Check your crossmembers

[Mark080]

Thanks very much for the input.  I plan to have the car for a while, so a replacement may be in order.  I might get it welded just now while I save a bit for the new beam in a couple months.

[tomaky]

Might also be worth contacting some these guys breaking cars in the private sales section night find a gem for alot less than new, might be worth the punt.

[redarrow]

Can a person kindly draw on the above picture
And exsplain what goes where when the subframe
 is attached.

This is for my own refrences very nice pictures
And well worth that cash.

The subframes seem to be one of the most
Inportant part of the car and i want to understand
It reason why it there, i am guessing suspention to wheels.

To me the subframe like above put on a car makes that
Car new agin from any major mot fails and safty.
Might be wrong here.

The mr2 sems to come apart and easly replace
Even main parts, maybe that was the design of the car
Easy replacement of parts and track day addons.

Regards john.

Ps. I am just trying to understand my car properly
So i no what what cheers thank you . John

[Moved from Wanted Ad thread to keep the sale on topic]

[spit]

John, I've moved your enquiry over to here as its probably a better place for it.

A few posts up, you'll see that steve b is replacing his crossmember (a.k.a. subframe) and suspension components. I'm sure that more pictures will follow to help figure out what is what.

For info, the crossmember holds the inner ends of the toe arm and both trailing arms, along with the rear engine mount. On facelift models, the additional support bracing is also connected there.

Aside from that, there are a few other attachments, such as ABS cable brackets, airbox inner heatshield and the nappies at the point where front and rear sections interlock.

Thankfully, I don't believe we've seen a catastrophic failure of the crossmember yet, and I hope we don't. Its a little worrying to see the state of some crossmembers that have passed through an MOT because they've been obscured from a thorough visual check by the nappies. Like this one, posted earlier in the thread:



So, if we can't always rely on the MOT tester......as Nic says: " Check your crossmembers"!

[Barney Bear]

Checked today while there was rust on the bolts rest was fine did have a good dig at it with a screw driver to make sure
Did paint mine a few years back with Hammerite then had it wax oiled last year but gave it another spray all over
Also took the top heat shield off and rubber plugs out and sprayed a can of wax oil in the holes so fingers crossed
Big phew but will be checking myself more often than the yearly MOT

Great post as its stopped me worrying for a month or two now I've had a look and more to the point because of the great pictures knew what to look for and where

Thank you for the compliment Smarty nice to see its noticed   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

[jinxedkitten]

While my baby's down at Dr Matt's, I asked him to check mine, whacking great hole in it apparently, so getting a replacement in there too.
I said he should gather all the reccently discarded defunct subframes, get the oxycet kit out and make a sculpture as a 2 tribute  s;) s;)

[Mark080]

So I received my new crossmember from CTP today to replace my old rusty one.  However, I can't for the life of me remove the lower suspension arms from the old crossmember.  The nuts are off the bolts and the arm is loose in the crossmember but I can't get the bolt out either side.  Is there some trick to it as they have weird shaped camber type washers on them and grooves down the side of the bolts?  Or do they just rust into the arms horribly?
 
Thanks.

[Wabbitkilla]

Common problem really, the bolts rust into the tubes running through the rubber bushes.
It's touch and go whether you can get them loose, lots of to&fro work with plusgas being liberally sprayed in sometimes saves them.
Otherwise is't cutting tim and replace the bushes and bolts for the arms.

[Mark080]

Ok thanks Wabbit.  Great help.  The bolts should just come out straight?  No need to have them at a certain angle due to the channel running along them?

[Wabbitkilla]

No, they should come straight out, the channels are cut just to get the adjustment plates the same position at each end of the bolt.
I remember the first time we did this, we ended up setting fire to the rubber to get the thing apart   s:crazyeyes: :crazyeyes: s:crazyeyes:  
You never know this is going to happen until you try taking it apart, you could order the bolts and bushes (after market) but then not need them, or you could wait till you're trying to dismantle and then end up waiting for the order to be delivered.

[Mark080]

No, they should come straight out, the channels are cut just to get the adjustment plates the same position at each end of the bolt.
I remember the first time we did this, we ended up setting fire to the rubber to get the thing apart   s:crazyeyes: :crazyeyes: s:crazyeyes:  
You never know this is going to happen until you try taking it apart, you could order the bolts and bushes (after market) but then not need them, or you could wait till you're trying to dismantle and then end up waiting for the order to be delivered.

