Corrosion - is it safe to drive?

[Sir Brixalot]

Got the van up to fix an ATF leak and fit a replacement starter motor. A big lump of filler fell off near the jacking point revealing corrosion. Is it safe to drive? Its only the front part of the plate which is rusted. The back part and the arm are solid. Any ideas on the cheapest way to fix it?

[clift_d]

[jamesakers]

Good god no!

Get a new mount welded in: http://www.alanhschofield.com/ourparts/ ... 03198.html

[mrhutch]

no way.

sorry

[Sir Brixalot]

Any idea how much it should cost to fit? Another problem to go with the ATF leak and starter motor

[BOXY]

It looks pretty bad above it. Is the pillar above the suspension mount sound?

[Sir Brixalot]

Flew through MOT on Tuesday! I've had a good poke with a screwdriver and its solid behind and above. I can't understand why the front is so bad. This is definitely not something I can do so it'll need to go to a garage. So I'd like to get an idea on price.

[CovKid]

Extensive corrosion that is. I wouldn't even drive that round the block. When it collapses you'll know about it. No cheap way. Will need completely new mount and remedial work around it.

I can't believe someone would fill that It doesn't look too hot above it either. Can only guess whats in there.

[Ant-t]

I wouldn't drive it, can't offer any idea on price but if it was mine I'd bite the bullet and get it sorted

[CovKid]

From a bodge angle, looking at it, if it was a 'get you home job' you'd have to clean up whats there, make a plate and weld the bolt to it, to stop it moving. However, its a bodge of the highest order (except perhaps the filler thats already fallen off).

The problem you've got is to fix it properly, the trailing arm has to come off and they're troublesome enough to remove as it is. Given the state of everything above it, the only sensible way forward is to remove wheel and trailing arm, replace bracket, put right the rot in outer panel/sill and refit trailing arm - likely new bushes too. I agree, bite the bullet and get it done.

If the filler disguised the rot well, it would certainly pass an MOT at some places but they wouldn't pass it now - no way. Its completely unroadworthy. More importantly, you won't truly know how bad that corner (and indeed trailing arm) is until its opened up. I suspect theres more to be found.

I've met several welders in my life that would laugh at a job like that. They just go at it like a duck to water. If you can't weld, you need to hunt down someone like that.

[Sir Brixalot]

I think this is going to have to wait unless I can find someone close whose skilled enough to do it. Sounds like a lot of money which I don't have. I don't want to bodge it and leave someone else with problems. It a bit scary that I've had the family on a long trip with the mount like that,

[multisi]

Take out the recessed plastic plug at the front lower part of the inner wheel arch and feel the inside of that area, if its rusty you best get it seen to.

[Sir Brixalot]

A few mm round the bung is rusty, further in and up is rust free and even lower down the metal is solid.. Looks like the previous owner had stuffed in roof lagging which is waterlogged even in hot weather like this hence the rust below.

[davegsm82]

The route that water takes to get in to that area is actually very tedious. I found it by accident one rainy day.

Rain runs down the seam between the upper rear panel above the rear wheel and D-pillar, enters the seam, appears inside the cavity directly above the rear wheel, rots out the bottom of the D-pillar and also runs forward over the wheel arch and into the bottom of the C-pillar and rots through to the area above the jacking point eventually damaging this too.

Make sure all your seams are sealed up tight!

P.s, sadly I concur, not safe to drive. I wouldn't even like to bodge it as you can't really guarantee the strength of the repair section. There's not an easy way into this area either, you have to go through the floor inside the bus or wheel arch panel off and access from outside

[Wychall]

This repair cost me £180 to be repaired with a jobbing welder. Took him 6 hours at £30 per hour.