Workshop Projects
Standard Class Challenge Truck / Cleaning and repairing the chassis
With the chassis stripped, the first task of renovation was to clean it. Working with sanding pads, grinders and descaling tools, the rust and corrosion were slowly removed to reveal the state of the chassis itself. As with so many vehicles of this vintage, the rear crossmember needed replacement. Other areas which needed attention included one of the front dumb irons and a couple of small patches on the main chassis rails.
Some simple patch repairs were sufficient for the dumb irons and chassis legs, but the rear end was going to need a more drastic approach. It has always been the intention of this project to be a budget build, using as many reclaimed and recycled parts as possible... and the rear crossmember was the first of these. The Devon 4x4 challenge 90 had recently undergone some cosmetic surgery in the form of a trayback conversion, which left its D44 rear crossmember with no home. Some work with the relevant tools saw this crossmember revitalised, cleaned up and ready to be fitted to the chassis. The existing, rotten part was removed and the new item welded in place. Using this crossmember gave the added benefit of providing the rearmost mounts for the roll cage.
Before it could be painted, new engine mounts would be needed for the 300tdi transplant which was due. But before that could happen, some minor challenges needed to be faced.
Some simple patch repairs were sufficient for the dumb irons and chassis legs, but the rear end was going to need a more drastic approach. It has always been the intention of this project to be a budget build, using as many reclaimed and recycled parts as possible... and the rear crossmember was the first of these. The Devon 4x4 challenge 90 had recently undergone some cosmetic surgery in the form of a trayback conversion, which left its D44 rear crossmember with no home. Some work with the relevant tools saw this crossmember revitalised, cleaned up and ready to be fitted to the chassis. The existing, rotten part was removed and the new item welded in place. Using this crossmember gave the added benefit of providing the rearmost mounts for the roll cage.
Before it could be painted, new engine mounts would be needed for the 300tdi transplant which was due. But before that could happen, some minor challenges needed to be faced.
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