Frame repairs started with patching a few sections in the battery tray. Before, getting ready to remove the rotted section:
After, patched with 1/8” aluminum flat bar.
Phase II: Rolling Chassis
Now it was time to give the chassis some attention. First up was to flush the differential fluid. I was skeptical what would come out, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was 90W gear oil, and it didn’t look too bad. No metal shavings or “burnt” smell. The bearings all seemed to rotate smoothly as well. Refilled with 75W-90 synthetic.
Next was a brake job and new brake cables. Turned out the passenger side cable was frayed and had not been working for a long time by the looks of the drum. It was full of mud and dobber nests.
While I was working on the transaxle I figured I’d go ahead and clean/sand/paint the axle tubes
Much better.
While I was in a painting mood, I decided to go ahead and strip/sand/paint the rusty steering column. It made a big difference
At this point I was ready to address one of the biggest challenges with this cart. It seems in the past the front leaf spring mounts on the passenger side were cracked and then broken off.
Someone had rigged up some hose clamps as a “quick fix” but there was no way that was going to fly with me. It needed to be repaired properly. There was also a crack in one of the welds joining the seat pan to the frame. I’m a welder, but I’m not setup to weld aluminum, and I didn’t want to drop the $ on a spool gun, different wire, different gas, etc. So, I made a few calls and found a guy that could do it pretty close. I loaded up the chassis to take it over. Sure is nice and light like this!
$100 later I had a repaired frame. Not the prettiest welds in the world, but they should serve the purpose.
Now I was resting easier, with a good frame and transaxle. I knew I had a decent base to build on, so it was time to order some upgrades.