Take a look at my torque box area.

88 Fox GT

Active Member

Nov 18, 2002

1,674

0

36

Iowa

Aug 24, 2006

#1

• Aug 24, 2006

• #1

Do they look damaged? I noticed on both sides there is a little bending in the fronts and the passenger side appears to have a crack or separation in front of where the lower control arm mounts.

Passenger side.


Driver side.


I plan on getting full length sub frame connectors next. Can I install them and prevent any further damage to the torque boxes, if I even have any damage now?

 

Attachments

• Picture024.webp

  36.4 KB · Views: 1,338
• Picture025.webp

  40.3 KB · Views: 4,993

R

R2D2

Aug 24, 2006

#2

• Aug 24, 2006

• #2

subframe connectors wont help the boxes

 

S

stihl-066

New Member

Jan 4, 2006

90

0

0

Aug 24, 2006

#3

• Aug 24, 2006

• #3

looks to me like you need to put something on there to stop the rust. Then fix your problem. Be sure to put some undercoating on there or you might be putting in new torque boxes in the future from rusting out.

 

notch22

Member

Aug 24, 2004

22

0

17

Katy, TX

Aug 24, 2006

#4

• Aug 24, 2006

• #4

stihl-066 said:

looks to me like you need to put something on there to stop the rust. Then fix your problem. Be sure to put some undercoating on there or you might be putting in new torque boxes in the future from rusting out.

Click to expand...

No lie. You may be replacing a LOT more than torque boxes if you let that get out of hand.

 

D

dec322

Member

Feb 11, 2006

401

2

16

Bham AL

Aug 24, 2006

#5

• Aug 24, 2006

• #5

I've been wondering about torque boxes....now I'm subscribing for more info.

 

88 Fox GT

Active Member

Nov 18, 2002

1,674

0

36

Iowa

Aug 24, 2006

#6

• Aug 24, 2006

• #6

It's only surface rust. The rust hasn't even begun to start eating through anything. Trust me, undercoating is on my list of things to do very soon. Now, how about the torque boxes? I get a popping noise when taking off in reverse or forward. I figure it's either these making noise or the fact that my spring isolators are nearly rotted off and it's the springs binding against the metal.

 

bill302

Active Member

Nov 2, 2005

2,131

1

46

alabama,gadsden

Aug 24, 2006

#7

• Aug 24, 2006

• #7

88 Fox GT said:

It's only surface rust. The rust hasn't even begun to start eating through anything. Trust me, undercoating is on my list of things to do very soon. Now, how about the torque boxes? I get a popping noise when taking off in reverse or forward. I figure it's either these making noise or the fact that my spring isolators are nearly rotted off and it's the springs binding against the metal.

Click to expand...

have you ruled out u-joints most of the time the symptoms your describing are bad universal joints...

 

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

15 Year Member

Nov 11, 2003

6,945

1,598

223

Northern KY

Aug 24, 2006

#8

• Aug 24, 2006

• #8

Subframes can actually make torque box damage worse if it's already an issue. The more you stiffen the chassis, the more work the suspension has to do, and the more of the bumping and flexing it has to absorb. If you have aftermarket control arms and a strong running car with a stiff chassis, you narrow down the week links to the torque boxes.

 

Mavrick

Founding Member

Aug 29, 2002

2,264

0

46

Collingwood, ON

Aug 24, 2006

#9

• Aug 24, 2006

• #9

Are you kidding? That's barely surface rust, I wouldn't worry about that.. have it undercoated and forget about it!

 

68torinogt

Hey guys, guess what--I have a bi-pass!!!

Mar 21, 2006

0

0

53

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine

Aug 24, 2006

#10

• Aug 24, 2006

• #10

you need to clean the rust before undercoating.

rust doesnt stop when it is merely "covered" up. it keeps eating at the steel,

rust is some nasty s***!

 

88 Fox GT

Active Member

Nov 18, 2002

1,674

0

36

Iowa

Aug 24, 2006

#11

• Aug 24, 2006

• #11

The thread isn't about the rust! lol

I know it's got some surface rust and I'm going to get it cleaned up, but do you think my torque boxes look damaged? Does anyone notice the small upwards bend? In the bottom picture, you can see where the paint is wrinkling where the bend is.

bill302 said:

have you ruled out u-joints most of the time the symptoms your describing are bad universal joints...

Click to expand...

U-joints are new.

 

S

stihl-066

New Member

Jan 4, 2006

90

0

0

Aug 24, 2006

#12

• Aug 24, 2006

• #12

Sure if you think there are some cracks buy an aftermarket strenghtening kit. But be sure and fix the rust. I just put both front and rear frame rails and torque boxes that the previos owner just covered up with undercoating when they had some surface rust. The kits are like 170.00 from jegs. Easy install if you can weld. I just put a set of them in my 82 GT.