Rear beam brackets - replace or leave be?

[boost monkey 0]

After I posted up pics of my rear brackets and how I was going to change them over, pete_griff rightly mentioned that I would need someone with alignment tools to put the new brackets on for me else there's a chance that the beam won't be perfectly straight on the chassis. Here are my brackets:

 

 

 

 

I have a brand new VAG N/S bracket (one with the BPR arm on) but I might as well take this back for refund if I'm not going to be able to fit it myself, as I don't have the beans to pay for labour at the mo.

 

I'd tidy and protect the current brackets if I left them on, that's for sure.

 

Any thoughts welcome!

 

Cheers,

 

Jon.

[CorradoVR6-Turbo 0]

i marked mine before i took them off,and you will find stain/rustmarks to line it back up again.

[boost monkey 0]

btw, if you haven't seen a bracket off the car they do actually have OVAL holes in, so there is a lot of weight to Pete's argument!

[G60SC_Stoney 0]

yeah, you can see where they went due to the crap thats left around the outside, but i didnt want to risk it, so really cleaned mine up and gave them a good coat of hammerite!

[coolrado 0]

just measure from a few fixed reference points to the bolt holes before you remove the brackets, then work your monkey magic on them and re-fit them, it will be just as accurate as any other way, unless you think the old brackets are not straight for some reason?

[boost monkey 0]

I have no reason to think they are not straight, just looks like a good thing to change! :shrug:

 

Cheers for the advice people. I could clean up around them and then spray some hammerite over the top to mark a silhouette perhaps... hmm.

[boost monkey 0]

cheers for all the help, future updates on this in the project thread. And it's good news :grin:

[KIPVW 0]

i'M ALSO GOING TO BE REPLACING MINE ON THE vr WHEN I DO THE AXLE BUSHES MATE AND AS SUGGESTED I THINK I'D PROBABLY CLEAN UP AROUND THE AREA THE SPRAY AROUND THEM TO MARK THE SPOT BUT NOT SURE IF THIS'LL BE ACCURATE ENOUGH!

 

KIP

[boost monkey 0]

Yeah I was thinking the same Kip, but even though the bracket holes are oval, you can only move it sideways (i.e. track width) so it should become clear quite quickly if you've put them too close together or too far apart! I will report back when I gert my new ones on.

[KIPVW 0]

Nice one :) how much are they anyway?

[boost monkey 0]

The big bracket with BPR arm on is £33.89 from VW without CCGB discount :ignore:

 

Haven't ordered the other side one yet, or the bolts.

[davidwort 0]

blimey, you guys are pretty obsessive, those are pretty tough brackets, just give them a wire brush and coat of hammerite :)

Kip, are you expecting bomb check style under car mirror inspections for next years concours, how much do you get marked down for non-VAG paint on an axle bracket? :wave:

boost monkey, I'd be more worried about your fuel filter/accumulator pipes! - BTW mine look much the same :lol:

[boost monkey 0]

I like doing things properly! the brackets have been on for 18 years, and I was half expecting the bolts to shear in the chassis. Never underestimate the power of a Corrado to break I say! :lol:

 

And yes, I knowwwww my fuel pump is FUBAR. It's all tie wrapped up together atm cos it hangs down so far. It would have been swapped already but the good 9A pump I have isn't compatible is it :shrug: it's "on the list" :bonk:

[davidwort 0]

only joking really, but your brackets don't look in that bad nick, just surface rust isn't it?

I'm pretty sure the 9A KE-jet system runs at a different pressure, slightly higher, that's why the pump is a different part number.

[boost monkey 0]

yeah I think so mate, those bolts came out all shiny gold still, just the heads were a bit crumbly! Money is a bit tight, perhaps I should leave the OS bracket as is.

 

Ah thanks, I should really shift it I think although I have no way to test it's working. Hmm. Maybe I could use the electronics off my car and just plug it in whilst on the floor or something.

[davidwort 0]

I've been thinking about the possibility of using a mk3 rear beam and brackets, the main reason being they are cheap, easy to come by and in fairly good nick (most of the ones I've seen in scrappies)

the axle bushes and brackets are different parts to the 4 cyl corrados (which are mk2 parts) but I reckon a 4 stud Golf mk3 estate should have a nice beefy built in ARB.

Failing that a mk3 GTI 8v/16v or VR6 beam would probably do and would have a good ARB, fitting my 4 stud hubs onto it.