# 68 Convertible rear crossmember replacement



## deanhickey (Apr 6, 2015)

Need some guidance on the rear crossmember. When looking between the trunk and rear bumper there is some heavily rusted metal. I assume this is the top rail of the rear crossmember. how do you determine if it has to be replaced and how much of a bear is it to find the part and change out? I have not found a thread on this topic.
Thanks to everyone for the warm reception to the forum.


----------



## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

This is a fairly common issue. Often times this frame piece is bent, even mangled from less than bright individuals trying to drag a non running car out by pulling it from this rear channel. Other times the rear channel is deeply rust pitted or partially rotted off. Have replaced several dozen over the years. 

Its not that hard, under an hour job, with a good used replacement piece, if working on a bare frame or rolling frame. In the car, you are going to have to carefully remove the ground wires and rear harness from the taillights, then remove the rear bumper, the gas tank, and the rear 4 body bolt bushings will need to be removed and the rear framerails slightly separated from the body. Over the years, have used my sawsall, acetylene torch, and even my brothers plasma cutter to zip the old ones out. All can do an excellent job, one just has to be careful and cut on the rusty rear channel side, then with an angle grinder, clean up the mating edge. Similarly, usually will need to clean up the rough cut edge of the donor piece. I have some magnetic edged plastic 45-45-90 degree fabrication tools that I use, then tackweld, and come back and run a full beed with the MIG. The job can also be done with a regular arc welder. The factory welds weren't perfectly "pretty", though can say from pulling hundreds of frames, they were originally wire welded. 

On the donor piece, there are at least two different styles of the stamping of the rear frame channel for '68-72 A body, GP, and Monte frames. Have processed 64-72 A-bodys for the last 25 years and have several frame stacks, including a stack of just he last 5 feet of many A body frames.feel free and put up a pic of the shape of the rear channel whereit goes under the gas tank filler neck, and I can ck the stacks to see if have one.


----------



## 68Resto-mod (Nov 10, 2009)

Dean
This is a non-load bearing brace that runs across the back of the frame. A new one could be fabricated by someone with metal working and welding skills.

The bad part is that the rear body mount sits on each end where the cross brace sits on the frame. To do it right, you would have to lift the body off the frame.

You may be able to patch in over the rusted out sections by just removing the bumper. If you try this, empty/flush or remove the gas tank as well.

Welding and gas fumes do not mix.

Nice looking 68! But then again, aren't they all?


----------



## deanhickey (Apr 6, 2015)

Thanks Guys, will be the end of June before the car.and i are re-united. Will bull the bumper then and do a proper inspection. If Liam able to put it off till i have the body work done I will otherwise i will have to re-vamp my schedule. will post pics then.


----------

