Rear Lower Cross Brace Removal

No support required. Just get ready to get dirty. Hopefully you're lucky enough to have a lift available. Where in Wyo? I grew up in western Nebr.

Clockwork,

I have had my parking brake assembly off and do not recall having to cut anything but it was a couple of years ago. I just recall disconnecting the cables at the brake and then the pulley at the firewall. I could be wrong and maybe the 72 parking brake is different than the 74.

Also have you looked at the Removable Rear Lower Cross Member sold by some of the vendors? It maybe a good option for if you cutting the stock one out. Here is a link to one. It looks pretty slick.

BTW - Husker, I think he is in Cody. Pretty far North if you're not familiar with all of Wyoming.

Devin

Hey thanks........I have a redneck lift.....going to drive the pantera half out of the garage and use the difference in grad as my lift .

Garvino is correct I'm in Cody, North West Wyoming......but I spent some time in Torrington in my 20s chasing some Nebraska ladies.

Clockwork, two things. On my previous Pantera I had to get into the bottom of the engine, and it had the welded in brace (not the hand brake one, the other). I cut it, planning to weld it back in. Can be done. My Hand brake bracket was removable. I ended up for other reasons taking the engine out anyway, so I could weld it back in, just welding from beneath would not have been very solid I think.

BUT...before you do anything, do you really need new oil pan gaskets? This may be unpopular on this forum where we tend advocate doing things right, regardless of the work needed. There is an alternative, clean the area where oil leaks with gas or solvent or something, apply RTV black. That might fix it until you for some reason want to take the engine out later? Most Pantera engines do come out occasionally
It has worked for me on two occasions over the years, I knew the engine would come out some months later.

Clockwork,
Dennis Quella sells a removable e-brake bracket.
My niece just "moved" to Cody. She's working at the hospital for a couple of months.

I am right in the middle of installing both the removable lower cross brace and the P-Brake bracket. I cut both out with a reciprocating saw and then used an angle grinder to grind down the welds that were left; the "get dirty" step mentioned.

I have an early car, #1663, and the nice IPSCO aluminum brace did not fit. Measure the space between the rails before you order. The aluminum one is made to 12.370" and the vendor will not make a custom size. Apparently the frame rails can vary +/- 0.25" from the factory, especially the early cars. Mine came in at 12.10. Dennis Q is making a steel one up for me in that size now.

For the P-Brake bracket, you can tap the 1/4-28 threads into the frame, but you only get 2-3 threads. A better option is to order rivnuts and an inexpensive ($10.00) installation tool from Pegasus racing. The Dennis Q. P-brake bracket fit perfectly.

quote:

The aluminum one is made to 12.370" and the vendor will not make a custom size.

Really - did you ask IPSCO directly? Mark Johnson at IPSCO made my lower aluminum cross brace (and the upper) to my excact measurements for my pushbutton car. No extra charge - I payed $75 each for two. I think that might have been the prototype he's (and Dennis) is selling now. My measurements were also a little off compared to the production cars (if I remember a little narrower) but he corrected that and the fit was perfect.

I bought quite a few parts from him and most were custom measurements.

Kristan

quote:

I have an early car, #1663, and the nice IPSCO aluminum brace did not fit. Measure the space between the rails before you order. The aluminum one is made to 12.370" and the vendor will not make a custom size. Apparently the frame rails can vary +/- 0.25" from the factory, especially the early cars. Mine came in at 12.10. Dennis Q is making a steel one up for me in that size now.

I just did this (lower cross member and P-brake bracket) yesterday on a '73 car. The owner got the parts from Larry Stock. The cross member came with two different thickness shims (sorry, I don't have any measurements). What is nice about this approach is that it is much easier to get the new cross member around the hydraulic lines and into place. Once in place, add the shim(s) and tighten the nuts.

John

I did talk to Mark directly via e-mail. His note said it would be too costly to set up his CNC for the build of 1 bracket and that I should just go with Steel. I did not ask what "too costly" is? Maybe mine is an oddball size and just not worth the hassle. Here is his response:

"I looked at the cross member to see if there was material on the ends to remove an .125 off each end and still be strong, and I think it would be pressing the issue. I can or Dennis can make you up a steel cross member to fit your car, as setting up to machine just one of those cross members out of Alum would be too costly. Sorry I don't have a better answer.

Mark"


I received my steel one from Dennis today and it fits, although I like the idea of the one using shims. Seems a lot easier to get in and out of place. Is the one from Larry Stock steel or aluminum? Thanks

quote:

Is the one from Larry Stock steel or aluminum? Thanks

It's steel.

John