Replacement crossmember

[camron at worldaccessnet.com (Camron D. Crouse)]

Hey everyone, thanks for all of your input re: my busted crossmember.  
My A1 Crossmember Brace arrived today (yippee! thanks Eric!) and looks 
nice and beefy.  I think I will try to convince the frame shop to weld 
up the existing damage and bolt up the brace and new motor mount... 
seems like the first step to try, and it looks like others have found 
this method to work well... can always get more aggressive later if 
needed, right?

So for those of you who have experience with this A1 Crossmember Brace 
on their SII, I understand that only one of the bumper bolts mounts this 
into place on either end... the other hole on each end of the brace is 
to make it compatible with other A1's that have the second set of bumper 
bolts in that position?

I think, from going through the archives, someone had said they were 
going to drill an additional hole into the bumper supports, and weld a 
compatible bolt to the inside of the bumper arms, so that both the holes 
on each end of the brace here secured into place; hence the the bar is 
secured by two bols on either end, and the bumper is secured by three 
bolts on either side... Has anyone actually done this modification?  
Would this not help to counter a tendency for the brace to pivot about a 
single bolt mounting point on each end as engine force is applied to the 
front motor mount plate?  

Hmmm, let's see here (inserting long dowell through both ends of 
brace)... okay I think I see why this is not totally necessary... the 
pivot point from engine force would be through the base of the mount 
plate, so the bumper bolt mounting point (a single one on each end) 
would actually be at a radius of this pivot point.

Okay but if I suspend the brace level by this dowell alone, and if I 
push solely on the motor mount plate, the brace does indeed pivot about 
the dowell...

So any thoughts or opinions here?  Add a second bolt to each end?  I 
apologize in advance for my descriptions, I'm no engineer, but those 
with experience with the item might know what I'm trying to explain.

Thanks!

- Camron from Vancouver, WA USA
  '86.5 Black 16V 2.0L

Eric S wrote:

>Hey Camron!
>
>Yes, the crossmember is replaceable...its spot welded into the car...we
>actually cut the crossmember from another car to use as our jig when
>making the bars...its not really that difficult to remove or install for
>anyone with minor welding tools/skill.  But, as you found, its kinda cost
>prohibative.
>
>Now, our first prototype bar went to Tobias out in California.  His cracks
>were, and still ARE bad...but since having the bar on the car, none of his
>cracks have spread, and he even decided not to bother to weld the cracks
>shut after having the bar on and seeing that it does the job well.
>
>If it was me in your situation...I'd weld the cracks, slap the bar on, and
>forget about it.
>
>  
>