Yeah the new crossmember is on the car, and I can't get the arms out the old one at all.  So If I ordered new arms they wouldn't have the bushes already in?  I can't seem to find a price for new arms anywhere online.
Sounds like cutting/burning the old bushes out and getting after market bushes adn new bolts might be the way to go.

What are the options for after market suspension arms?  Do they come with bushes? Costs?

Thanks again and hope I'm adding to the thread and not highjacking it.

[Wabbitkilla]

When you order arms they come with bushes, that's the way they're made. Or you can cut the bolts and press the bushes out then fit with aftermarket bushes and fit with new bolts from Toyota.

There are also adjustable arms from TopSpeed Pro1 (Che).

Most people just get second hand arms from breakers.

[Mark080]

So I managed to get the bolts out the arms after some wd40 and smashing them with a large hammer so thanks for your help rabbit.

The new cross member is fitted now.  One thing I've noticed is that where the heat shield bolts to the crossmember there are 7 threaded holes but only 3 are used for the heat shield.  Water will obviously drip in through the other unused holes so I've put 4 appropriate sized bolts in the open holes to seal them.

Also at each 4 corners of the beam there are open gaps to the inside of the beam due to the way the beam is constructed.  I'm fairly confident water will be spraying up from the wheels right into these gaps gathering in the beam, so I have siliconed them up.  I can see no benefit to the gaps here so I'm trying to keep moisture out the beam as much as possible.

I have also repainted all the welds as another member pointed out the factory paint comes off the welds leaving exposed metal.

I hope this all prevents the rot for a while.

[steve b]

Fitted mine on Saturday, seem sealed and ACF50'd it and then painted with Hammerite.


Silkaflexed


Old and the new


View of exhaust without subframe - easy to do the job with exhaust in place.


View from the bottom with no subframe, can see my nice old Elise Parts sump that's kept this engine safe.


CHE toelinks & BC coilovers and new subframe on.


BC coilovers on, worth noting that you should leave shocks in place when fitting new subframe as they support the hubs and drive shafts when you undo the trailing arms, control arms and toelinks.

Need a geo now and test it all out on track mid next month.

[carolineasb]

Got second hand Xmember last night and hubby took into work this morning and sandblasted, painted and cavity waxed it.  Looks like a new part so now ready to go on Oldie!!  Just to get her taxed at the end of the month too as she is SORNed at the moment.

[Two's Company]

I've bought a new crossmember from CTP and had a quote of £140 plus VAT to acid dip and electroplate coat.  Can those in the know tell me if it is worth it?  My thinking is that is isn't on the basis the current one has been on the car 10 years and the car is unlikely to still be going in another 10 years.  s:? :? s:?

[StuC]

I guess it depends how many miles you cover.
Mine is a daily driver, so i opted to have the 'works' done to it.

I take your point about it outlasting the life of the car in it's standard form.

[Two's Company]

Currently around 5k miles a year but expect that will reduce in future years as the car is about to be retired from the daily driver to a weekend toy/track car.

[StuC]

Poss not worth it then. Especially if you can avoid the salt in the winter.

[Fin]

So, if I looked from above today, and saw a nice new looking, uniform grey crossmember....
Does this mean it sounds like mine was replaced not too long before I bought it?
Do I need to check further? There were no signs of any sort of rust/damage that I could see anywhere on the whole length of it.

[steve b]

From above mine looked perfect, from below it was scrap.  Need to look by the exhaust and tierod mounts.

[Fin]

Thanks. I'll have a good look down there next time I'm scrambling in the dirt with my nappy off!!  s:) s:)

[Wabbitkilla]

Recent news....

It appears Toyota have extended a 10 year warranty for the Cross member.
This is conditional on full Toyota service history as far as i can tell so far.

[StuC]

Can you reveal your source Nic?

Not that it would have made any difference to me, car was over 10 years old.  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

PS. Was a little bit worried that your had failed again. Glad that wasn't the case.  :-) :-) :-)

[Wabbitkilla]

Facebook update from a nice chap called Dave Robson;

Well my 53 reg passed its mot. It was then retested and failed, as when they were completing the 10year service they noticed severe corrosion to the subframe. This can be replaced under a toyota issued 11 year warranty apparently but only to cars that have failed mots, the manager of my toyota dealership said after he'd rang toyota uk.

replacement has been authorised. Its on a case by case basis, history of car, condition , and how persuasive the service manager can be. Looks like staying loyal to my main dealer has payed off for once:-)

I've asked if Dave can get hold of written terms and conditions from the dealership, and I'll update when he gets back to me