BANDOLEROS > General

Reclipping a Bando

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free2race:
How's the reclip going?

3nracing97:
Waiting for the clip to get here, will probably be here monday.  It couldn't have come at a better time though,  we have a week off after this week and it looks like a wash out this week!!  Hows your car coming?

3nracing97:
I got the clip in friday and I started the project today about 11:00 and had it welded in by 4:00.  I could have been done faster but I decided to replace the front frame horns while I was fixing stuff and I also went inside for lunch for a while.  I am going to post how I did this and a few pics.

I already had the body removed and all the parts in the rear area earlier in the week so I could see what all I needed and order parts.

This is what I started out with.

3nracing97:
I measured where the square tubing was located on the bottom frame.  Make sure and grind down the welds and use a square to scribe lines on the frame to help locate the square tubing.  The upper bars can only go on one way.  I used a torch and cut the floor from the square tubing I was going to cut out.    You can use a grider and cut the welds on the floor and pull it away but cutting it looked alot easier and I don't expect this to be the last time I will ever reclip one of these things! 
 
I used the torch and cut the tubes.  Make sure and do this on the side you are cutting off ( I know this is obvious but it is easy to screw up, Trust me) and be carful not to burn through the good bars.  You can use a saw for this also.  Now for the real fun part,  all the grinding.  Grind off all that is left of the old bars.  There are 2 bars that run down the center of the frame at the bottom that you need to be carefull with.  I ground down all the welds on the top and sides to where I could see a line of where the old square tubing met up with these bars.  Take a chisel and split the break to get the piece if steel left off of the old square tubing, this will leave the ends of the tubes open.

3nracing97:
Putting the clip in place was pretty easy.  I had to use a porta-power to spread the frame rails apart to get the square tubing part in.  The new piece was close to fitting and I only had to spread it apart maybe 1/16".  I lined up the scribe marks with the outside of the tubing and made sure everything was flush.  I had to grind down one of the bars that runs down the center a little but other than that the bottom fitted real good.  I got the top bars where they where flush against the vertical tubes.  The tubes are notched so it is easy to put them together.  I did have to spread the top bars a little to get them nice and flush but it fit very well.  I tacked it all together and checked if everything was level and square.  The motor mount is level with the main frame so it is a good place to check. 

I finish welded everything and it looks great.  Some of the tubes going to the square tubing is not finish welded on the new clip so make sure and weld everything.  There are some braces that are not on the new clip that you will have to make.  I am going to cut off the braces that run from over the trailing arm pick up points to in front of the motor plate since they are not cut or bent.  The bars that run to the main vertical bars are easy to make.

The new clip fits very well which kinda surprised me since this car is 10 years old.

Hope thi helps some people,
Kevin

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