what is the best way to fix the body mount holes. i figure that i will need a washer welded on the bottom side of the hole. i am not a welder but figure that the guy that does my welding will think that it is no big deal. will it affect the body mount if it was welded on top? here are a couple pictures, i only have two holes that bad and figure that it will look worse after it is sandblasted tomorrow.

 

WOW! i am getting better at this picture thing.

 

Let me guess - this is the core support mount hole below the battery.

The right way to fix this is to cut a washer of the same thickness as the frame horn and butt weld it in flush with the rest of the frame. This way you won't alter the alignment of the core support. Fortunately, metal this thick is easy to weld and you can grind it smooth. It will never show once the core support is in place.

 

I had the same problem on my convert and we cut out the holes and used CAT washers, they are thicker than the frame so the extra stuff is underneath and the centre hole is the right size already....and that hole is a body mount hole...we did three or four holes, paper thin on the edge and original thickness on the outer diameter...and that's Cat as in Caterpillar- machine washers..nothing at all similar to dish washers grind the outer edges down to fit snugly

 

I agree with Joe P about butt welding, but I am not talented enough for that - I am a half-*** welder. I welded them up from underneath so it should not affect body height - I just may need to get lightly longer bolts for the body mounts. I then fill welded from the top and ground smooth. Once I got the frame back from blasting and powder coating, you could not tell anything was repaired. I purchased my washers from Grainger Supply - 3 inch OD by 1.5" ID by around 3/16" thick since the hardware store does not sell anything that big. Box of 20 was around $12. I had to do all but two of mine, but FYI that front mount you show for the core support is much smaller than the rest, so I used a hardware store washer for that one and sized it by comparing the other side and using the repro core support bushing to fit it.

 

Sorry - I think I actually bought washers with 1 3/8" or so ID and then opened them up slight with a die grinder so it would fit the bushing. Check your bushing to see what size you need.

I had the powdercoater do some critical welding where I replaced the rear spring perches because I wanted to make sure it was safe, but I did the washers for 6 hours of my labor and saved money because he was quoting me $200 just for that washer repair. I got the whole frame blasted, spring perches welded, and powder coated and pick-up/delivery for $550, so it is always good to do as much as your skill allows to save $.

 

this may sound like a stupid question but how do you know if the washer is in the right alignment with the shell body mount, so when you go to but the body back on the frame it all aligns back up. Mine has 4 body mount holes that are badly rotted. The holes are large. So the trick will be to get the washer to align proper so when you do put the bushings back on It will except the shell. Will I have to take some critical measurements off the shell first, Or try to find the specs in a service manual ?