Herald body fitting - Help

[ian.osprey]

I asked a related question on the facebook page, but now can't find the responses. Sorry.

I am trial fitting the rear tub and bulkhead to make sure I haven't distorted anything.

The body training notes say 'Before assembling, body to chassis insulating pads are placed in position over mounting points, and are attached by adhesive'.

 This suggests to me that there should be a rubberised pad at every mounting point, i.e. I need 18, however the diagram only indicates pads in the areas that the rear tub attaches, but not on the mounts above the diff.

Help.

 

Ian

[vitesse203]

On my Vitesse iirc I have solid ally spacers on the mounts either side above the dif and nothing on the inner seat belt points that bolt directly to the brackets on the chassis. All other points are packed(with rubber pads and ally spacers) according to how much something needs to be adjusted.  

 

Paul

[ian.osprey]

Thanks Paul. The solid spacers above the diff is what was recommended when I did the Spitfire, so was heading they way with the Herald.

It just seems that the body fitting kits don't seem to match with the service notes, even as a starting point. Ho Hum!

[Peaks]

Ian,

 

You're right; it doesn't! And the material the rubber washers are made from in those kits is much softer than the rubberised canvas types our cars were fitted with originally. This can lead to problems when the new softer type compress over time.

 

Everyone will have different stories on how they achieved success attaining decent panel gaps on their small chassis Triumph, but the way I got mine correct (ish!) was to use solid metal spacers under the bulkhead mounts. This prevented the bulkhead moving around so much, and stopped the doors dropping over time due to the rubber body mounts compressing.

 

I doubt this is as significant on a saloon, but on anything without a roof it may help.

 

[ian.osprey]

Cheers, will try that.  It's miles out just now. So frustrating, and it's only a mock up, it's all to come apart again.

I WILL note what goes where before dismantling

[ian.osprey]

Found another issue with the mounting kit.

The 8 bolts supplied to go through chassis are too long. With only a single spacer in place, the nut runs out of thread before it clamps the mount.  Fortunately I had the equipment to extend the thread by 5mm.

[ian.osprey]

Some help please.

I am currently rebuilding a Herald 13/60 conv., and become stuck.

I have taken the tub off, inverted it on stands and replaced rear floors, B post bottoms, rear arches and rear lower wings. This was done one side at a time, and one section at a time.

Before replacing the boot floor I have tried to mock up the bulkhead and tub on the new chassis, and  having a really hard time doing it.

When the tub is bolted to the chassis above the diff (one spacer) it sits nicely on the rear outriggers,  The rear floor mounts sit on the chassis, but the front floor mounts sit off the chassis, and the leading edge of the tub sits ~4 inches above the rear of the bulkhead floor.

Bolting down the floor mounts and fitting the door gives a V shaped gap. No amount of shimming the bulkhead or adjusting hinges moves the gap at the top significantly. Loosening the diff mounts and lifting the rear of the tub gives show winning gaps J, but means I need 8 metal shims on top of the diff mounts and rear outriggers. Although, sighting along the rear wing gives a nice horizontal line along the door. I don’t understand what’s going on.

The rear tub is, I believe, from a mark1 Herald, and has brackets under the rear floor resting on the chassis rather than bolting through the seat into the chassis. Only problem is, they don’t. I don’t know if this is significant.

I have 2 thoughts

                The rear floor mounts are too tall, not letting the floor sit down properly. Perhaps(hopefully) they are different between early and late Heralds?

                I have really messed up and need to unpick my welds to align the B post. However, I cannot visualise how the new panels could possibly fit if the B post moves.

Any ideas, pearls of wisdom, or shoulder to cry on?

 

Ian

[Pete Lewis]

Ian, the plot is as clear as mud, every book a different story.

 

Ian, 

 

I used solids for the  the diff crossmember, and the fwd baulkhead ,  for good canvass /bonded washers I bought a large truck mudflap and cut loads out with a hole saw. easy and tough.

   with a wonky old body you use an much solid spacer as needed with one glued on rubber, dont use loads of rubber.

 we had over 20mm of packer to level the tub to a new straight chassis.

 

also worth make up some short earth bonds between the tubs and  to the chassis.

 

  to stop the ever changing door gaps made up some wooden strechers to fit /jam between the door seal flanges and  then once the door was an ok fit ,countersunk a  bolt in the sill which was covered by the tread strip.  never to move again.

 

if the doors are proud at the bottom B post but tight at the waist you have tub spread, thats another stroy.

 

just some idea's   Pete

[Pete Lewis]

Ian  there are different depth of mount  brkts.  , not all the same ,, cant remember where the deep/ shallower fit   had some feeling the deep ones are rearward, and shallower under the baulkhead ....   I might  be having a senior moment 

 

        Pete

[mishmosh]

Prob worth ringing Chic Doig.

[ian.osprey]

Was over in Fife last week.

Wish I'd thought of that.

[ian.osprey]

Chatted with one of the guys at Chic's place. He didn't seem too concerned. Reckoned it's the bulkhead that's changed shape over time, and trying to match up bulkhead and tub without the bonnet is pointless.

Don't really follow the thought process, but he's the one in the know, and it makes me feel happier :-).

I'll start again and see where we go.

[Darren Groves]

Apologies for hijacking someone else's post....1 question regarding the body mount kits. The rubber strip that runs along where the front & rear tubs join, should that be fitted between the chassis outriggers and the front tub or in-between the join of the front and rear tubs, have been told both so am now unsure.

[ian.osprey]

Darren,

When I stripped the car, it had the woven type strip on top of the chassis outriggers.

[mishmosh]

the strip goes on the outrigger . I use a mastic type seal between the body parts. 

[Darren Groves]

the strip goes on the outrigger . I use a mastic type seal between the body parts. 

 

 

Darren,

When I stripped the car, it had the woven type strip on top of the chassis outriggers.

 

Thanks Guys, thought that's how it was.

 

Cheers

[ian.osprey]

An update.

Fitting the bonnet didn't show anything new. 

I had to undo all my welding on the inner arch, b post and lower wing edge.

Jacking up the rear tub then got everything very close, but showed that the top of the inner arches were pushing against the spring tunnel support thingy's. I removed a few mm from these, and all is now well. Apart from a huge gap from the boot floor to chassis, however all gaps are even, and the rear wing, door top and bonnet line up nicely.

It appears to me that the rear inner arches are a slightly different shape from the originals.

Yes, and I've only tacked the arches in place this time