Rust in the rear wheel frame

[radigan]

My rear coils are not secured to the car's frame. The frame has rusted out. Has anybody fixed the rusted metal that connects the rear suspension coils to the coil seat?

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

Depending on how much damage/rust it may require a professional shop to replace the area as it's difficult without seeing it what is required.

 

[radigan]

No guts no glory. I going in!

The local mechanics will not touch this. That make me either crazy or a person with not a lot of choices.

I suspect that Anybody who has a car this old, and in the rust belt, surly has seen this. If you have a car with similar rust tell me what you think.

Here a shot with the coil removed. The top seat of the coil has rusted away.
You can see the black gas tank.

 

[radigan]

More images for your review.

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

Unless you can find a donor vehicle, not sure if any body frame parts were available, it may be that everything needs to be custom made which could be why mechanic shops turned it down. A body shop may be another source to check as they would be more likely to have experience in metal replacement.

 

[broke_collegekid]

Yeah you can either go god welder mode and somehow reconstruct that or try and pull the parts needed from the above diagrams from a pick n pull. I was just at one today since I have a similar (but much less severe) version of your problem and paying attention to that part on each car, there are definitely some better protected ones than others you could potentially pull but it would be hard.

 

[mikec6201]

google car frame restoration , there are a couple in my area .....Mike

 

[SAYBER]

My rear coils are not secured to the car's frame. The frame has rusted out. Has anybody fixed the rusted metal that connects the rear suspension coils to the coil seat?

I haven't done the rears yet but the frt. frame rails I just did. Cut out the rust and boxed in New 1/4 steel. My rears aren't bad but need attention.

 

[radigan]

Wow you did a great job! Did you weld without a lift, example.. just jacks?
I like that tab you used for ground.

what about the rug on the top side? Did it burn?

Do you need to cut out the rust, or could you just encapsulate?

 

[radigan]

I am sure there are people out there that would consider the car "totaled" due to rust. Seeing your repair makes me believe that these rust spot are not the end of a good car.

It gives me hope that my car will drive again.

 

[SAYBER]

Wow you did a great job! Did you weld without a lift, example.. just jacks?
I like that tab you used for ground.

what about the rug on the top side? Did it burn?

Do you need to cut out the rust, or could you just encapsulate?

Jack stands lifted high, I blocked the rug with a piece of sheet metal, cut out the rust, sprayed a thick rust reformer in there for good measure and completely and boxed everything in. Thank you by the way, it really did turn out great. Really Looks factory, pics don't do it justice. The rears are not bad but gonna do them next. Alittle tricky because so many angles and bends but completely doable. Just have to remove the spring.

 

[SAYBER]

I am sure there are people out there that would consider the car "totaled" due to rust. Seeing your repair makes me believe that these rust spot are not the end of a good car.

It gives me hope that my car will drive again.

Thanks! Those were the ONLY places rust had been. Both sides. There's absolutely no reason to junk a car like this, especially if you can simply fix it or know someone that can.

 

[radigan]

I have been working on this "rust / coil seat " problem over the last few months.
I found that the driver's side is worse, not sure what is going on but it maybe something to do with the gas filler tube is on this side.

 

[radigan]

I have completed the passenger side. I fabricated and piece of 1/4" steel that sits between the frame and the coil.

Due to my fear of welding near the gas tank, this piece bolts on to the frame.

 

[radigan]

Here is a picture of the the piece installed with the spring in place.

 

[radigan]

The coil seat I made was done with 1/4" steal. I am not worry about rust as it will be some time before rust will compromise this coil seat.

If there are people interested I will gladly offer a step by step of how I completed this repair.

I am not a mechanic I just work out of my garage.

 

[Kornfed13]

The coil seat I made was done with 1/4" steal. I am not worry about rust as it will be some time before rust will compromise this coil seat.

If there are people interested I will gladly offer a step by step of how I completed this repair.

I am not a mechanic I just work out of my garage.

Hello my name is Randy is there any chance you could send me a step by step procedure? I have a 2003 lesabre. My email is randallschonlau@gmail.com thank you for your time.

 

[G-916513]

No guts no glory. I going in!

The local mechanics will not touch this. That make me either crazy or a person with not a lot of choices.

I suspect that Anybody who has a car this old, and in the rust belt, surly has seen this. If you have a car with similar rust tell me what you think.

Here a shot with the coil removed. The top seat of the coil has rusted away.
You can see the black gas tank.

View attachment 25746

I have the same problem with my 2005 LeSabre. I put coil over shocks to help it until I find a permanent fix. I came across frame replacement sections in the past but can't find them now

 

[G-38719]

Hello my name is Randy is there any chance you could send me a step by step procedure? I have a 2003 lesabre. My email is randallschonlau@gmail.com thank you for your time.

Could I get a copy of this as well for my 02?

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

it looks like a over reaching plate steel past the rusted portion both ways, then deep as possible, with some wrap around the vertical portions on the front of plate steel, welded i assume with good welding practice to basically stretch the rusted gap with stronger metal, and then a flat spot with a new nub for the coil insulator. It would be best custom measured and produced regardless of how his looks, because of factors that may be affecting your car. I wouldnt recommend unibody structural repair to anyone who isnt confident with welding and also is into over-building or overengineering a repair. With unibody, going past the damage and incorporatiing some geometry on the patch with the wrap around is the kind of stuff necessary to make a sound fix. Most shops would prob pass just for drama liability stuff, but you could prob find a shop that would but they would prob charge a lot. If you can do it yourself, I recommend remocing the control arm, getting an idea for the extent of damage, and cleaning the rust and bad back to bare, welding in the fix, (and all the associated labor) and then Coating really good with anti rust primer, good paint, and then some good road debris resistant coating to keep the paint and metal good. Its important to keep the spring seat in the same spot for proper suspension performance so if you dont think you could do all that, its probably not something you want to do.