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Triumph TR6 differential mount repair

Gee, I’m back already with another super exciting blog! Well, I get excited about it anyway! Nothing like seeing something going from scrap metal to looking new again or at least newer!;)

 

What the heck is a differential mount you might ask? Well, on an independent rear suspension, the differential (center part with the ring and pinion gears) is mounted semi-rigidly on rubber mounts and the axles are bolted to the differential to make an Independent rear suspension, or IRS, no not The IRS! 😉

 

However, on these particular vehicles, the differential hangs from the frame by steel mounts and insulated rubber mounts and the right front is prone to breaking and cracking. I don’t know what kind of noise it would make, but I’m sure it’d have to be sound like: %A$#@^$@$&^@$%^&&, something like that, and the driver says, What the heck is that noise!!

 

Well, this is the right front differential mount that’s in relatively poor condition to say the least! To repair this mount with the body still on the car would be one pain in the buttocks! But here, someone did attempt it, so I get to repair it! I’m a good welder and I’ll do a jam up repair job!

TR differential mount3

 

 

Another view after I removed the old mount. It’s not cracked up to what it used to be! 😉

TR differential mount4

 

 

 

 

Now on the top side, normally the pin going through the top is firmly welded in place without all the cracks; this must have made a hell of a racket!

TR differential mount2

 

 

 

 

 

Actually, removal of the part I’m cutting here with my Harbor freight electric cutoff tool does a terrific job. Just cut along the old weld and it kind of just pops loose with the aid of a screwdriver, However, the center part (pin) is a little more tricky to remove.

TR differential mount18

 

 

 

 

 

On this mount, the pin was in relatively good condition and I just worked around it by cutting around it with my cutting torch leaving, this. I cleaned it up with a grinder and all is well!;)

TR differential mount repair8

 

 

 

 

 

Here, I’m just mocking around with the new parts, the left side at this point. I was trying to figure my approach to weld in the strengthening plates. I don’t want this ever to mess up!

TR differential mount12

 

 

 

 

 

After being darned sure where the parts were going to be, I used little magnets to keep the plate in place while I tacked it into place. The outer most plate had to be welded in all by its lonesome, and then build around it. Don’t worry, I did straighten the metal out though it didn’t really matter.

TR differential mount20

 

 

 

 

 

The magnets kept the plate in place, then I removed the plate from the pin to weld the inside of the outer plate. Did that make any sense!

TR differential mount repair7

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here I took the new pin over to the bench grinder and notched it and make the hole larger in the plate. I wanted the weld the fill in the gap so the weld would be more flush instead of a gaudy looking weld.

TR differential mount19

 

 

 

 

 

I feel the welds came out OK and the strengthening plates should secure the differential for a long time to come;)

TR differential mount repair5

 

 

 

 

 

Keep in mind, the frame is upside down!

TR differential mount repair

 

 

 

 

 

Here, placing the differential in place making sure the mounts all line up, this was before I had welded it all up. I’m using My Little Mule to put it on, take it off, put it on, Take it off, etc. get the picture?, I have new bushing on the way 😉

TR diffferential mount13

 

 

 

 

 

Now onto the topside, I used a 3″ roloc wheel to clean up the metal and expose the cracks. I used a ball type carbide bit to scallop out the lines to weld them up, also drilled a small hole at the end of each crack to keep it from spreading.

TR differential mount15

 

 

 

 

Though not as pretty a weld, but nothing that my angle grinder won’t take care of! 😉 Looks like an itsey bitsy spider!

TR differential mount14

 

 

 

 

 

As usual, Necessity, the Mother of Invention took part in making a rotisserie to make life much easier! I had one Harbor freight engine stand already, just had to buy a second one then fabricate a means to attach it to the frame. Note the wood beneath the rear wheels of the engine stands? that was to elevate the lift “rolling” part to be parallel to the frame to not bind up as the frame was being flipped.

TR frame rotisserie1

 

 

 

Here I fabricated a wider part with taller casters to make what I did in the above photo. Now I can move the frame freely in the garage! 😉

Rotisserie5

 

 

 

 

Now all painted up with Rust Bullet and should be good to go for another 40 years! This is now Right side up, keeping in mind the differential hangs from these mounts.

TR frame painted

Well my dear friends~ that about wraps up this part on the diff mount repairs! I hope to keep knocking parts of this restoration out! But I don’t want to go too fast, if I get finished, I won’t have anything to do!!!! dne’

Hey, don’t forget to subscribe to my blog;)  I try to make interesting and a little funny;)

6 Responses so far.

  1. Gary says:

    Nice work, as always! The Triumph looks nice on the outside, wonder how that frame got so rusty?

    • admin says:

      Hey Gary! wait until you see the floor boards in upcoming blogs! OMG! Thank you for the compliment!!!! dne’

      • Gary says:

        Hi to you Denee, it’s been a while since you posted, but I’m sure you have been busy. The Triumph is lucky to have you working on it! I look forward to seeing the floor pictures, I had a similar problem with my Datsun, but I was able to patch it instead of replacing the whole floor. I have always liked the way the TR6 looked, but have never had one or worked on one, so I am interested to follow along. I didn’t even know it had a separate body on frame, I thought it was a unibody car.

  2. ron says:

    i’d been wondering how your project was progressing. thanks for the update … and education. can’t wait for the next one.

    • admin says:

      Hi Ron! yes, the poor little TR had been sitting at Moms for a long time, we finally got finished with our house addition, including my new addition to my garage!! I’ll be baby sitting for the next week, or kid sitting I should say, my 7 y/o grand daughter will be with us for about a week! 😉 Looking forward to some quality time with her~ she may even learn something!;)

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