Colorado964turbo

All,

I haven't been able to drive the turbo much lately due to my work shcedule, and a nagging boost override issue, unfortunatly it hasn't seen the road much since August. I decided to finally take it in for some scheduled maintenance and something that isn't good was discovered.

When looking at the drivers side tub where the camber plates bolt in (shock tower in muscle car speak) there is a metal reinforcement piece that is spot welded to the where the fender bolts on, the tob of the tub/chasis under the two bolts towards the rear of the car, and then welded down the tub.

I have attached a picture I borred from Renline, look under the two bolts towards the driver on where the shock/strut mounts.

The two spot welds to the front of the car where it bolts near the fender have pulled away, as well as two of the spot welds on the shock tower and also torn there. The metal is just torn, it isn't really deformed, and I have not hit anything, or ever had type of damage there. Honestly, it just looks like it fatiged and then for some reason, the tub flexed popping the welds.

We are going to remove the gas tank, relieve the stress on it, and reweld everything, then I think we will mount a strut brace to help reinforce that piece.

Is this something any of you have seen before? I'm sorry I don't have a picture of the damage, but I didn't think about taking it while at the shop.

Thanks,

Bill

Metal Guru

Bill, bad luck.
Did the spot welds fail "cold" or did the metal tear out around them?
Looks like I'll walk out to the garage and check my car out.....

screamingflat6

shocking!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have seen this on rally cars in the past and do you run really heavy duty suspension on the road? as the energy does have to go some where and in your case its escaped at the weakest area.
I think now you have to repair the area I would look at welding the shock towers the same as the rs, the ADRIAN STREATHER book has the info in it.

Just a idea while the car is in bits,the factory do everything for a reason and they would of thought hey these rs's are going to have a good pounding on the street and track and that's a weak area "hanz more weld"

Gaz,

Colorado964turbo

Gaz, thanks for mentioning Adrian's book, I am going to take a look at it real quick. I run a H&R reds and Bilsteins for the road, wih 18 inch HRE wheels. It is pretty stiff.

Paul, the spot welds on tub where the fender bolts on failed cold, the spot welds on top of the shock tower area failed and tore the metal....

Thanks!

Colorado964turbo

It looks like on the RS the area that is spot welded along the shock towers is actually seam welded, based on Adrian's book....

I am going to have this done on both sides.

Bill