[powerrodsmike]

Some really poor workmanship. Is putting it lightly.
I was asked to look at a guys car because it was making some noise in the rear end. Nice looking car from the outside......But underneath.

First thing I noticed was the rear tires. Worn on the inside.


Then when I got it on my rack I see stuff like this..Custom fabbed trailing arm suspension.


and this.. Nice pinion angle, huh?


and get a feeling that somehow the engineering ain't all that good. This side has broken 3 times and been repaired by the same guy who did the work. I think he used a car battery and some jumper cables for a welder.


The custom rod ends made me shiver, I don't think the rubber was removed before it was welded.


The driveshaft doubled as a bumpstop...Yes it rubbed when the car was at rest...unloaded..



The shock angle looks a little laid back...


I get the feeling that with all this welding and cutting, the rear end housing may be a little warped.

Quite a history lesson there.

Do you think that might have something to do with the tire wear? ....

Needless to say, I recommended that the customer NOT drive this home. I think it was not a good idea for this to be on the street any more.

The story goes that someone put a set of ladder bars on this car.
It handled poorly and made some noise, (it had heim ends), so the customer brought it to another guy who cut out the first guys stuff then did all this fabulouso fab work.

I'm going to check the rear end housing for straightness.
I will drop the ring gear/carrier out and borrow my friends narrowing fixture.
If it is out more than 1/2" per side I'm calling it junk, as I don't think it can be straightened without a bunch of work. I'll bet the bearings are toast, as are the axle races. I would venture a guess that the pinion bearings may be messed up also. I've seen trucks run angles like that, (referring to the diff pointing at the sky, not the U joint operating angle. ) but I don't know how long they last. I know that both U joints are shot as well because of that wild angle.




ALL of that horrendous work is getting stripped out and replaced with a 4 bar set and air bags.

I just thought I'd show what kind of work some people are capable of letting out of their shop.
I feel really bad for the guy who owns the car. He trusted someone to do good work and not only did they disregard all kinds of design and fabrication rules, but they could have caused a disaster. Scary.

The rest of the car is fine. That work was done by someone who cared.


Later, mikey

[Idasho]

YIKES!

That was done at a SHOP??

Good luck with the repairs. From the looks of it, you've got a lot of work on your hands. And as much as it sucks, it is always more of a pain to repair somebody else's screw up than anything.

[xntrik]

Hey, I know that welder, he lives right down the road about 2 miles......



and those neat exhaust hangers...... might as well fix that too......

[54truck]

The reason that the rearend is angled up so bad could be that they did not want to shorten the drive shaft. Is the shop that did this in your area? Bud

[powerrodsmike]

Originally Posted by xntrik

Hey, I know that welder, he lives right down the road about 2 miles......



and those neat exhaust hangers...... might as well fix that too......

So he had to run all the way to Ark to escape his crimes against hot rods.
He needs his welder taken away. It is a weapon in his hands.

The reason that the rearend is angled up so bad could be that they did not want to shorten the drive shaft. Is the shop that did this in your area? Bud

The driveshaft will fit back in. The customer would not tell me who did the work, I know most all of the real shops that are around here. It probably was someone with a small backyard thing going. No accountability.

Mikey

[bluestang67]

Thats what has me doing my own work measure a dozen times amd install once.

[dinger]

I'd be proud of that work...if I was 8 years old. Unreal. How long has this guy been driving like that or did he actually crawl underneath and become concerned? Scary stuff. Dan

[powerrodsmike]

Originally Posted by dinger

I'd be proud of that work...if I was 8 years old. Unreal. How long has this guy been driving like that or did he actually crawl underneath and become concerned? Scary stuff. Dan

He was hearing unpleasant noises when he'd drive it. Lumpy ride also.

He does know something about cars, I think he took it for granted that it was an adequate job without looking at it.

mikey

[brian0605]

after seeing that crap job I'm gonna have nightmares for a month.SCARY. I think my 9 year old would recognize that as crap. Well it sounds like it's in really capable hands now!! Brian

[Chevrolet4x4s]

My welds didnt look this bad 5 mins after I learned to strike an arc.This is REDICULOUS

Shane

[Bob C]

I reworked two botch jobs that were both done by the same guy. One was a Toyota pick four wheel drive conversion. He cut the drive shafts in the center and slid one inside the other, a 2-1/2 " inside a 3" and brazed them together. The transfer case was held up with a main leaf from a spring.
The other was a 47 ford with Camaro rear springs with out a front bushing and a 3/8" bolt through the spring eye. He used a Craftsman 1/2" chrome universal for the steering coupler. Nothing surprises me anymore.
Bob

[brian0605]

Originally Posted by brian0605

after seeing that crap job I'm gonna have nightmares for a month.SCARY. I think my 9 year old would recognize that as crap. Well it sounds like it's in really capable hands now!! Brian

I just showed these pictures to my 9 year old son and he said and I quote "That looks like something someone would hide to get rid of a car, It looks like it's barely hanging on there" His name is Gavin smart kid. but I'm not biased.

[Deuce]

It is work like that ... that makes me NOT buy cars built by others ... I have to do them myself. I have seen lots of bad hack jobs. Lots of folks with their new $100 buzz box watched the hot rod shows on cable and now think they are chassis and hot rod gurus.

[pasadenahotrod]

What is that mess under? Just need to know so I can get off the street when it is out there!
That's a good example of the mechanic who thinks he's a car builder 'cause he works on cars. Many really good mechanics, great diagnosticians, couldn't build a hot rod on a bet. Why? Because they are interested in photography, birdwatching, skiing, scuba diving, and other things. The mechanicing is a talent and satisfying job, but not a hobby.
The day these guys, and the general run-of-the-mill numbnuts, decide they want to build a hotrod is a dangerous day for the public on the highways.
By the way, that welding must have been done with an idiot stick welder, the word "worksmanship" has no meaning when that example is shown.

[dinger]

Originally Posted by brian0605

Well it sounds like it's in really capable hands now!! Brian

More than capable, I've seen Mikes' work. Break out the torches, It's time for the trash to be taken out...