Rear frame cross member question

[harleycontracter]

I bought an original cross member . The one that goes at the very end of the frame. It was cut off the frame . I have to cut out the pieces that should not be there. There are about 8 screws/ rivets on one side of the flat surface. Does the lower trunk pan mount to that? Are the screws or rivets? I can't tell Txs

[Big hammer]

Pictures would help! On my late 31 Tudor there is no sheet metal attached to the chassis frame, sheet metal attachs to the body sub frame.

[rotorwrench]

Most of the bodies have an attachment to the extreme right and left top flanges of the cross member utilizing a wood block & bolt hardware. Pickups also use the attachment to the bed support structure. It is the farthest aft mounting location for the model A frame.

Original frames use rivets to attach the cross member and angle gusset supports to the rear of the frame rails. It's not uncommon to see screws or bolts substituted for rivets that have worked loose for some reason or where the rear cross member has been replaced for some reason.

I drill the rivet heads enough to go completely through the head using a bit that is just a bit smaller than the rivet shank size using number or letter drills if I have to. I use a pin punch or chisel to carefully break the head off then drive the rivet shank out the other side. Further drilling may be necessary to get the rivet shank out but the key is not to enlarge the rivet hole too much so that it can easily be riveted again with the same size rivet. If the hole is too large, I weld it up and redrill it to the correct size.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by harleycontracter

I bought an original cross member . The one that goes at the very end of the frame. It was cut off the frame . I have to cut out the pieces that should not be there. There are about 8 screws/ rivets on one side of the flat surface. Does the lower trunk pan mount to that? Are the screws or rivets? I can't tell Txs

This entire post would be MUCH clearer if everyone would use the correct nomenclature!!

To my knowledge, the 40-B Body never had a frame, ...and the rear-most portion of the body's sill assembly was called the 'Floor Cross Sill - Rear' (A-40055). The way this first post reads, the poster purchased an original A-5030-B Frame Rear Cross member that he is suggesting was cut off of the A-5005-C Frame Assembly.

[harleycontracter]

I'll take a pic tomorrow. I have built many other early yr cars Never an A Not sure of the correct terms on all parts Try to describe best I can

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

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Originally Posted by harleycontracter

I'll take a pic tomorrow. I have built many other early yr cars Never an A Not sure of the correct terms on all parts Try to describe best I can

I have worked on many brass-era and 'nickel-era' cars too, and the proper nomenclature for those (sills, dash, etc.) have all been called the same thing as what you would find in the Model-A era. Pictures of what you are speaking of would be a great help. All that I knew was that you are working on a 40-B body.


.

[rotorwrench]

Body sub-rail, body sill, same thing on steel cars. Wood body cars from Briggs, Murray, & others would have a wood body sill but a frame is a chassis in my book. It's all just semantics anyway. Folks new to the old Fords will pick it up as they go. Questions come in all sorts of ways. We'll figure it out eventually.

[SteveB31]

It also would help a lot to know what body style body we are talking about

[gdmn852]

Hello ,the trunk pan on a roadster May rest on top of frame crossmember due to being bent down but not actually fastened. There was a post on a reenforcement to be installed if changed to a rumble seat but it was just a piece of welt and retainer,fitted between frame and pan .As you may know there are 8 wood blocks with rubber pads attached the sub rails to the frame.they are the only attaching points.

[rotorwrench]

Most of the cars that could have a rumble seat used the same trunk pan/rumble platform. They set up on top of the floor cross channels & body sills so there aren't too many places where they can make contact with the frame. They had to clear the rear cross member so they set up higher than most of the other floor pans with exception to the seat riser for the front seat on 28/29 models. 30 & 31 model front seat risers are a bit different. The use of wood for the Cabriolet cars gives them differences as well. We would need to know the body type for sure. Phaetons, Tudors, & Fordors are very different from Coupes, Roadsters, & Cabriolets.