28 front crossmember install advice

[charles=fla]

i am going to remove a 28 ,cut down ,front crossmember, and install a good one, the type where the front of motor bolts to cross member..any advise on how to do the job, and what to look out for..im afraid the frame rails will go "bong" and i will loose alighment??..can i do it with the motor in car, and fenders removed, and front end removed?..i hate to wind up with model a yard art...)..thanks ..charles..

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by charles=fla

i am going to remove a 28 ,cut down ,front crossmember, and install a good one, the type where the front of motor bolts to cross member..any advise on how to do the job, and what to look out for..im afraid the frame rails will go "bong" and i will loose alighment??..can i do it with the motor in car, and fenders removed, and front end removed?..i hate to wind up with model a yard art...)..thanks ..charles..

What bolts (attaches) to the the front end and the cross member? I'm trying to picture it and I don't see the reason for removing it unless you are talking about the radiator and spash apron.

I guess you want to leave in the motor so you can align the front yoke to the cross member. I would think you would get a little better flex with rivits then if you plan to weld it in, and I would not suggest bolting it in at all.

[Ray in La Mesa]

You could find a frame with the complete solid front cross member and trace it. Make tabs to replace what has been cut off, then weld them on to your cross member,rather than replacing the whole member. I would think you need to remove the radiator for access and, possibly the engine to make it easier.

[TedG]

When I replaced the front crossmember in my '35 Chevy I welded lengths of angle iron across the frame rails both top and bottom to keep them from going "bong" and also from twisting.

You may be able to do it with the engine in place but getting the new crossmember in may be a challenge, you could slide it in from the rear if the engine is removed.

[Barry B./ Ma.]

I've removed a couple of them in the car with the engine in place. I supported the frame rails on jack stands and removed the radiator, centerpunched the rivets and drilled them out. I believe I replaced them with fine thread button head allen screws, lockwashers and nuts.

[Ken Ehrenhofer]

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Your leaving the engine in will probably help with the alignment rather than hurt it. We us a air operated rivit gun with a tool formedto the round of the head and a backup steel buck with a little pocket to form the other head. C-clamps should be used to hold position and then we bolt it in place first and take out one bolt at a time to install the first rivit then remove the oposite bolt and install the second rivit and so on until all bolts are removed and all rivits installed. Where ear protection as it gets mighty loud. Agood size air supply is required. You might not be able to get a round head on the 3 rivits on each side of the frame as there is little room for a good bucking bar in there. so just make them swedged out as you cannot see them anyway once th ecar is back together
Good luck,
Ken

[d.j. moordigian]

Charles,

You need to remove the engine to get the cross member out...it slides in from the
back. This is a 2 man opp when heating an setting the rivets, use a dummy
engine to set it if necessary. Ray has a good thought, think about that, if you make
a NICE pattern and are a GOOD welder it should come out great! Think some more
before doing either one, also check the new cross member for cracks, they ALL
crack in the e-28's, repair AFTER installing if you go that route. Pleas let us know.

Dudley