Rear Beam Positioning?

[welshpug 1,627]

had an issue with the beam on my car for a while now, basically it seems too far to the back of the shell, meaning it rubs on the bumper and spoiler

 

fitted a different bumper and spoiler today and the problem is still there, I also checked the shell and brackets where the bumper mounts and these are fine.

 

odd thing is that the beam went straight on no problems when I rebuilt it a few years ago, and that there isnt any adjustment to be had in the mounting holes.

 

not my best effort at photography damned digital camera doesnt do anything but mid summer sunshine!

 

 

you can see that there isnt much room to play with here, I want to fit my mudflaps!!!

 

heres the front of the arch, plenty of space (I have heard of some people having trouble here )

 

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f169/wel...28-12-06-04.jpg

[welshpug 1,627]

anyone??

 

all I can think of is that the front mounting brackets are offset and are on the wrong way round, anyone know if this is true or not?

[dommorton 0]

I'd say it's got to be something to do with the front mounts. Either as you say they are on the wrong way round or the bushes are shot to bits?

 

Just get underneath and check it out. Worst case it will only take an hour or two to drop the beam out and pop it back.

Edited December 29, 2006 by dommorton

[welshpug 1,627]

forgot to mention, the front bushes were renewed when the new beam tube was installed 2 years ago, and the problem has been there ever since, though its only recently come to light as being this bad as I've just fitted another bumper and spoiler that havent been touched by a tyre.

 

It'd be great if someone could measure where in the arch the wheel "should" be.

[dommorton 0]

It's obvious it's not right looking at the pic.

 

Must be the plates on the front most mounts are on the wrong way round. There is no other way it can sit back like that surely.

[welshpug 1,627]

i'll drop it down tommorow then, tape measure and digi cam at the ready.

[dommorton 0]

Just nipped out for you.

 

Mine is 11.5cm from the edge of the rim to the bottom corner of the rear valance both sides.

[welshpug 1,627]

ta very muchos, much room for a hand between wheel and spoiler?

[dommorton 0]

More than you have and the wheel sits far more central in the arch

[Alastairh 47]

What was done to the beam when rebuilt?

 

Have you checked its condition recently, likes of seized etc?

 

Alastair

[welshpug 1,627]

new trailing arm shafts, and a Brand new Tube which came with bearings fitted.

 

definitely not seized!!! the back was quite a few inches lower yesterday when I loaded my tools in it! and it still handles great, more stable if anything!

[dommorton 0]

Looks to me like the studs are offset on the plates. Although it seems if they were the wrong way the beam would actually be pushed forward

 

Edited December 29, 2006 by dommorton

[pug_ham 242 3 Cars]

If the front mount plates had been fitted on the wrong sides the beam would be a nightmare to fit as the rear mounts would also be out of line, even though the beam holes are slotted.

 

They are handed as well as the bolts being offset in the mounts so with the both crossed over they would pull the beam forwards in the arch not push it backwards.

 

Maybe its something as simple as the rear valance has been knocked & its just sat like that which looks wrong but the beam & everything around it is fine. I know that dreamweavers car sat like this before we fitted his refurbshed beam & now its fine but nothing has been changed apart from the beam refurb. (it is a different beam though).

 

Graham.

[easypug 0]

I remember this problem on the wheeler dealer series, i'm trying to remember what he did to rectify it but can't recall. If any one has it maybe they could shed some light on the problem.

[welshpug 1,627]

problem solved :vbg:

 

the only thing I could think of was that 1900 mountings are offset (didnt see your post there graham! I was out before the computer came on today!), and I remembered from rebuilding the beam that they did have D and G on them.

someone on earlier site kindly measured the gap between their wheel rim and the lower edge of the rear valence and got a measurement of 115mm, I measured mine -

just about 100mm

I then whipped off -

the rear mounting bolt

 

it was obvious from there that the beam should be a bit further forward.

 

and from this pic you can see that theres just about enough room for it to move 15mm

 

 

down came the beam

 

got this far

then remembered about the strap in the middle of the beam :doh:

 

ET VOILA!!! one beam dropped off the car (didnt have to disconnect the hoses, just unbolt the brackets where the flexi's meet the rigid pipes.

 

 

I'm glad I plastered loads of copper grease on everything nearly 3 years ago because the bolts came undone easily,

definitely a :doh: moment when I see the "D" on the bracket -

 

as you can see from the picture[/url] the studs are offset. and they do put the beam too far back when theyre on the wrong side!!!

 

Swapped the mountings over and bolted it back up and now it looks just fine, no chance of rubbing, went out for a test drive and it didnt rub at all, even when I was gracefully sideways on a damp roundabout :whistle:

 

edit; image file sizes, 120k max please.

Edited December 30, 2006 by pugtorque

[newdean0 0]

the only thing I could think of was that 1900 mountings are offset (didnt see your post there graham! I was out before the computer came on today!), and I remembered from rebuilding the beam that they did have D and G on them.

 

Are the 1600 mounts not offset then? Might explain a problem I've been having.

[welshpug 1,627]

nope, they're the same either side as are 309 brackets.

 

apologies for the size of the pics!

[dommorton 0]

Well there you go

 

Glad it's sorted

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

nope, they're the same either side as are 309 brackets.

So technically the 1.9 has a slightly shorter wheel base than a 1.6? Why the difference?

[welshpug 1,627]

I "think" its down to the tyres used, 1.9 uses 185 55 15? 1.6 uses 185 60 14?

 

if i'm right on the sizes the 1600 tyre has a radius about 5mm smaller.

 

But all those 1.6 gti's with 1900 wheels and 195 50 tyres are fine, as 195 50 15 is damn near spot on the same as 185 60 14.

 

Might try my 185 55's on the front now i've looked at it closely again, when my speedo says 60, i'm only doing 59 (thats if it wasnt 3 mph out already as I put a new cluster in it)

[laser green 1.9 0 1 Cars]

Can anyone tell me which side the brackets go. Does D go to driver side and G go to passanger side.

[welshpug 1,627]

D and G, Droit and Gauche, french cars didnt ya know