Part 13 – Rear axle Plate

[RJacobsen]

Finally got around to doing some more on the car and decided a good day project would be to build a reinforcement Plate for the rear axle. I have seen pictures of the ones that some of you have and with that info and my own ideas I got started.
This first picture is of what the car came to me with, there was a single aluminum strap across the rear part and two steel straps that secured the axle to the frame just in front of it.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/5/rearaxleplate.JPG

My plate is made from 4 pieces of ¼ by 2” flat steel drilled and welded together as in the next picture.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/5/rearaxleplate1.JPG

After fitting the new plate into place I discovered that the rear axle was not sitting parallel to the frame as you can see by the red lines I have placed on the next photo.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/5/rearaxleplate2.JPG

Further inspection revealed to me that the problem could only be corrected by relocating the upper rear axle mount (very firmly attached to the frame) 5/16 of an inch towards the passenger side and angled slightly down on the same side to keep the whole thing centered.
Here are the results of the changes.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/5/rearaxleplate3.JPG

To be continued…

[eliminator]

"Further inspection revealed to me that the problem could only be corrected by relocating the upper rear axle mount (very firmly attached to the frame) 5/16 of an inch towards the passenger side and angled slightly down on the same side to keep the whole thing centered.
Here are the results of the changes."

The differential is bolted to the frame with 4 ea. 1/2x13 bolts, so to square the differential up you had to make some modifications to the frame/differential attachment. Just curious, how did you accomplish this since you had go approximately 5/16 "?

Rear axle plate....The way yours was done prior to your modification really didn't do a whole lot of good, the modification you made solves a lot of potential problems.

[RJacobsen]

Rick, The previous owner had welded in an additional mounting plate below the original one on the frame. That plate appeared to do two things, it lowered the differential 1/2" and provided new "clean" mounting holes to compensate for the original ones that had been "egged" out somehow. I just cut this newer plate loose, moved it over 5/16", drilled out the old plate above, (egging out the holes even further), tack welded the plate into place, reinstalled the rear end, lined everything up, and finished the welding. Simple

[Slither]

Nice work Rod... glad you are back at it!

[eliminator]

Rod,

Good explanation, I understand now. Boy that car had been modified a bunch!!!

[brfutbrian]

rod, as ive said face to face, and on this forum, many times, you do awesome work period! hope you can make it out east this year. now get back to work. later, brian.