Porsche 911 Front Suspension Pan Repair
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Occasionally a client comes to us with a basically sound car but for one rusted area. The front suspension pan and gas tank support is very susceptible on 911's due to the location of the battery(ies). Even our coveted California cars can be affected due to the action of sulfuric acid on the metal parts. The following photos show the area affected and the steps taken to correct the condition(the gas tank has already been removed).
Just looks like some innocent surface rust caused by battery acid doesn't
it?
Here is another shot. If you are inspecting an early 911 or
912 for purchase, poke at this area with probe such as an old screwdriver.
Sometimes it is only held together with the old undercoating.
Underneath it even looked solid - until I gently squeezed.
Here is a better shot with a back light. The scary part is
that this is the structural member that the torsion bar attachs to. The weakness in this
area even caused the left wheel to camber out so that an alignment would be
impossible. One could see the extreme camber just looking at the position
of the tire. This is a very dangerous condition. The front suspension
was literally ripping out of the car.
The following photos show what needs to be done to repair this problem. This is not a DIY repair and should only be performed by an experienced shop.
Since this is such a common occurrence, replacement panels are available.
This is the gas tank support.
Here is the new suspension pan. This is what the torsion bars bolt to.
After the bumper is removed the spot welds need to be drilled out.
Next the old panels are cut out.
The new panels have been welded in place, primed and undercoated.
Body color paint has been laid down.