Triumph TR6 differential mount repair

Gee, I’m back already with another super exciting blog! Well, I get excited about it anyway! Nothing like seeing something going from scrap metal to looking new again or at least newer!;)

 

What the heck is a differential mount you might ask? Well, on an independent rear suspension, the differential (center part with the ring and pinion gears) is mounted semi-rigidly on rubber mounts and the axles are bolted to the differential to make an Independent rear suspension, or IRS, no not The IRS! 😉

 

However, on these particular vehicles, the differential hangs from the frame by steel mounts and insulated rubber mounts and the right front is prone to breaking and cracking. I don’t know what kind of noise it would make, but I’m sure it’d have to be sound like: %A$#@^$@$&^@$%^&&, something like that, and the driver says, What the heck is that noise!!

 

Well, this is the right front differential mount that’s in relatively poor condition to say the least! To repair this mount with the body still on the car would be one pain in the buttocks! But here, someone did attempt it, so I get to repair it! I’m a good welder and I’ll do a jam up repair job!

 

 

Another view after I removed the old mount. It’s not cracked up to what it used to be! 😉

 

 

 

 

Now on the top side, normally the pin going through the top is firmly welded in place without all the cracks; this must have made a hell of a racket!

 

 

 

 

 

Actually, removal of the part I’m cutting here with my Harbor freight electric cutoff tool does a terrific job. Just cut along the old weld and it kind of just pops loose with the aid of a screwdriver, However, the center part (pin) is a little more tricky to remove.

 

 

 

 

 

On this mount, the pin was in relatively good condition and I just worked around it by cutting around it with my cutting torch leaving, this. I cleaned it up with a grinder and all is well!;)

 

 

 

 

 

Here, I’m just mocking around with the new parts, the left side at this point. I was trying to figure my approach to weld in the strengthening plates. I don’t want this ever to mess up!

 

 

 

 

 

After being darned sure where the parts were going to be, I used little magnets to keep the plate in place while I tacked it into place. The outer most plate had to be welded in all by its lonesome, and then build around it. Don’t worry, I did straighten the metal out though it didn’t really matter.

 

 

 

 

 

The magnets kept the plate in place, then I removed the plate from the pin to weld the inside of the outer plate. Did that make any sense!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here I took the new pin over to the bench grinder and notched it and make the hole larger in the plate. I wanted the weld the fill in the gap so the weld would be more flush instead of a gaudy looking weld.

 

 

 

 

 

I feel the welds came out OK and the strengthening plates should secure the differential for a long time to come;)

 

 

 

 

 

Keep in mind, the frame is upside down!

 

 

 

 

 

Here, placing the differential in place making sure the mounts all line up, this was before I had welded it all up. I’m using My Little Mule to put it on, take it off, put it on, Take it off, etc. get the picture?, I have new bushing on the way 😉

 

 

 

 

 

Now onto the topside, I used a 3″ roloc wheel to clean up the metal and expose the cracks. I used a ball type carbide bit to scallop out the lines to weld them up, also drilled a small hole at the end of each crack to keep it from spreading.

 

 

 

 

Though not as pretty a weld, but nothing that my angle grinder won’t take care of! 😉 Looks like an itsey bitsy spider!

 

 

 

 

 

As usual, Necessity, the Mother of Invention took part in making a rotisserie to make life much easier! I had one Harbor freight engine stand already, just had to buy a second one then fabricate a means to attach it to the frame. Note the wood beneath the rear wheels of the engine stands? that was to elevate the lift “rolling” part to be parallel to the frame to not bind up as the frame was being flipped.

 

 

 

Here I fabricated a wider part with taller casters to make what I did in the above photo. Now I can move the frame freely in the garage! 😉

 

 

 

 

Now all painted up with Rust Bullet and should be good to go for another 40 years! This is now Right side up, keeping in mind the differential hangs from these mounts.

Well my dear friends~ that about wraps up this part on the diff mount repairs! I hope to keep knocking parts of this restoration out! But I don’t want to go too fast, if I get finished, I won’t have anything to do!!!! dne’

Hey, don’t forget to subscribe to my blog;)  I try to make interesting and a little funny;)