Tub Repairs

As you know, I’m now concentrating on the rear tub and its varous fittings. I can’t wait to get that finished and fitted as:

a) it’ll allow me to align the bulkhead, so I can then finish that too;
b) allow me to fit the rock sliders, which will in turn allow me to fit the front tanks;
c) be a significant advance visually, helping my state of mind, and;
d) get the damned thing off the driveway and out of my way!

The bad news is that the tub floor is in a worse state than previously thought (and that was bad enough). There are more weakened and holed areas of the sheet, and more problematic, of the stiffener channels where they have been in contact with the steel braces. The floor is aslo quite dented between the stiffener and brace positions, with the stiffener spot welds failing in several places. I think the only solutuion is to replace the floor outright. The existing sheeting is 1.5 – 2mm in thickness. As fitting stiffeners to the replacement sheet will be impractical (rivets will stretch or pull through, spot welding is the only method strong enough), I plan to use 5mm sheet to make up the strength. The steel braces will be refitted, so the greatest unsupported span will be 11″ between the centremost braces.

Furthermore, the rear mounting angle (the bit that runs along the bottom of the rear edge, fastening onlt the chassis’ rear x-member) was not in a particularly good state – the holes for x-member tabs 2 and 4 had corroded though to the bottom of the angle, and all the other holes were enlarged. I’ve taken it out for replacement. Craddocks list the part at £24, I hope they still stock it!