel seams or in-between the frame and the sheetmetal. Also, jump around the different parts of the frame as you go. Don't do one whole side first as that can cause things to shift and move even if they are well braced.  One area to pay particular...  One area to pay particular attention to is the rear quarter extension. Hold that part in place as you clamp and weld the quarter to the rear panel so it fits perfectly.  After you get finished welding,...  After you get finished welding, it's a good idea to measure one more time. Hopefully, you've properly supported everything and re-attached the frame squarely in the car. If you did, the final measurements should come out correct.  Now that you have the rear...  Now that you have the rear frame replaced, it's time to tackle the quarters and other sheetmetal. Get busy and get that Mopar back on the road.  Wherever two pieces come together...  Wherever two pieces come together and form a seam, there is a plug weld needed. hold the parts together with a clamp and fill the holes.
|