Hints and tips for replacing full chassis legs

[CRAZYDAVE]

As above any advice much appreciated. My manta is rusty at swan necks only but I am lucky enough to have full genuine Opel legs available to do the job to original standard. Does anyone have any pictures and or advice? I have the necessary welding and prep skills my main worry is twisting the shell. I have a proper rollover jig and chassis jig (kindly made by Kevin Abbott from original dimensions on his superb shell top job) 

[mantasrme]

If the shell is generally solid apart from the chassis rails then it will have no problem on the jig. I tend to do one chassis rail at a time, leaving the other one there for body strength.

If the shell is rotten in various area's the bits i always do before mounting on spit are the inner wings, and wing mounting rails. They put a lot of strength into the front end to prevent movement when you have a jig mounted to the front of the chassis rails. Without these being solid if you have the car upside down and remove a chassis rail you cantweak the shell around the inner wing/bulkhead join.

If you area actually going to replace the full chassis rail all the way to the bumper mount you will want the car supported by other areas when removing it all. I would have it rolled to 90deg with the leg being worked on at the top (chest height) then an axle stand under the shell resting on the A post at the strongest point, and then an engine hoist with straps around the roof pillars to take the shells weight. That way the front spit upper mount is not taking any load at all.

If you are just replacing the rail to the top of swan neck leaving the inner wing front rail then it can just sit on the spit with an axle stand to hold it in place/rest on A pillar such as this

With a solid upper shell you can even turn the shell over on the spit with the swan neck/floor rail off and holes in the floor and front of sill (to access jacking point inner structure) so you can always weld at the correct downhill angle to get the neatest results (and check you have the fit perfect from all angles)

[CRAZYDAVE]

Thanks David superb advice as always I'm assuming with strapping the pillar on the side being worked on  using engine crane you mean bottom of a pillar (windscreen bottom corner)?

[mantasrme]

Yes, reaching over from roof side with hoist i would lift the shell slightly from that point, just enough to remove the upper spit mount out of the rail. Then lower again leaving lower spit mount and ust touch the axle stand, but leave the hoist under tension too. I think that would be easily sufficient to hold the shell in alignment while taking the full rail out and not needed a lot of bracing welded on to hold it in place.