Gusset Fabrication

Finally managed to get back to this. Having managed to get my hands on a sheet metal folder, I set about making the reinforcement gusset to sit inside the chassis rail. Starting point was a cardboard template which was transferred onto steel and shaped to give the initial shape.

The chassis rail curves in the horizontal plane between where the top of the wishbone mounting strut joins the rail and where it levels out. I didn’t notice this with the cardboard template, but once the steel part was made up it was quite evident. Only one thing for it… mark out the points for the bend and cut slits into the wall and floor that needed shortening.

Test it in the chassis rail and it seemed enough, so welded it back together, ground it down and did a second test for fit and managed to get it spot on. The gusset also needs to follow the curvature of the rail in the other axis so then it was chopped and triangles made to join it back together.

Welded up, ground down and test fit all went okay. Just need to drill some 10mm drainage holes into the bottom of the gusset and then I can move onto the other repairs. These pictures show the curves created.

Gusset curves

Fit up