IRS Conversion - Part three

28th April 2008
Even though I had the jigs fitted onto the car and the brackets looked good I decided that I would like to check the measurements that the brackets where angled up towards and compare them with each side.

First I had to level the car up as the axle stands that I had at the rear of the car where positioning the front of the car lower than absolute horizontal. I used a 2 ton car jack under the front beam to raise the car up to level as indicated on my digital level.

After taking readings on each bracket I found that they where nearly the same 0.02 degrees out. I hit the lower on with a sledge hammer and it came back to the 5.10 degrees on the other side.


After some research into pricing the cost of hiring a generator welder that would be cost efficient to to hire for two days . It was soon apparent that the cost of doing so was going to cost more than it was to hire a qualified welder with a generator welder!

Several phone calls later after scouring the Yellow Pages I found a man that had a portable generator welder that was used to welding farm, equipment. he quoted me no more than £100.00 to do the welding.

He turned up and soon began welding. It was soon apparent that his welding skills with his equipment where far more superior than his.

The brackets welded on easily the work I had done ensuring a good fit had made it a quick job to weld up. My welder used wire rod to weld in the holes under the brackets where I had cut out to much. I have read several articles regarding the installation of these brackets and it seems that this is quite a routine problem experienced by people attempting this conversion.

I trial fitted the gearbox an soon found that I would have to remove material from the frame horns where it interfered with the IRS joint. I measured the distance from the ground to the frame horns and braced the frame horns with timber between the horn and the axle stands. I would use this measurement later to ensure that the frame horns had not moved position.

I bought a 2000 degree blow torch powered from a propane tank. I used this to heat up the frame horns so that thy could be hit and reshaped with an assortment of different weight hammers. (Note here ensure that your propane regulator is correct . Do not let anyone sell you a regulator without trying the torch out on it.)

The metal was very malleable when heated and I found it easy to reshape it. I retried the gearbox and decided that I would need little more room between the IRS joints. I removed the gearbox and started at the frame horns again. This time I got them to the same profile and painted them up with red oxide and then primer and paint.

The assembly of the gearbox A-Arms and spring plates was next.