torque box help

[bomccorkle 12]

can anyone tell or maybe show me where all the torque boxes are connected?? i am having one helluva time trying to get mine loose. I see the spots welded to the frame rail and the rocker but are they also welded at the top on the firewall side or at the core support?? seems like i am missing something. any help would be awesome.

 

Thanks

 

Bo

[latoracing 256]

Mine is where you can see all the att. points, it will be later before I can take some pics, but, I will and post them for you. I can tell you that they connect all over the place, and the firewall extensions are probably where you are having trouble. (over the frame rail, and under the extension) If you have the replacement parts you can tell fairly quick where it attaches. It is easier if the new tourque boxes have the "floor pan" (top) removed when they go back in though, you can get better access to weld them, and you can take measures to seal them with some type of epoxy primer and paint, be shure not to totaly seal them up as water will get into them and start the rust process all over agean. But I'll get you some pics.

[latoracing 256]

I ran down to the shop real quick instead of waiting. I bought this the way you see it. The previous owner didn't know what they were doing, as you can see. Any way you can see the flange on the fraime rail and the tab that goes to the rocker. The firewall extension covers all of this up. It is alot easier to tear it apart this far. You can do it from the bottom side, not fun though. The attachment points on the bottom of the rocker, and the front of the box at the frame rail, along with the reinforcement plate are easy to see. If your boxes are 1 piece, you can treat them before you put them in, I just like the 2 piece better, either way will work. I get to re-do the "work" that was done to this one, such is life. Hope this helps.

[BuckeyeDemon 211]

the factory also put some small stitch welds at a couple of places on my 69.

[bomccorkle 12]

thanks lato. I am in the same predicament. I think the guy before actually used flux core in some spots as I have found some slag. Anywho thanks a ton for the pic. It helped a bunch. The toe boards are being replaced anyways so I guess I need to get them out and at that weld up there.

 

These uni body cars are such a maze...

[bomccorkle 12]

BTW. What are you guys using to get at those welds??? Air chisel???

[BuckeyeDemon 211]

air chisels do more damage than good. cutoff wheels are one option.

 

if you replace the toe panel with the aftermarket, then cut out the minimal amount (same holds for most patch panels).

 

also don't forget the e-brake support.

[Mike65 476]

With all the sheet metal work I am doing on my 69 Coupe I have always used a cutoff wheel to cut the sheet metal, It makes cleaner cuts & I feel I have better control with a cutoff wheel as opposed to an air chisel.

[bomccorkle 12]

how bout those flanges around the perimeter??? just grind them I suppose?? The P.O. kinda made a mess of things. looks like he just put some barn tin in for patch panels and kinda re welded flanges for some reason... pretty much stuck with using complete panels cause there isnt much left of the old.

 

On a side note this is kind of an extended restore deal (hope to be done with sheet metal by winter) What are you guys using to kinda temporarily seal up your steel??

[BuckeyeDemon 211]

how bout those flanges around the perimeter??? just grind them I suppose?? The P.O. kinda made a mess of things. looks like he just put some barn tin in for patch panels and kinda re welded flanges for some reason... pretty much stuck with using complete panels cause there isnt much left of the old.

 

On a side note this is kind of an extended restore deal (hope to be done with sheet metal by winter) What are you guys using to kinda temporarily seal up your steel??

 

just for clarification, when i mentioned the cutoff wheel i was talking about cutting out the stitch welds so the torque box could be removed.

 

could you post a pic so we can understand what you are referring to? what flanges around what perimeter? are you now talking about the lower firewall (i.e. toe panel)?

 

for sealing enclosed areas, i have simply cleaned the metal, then sprayed epoxy. of course overlapped panels at flanges get the weld thru primer.

[Cougar20th 11]

Does anyone have a location of where the hole for the ebrake cable is supposed to be, My original torque box was so far gone that there wasnt anything left to measure. Of course the new torque box doesnt have it drilled.

[bomccorkle 12]

Yes. Now i am talking about where it connects to the inner rocker. Sorry to be a pain. Its my first real resto job

[Chelby-Ann 47]

Does anyone have a location of where the hole for the ebrake cable is supposed to be, My original torque box was so far gone that there wasnt anything left to measure. Of course the new torque box doesnt have it drilled.

Don't have actual dimensions to offer you. I just transferred the features to the new box and went with that. Remember that there is a track on the inside that the cable runs thru and should be removed from the old one if its still intact or you'll need to fab one. Used a spot weld remover drill thingy for the spot welds and the cut off wheel for those seam welds. These pix may offer you some help.

[Cougar20th 11]

ah crap, mine didnt have a track in there for the cable. Probably since someone had worked on it before poorly. How important is it. Without it is it just a matter of if being a pain to run the cable.

 

My new torque box is fully welded in along with the new floors. I really dont want to redo it

 

What are the 2 smaller holes for?

 

Thanks for the pictures

[BuckeyeDemon 211]

the two small holes are clearance holes for where the two screws for the headlight switch would mount to the firewall toe board.

[BuckeyeDemon 211]

Yes. Now i am talking about where it connects to the inner rocker. Sorry to be a pain. Its my first real resto job

 

many ways to remove. one would be to use a cutoff wheel or saw to remove most of the torque box. then it might be easier to get your drill in there to remove the spot welds to remove the remaining material.

 

i've also used a 4" grinder with a thick stone type grinding disk to simply grind the spot welds down in the metal that's to be replaced. that method (assuming you don't remove material from the panel not being replaced) leaves the other panel nice.

[bomccorkle 12]

thanks for all the help guys. Just about got the passenger box removed this evening. just a little more work and itll be out. hopefully the driver side will go a bit quicker now that i know what im looking for.

[JTG 10]

I'd recommend doing one side at a time, especially if your unsure of where to weld. This way when you're putting the first side in you can reference the other one.