After the frame was blasted down to bare metal, we could see more clearly what needed repair. The cross-member that supports the rear upper control arm was pulled away from the frame one one side… this we knew, but what we found after it was down to bare metal was that only a one-inch section of the cross-member was still welded to the frame! All other welds were broken loose, and on top of that a section of metal behind the upper-control-arm bracket was broken clean off, being held on only by one of the bracket bolts. Yikes!
The rear axle isn’t in much better shape. Check out the lower control arm ends where they meet the bracket coming off the rear axle housing! The ends are worn so thin you can bend the edge with your fingers! The bracket on the frame is worn away too, nearly the the point of allowing the bolt to pull through on one side. This car was a road hazzard in its last days to say the least! This car obviously spent most of its years on gravel roads.
