[choptop]

Hey guys, I've been back to work on my floorpans (finally) and got the subframe brace off the passenger side floor. Just as I suspected there was lots of rust underneath the subframe brace (see pics).

My question is do you think this pitting is bad enough to warrant replacing the brace? I've been planning on re-using it but I had to grind off about 1/32" of flaking rust and pits just to get this far. Should I just sanblast it, hit it with some weldthrough primer and re-use it or replace it with a repop? The replacement part is about $50, but that is $50 I don't have to spare (not currently employed!).

 

[3speed400]

I would sandblast it and spray it with a weld through primer. I think thats worth keeping. Mine looked exactly like yours after grinding it down and it didnt seem to have lost any strength so I kept it when I did my floor pans.

 

[Peter Constantine]

I'm taking the opposite tack here,only because I went through the same thing with mine.After I cut out a really bad section and welded in a patch I realized the rest of the brace was paper thin so I cut my losses and replaced it.I understand the unemployed thing (been there!) but I would replace it if at all possible.
As a sidebar-your pictures look almost exactly like mineriginal Fathom green car now Hugger orange.Cool!

 

[choptop]

Hmmm, decisions, decisions. Actually the metal isn't terribly thin overall and the brace is still pretty stiff. The thinnest part is near the forward edge where it was rusty top and bottom. My guess is that an old heater core leak was responsible for the rusting. That and the pan plug was not sealed- looked like something bounced up off the road and damaged the floorpan at the plug opening (2" gash). The passenger floorboard was really wasted away and obviously water got up under the brace to a certain extent.