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HELP - Chassis / Rear Tub problem. - NOW SORTED
wilkingj - 29/5/05 at 03:23 PM

All,
I have been wrestling with the rear tub for two days... and I have now cracked it in two places and have given up

It will need a new rear section if the bodywork is to look any good. (more ££££££££'s)

Please can anyone with a Viento measure from the back of the rear bulkhead to the rear tubular rail (See photo with tape measure in it)

[img]/upload/Reartop3.JPG[/img]

I cannot get the back tub to fit and have now split it in two places.
I appreciate its tight, the Build manual says so and so does everyone else.
I DID "RTFM" (Several times!!)
I can see whats happening, and have widened the cuts to give a bit more leeway and stretch, but I now believe the rear tube is too NEAR the rear bulkhead. Hence me asking you all to measure it on yours.

Being too near (forward) it forces the side sections downwards, and these cannot sit on the top of the side rails. Or if you sit them on top of the side rails, the corners dont fit (see other picies in the reartub section) you can see the bowing, of the rear skin, and moving away (outwards) at the ends.

When I gave up, I thought I would cheer myself up and lay out the pre cut tinware for the lid. Then I saw what could be the problem. This does not fit either!. Look in my REARTUB pictures in my archive, I have taken several shots, and now believe either the chassis is wrong (my thought), or the rear panel and top are wrong.

I cant stand the strain of not knowing, and our pals at Luego are on holiday (like the rest of us) until Tuesday. I cant wait that long. So could you go out and measure the bit shown in the photo with the tape measure in it (Above if it comes out)

All help much appreciated.
Thanks in advance from a very downhearted me.


[Edited on 29/5/2005 by wilkingj]

[Edited on 19/6/2005 by wilkingj]


tks - 29/5/05 at 04:34 PM

i slammed with a big hammer on the corners of the rear bended tube in that i way i could fit the rear panel

altought its a pain in the arse fitment.....

and now i wish i could bend the corners back again..

Tks


coovey - 29/5/05 at 04:55 PM

Mine was an absolute Pig to fit and now its on the panel is bowed in and looks crap in the right light. But it was such a pig and will be expensive to replace I'm putting up with it.

I know it doesn't help your probelem but you know your not alone.

[Edited on 29/5/05 by coovey]


Paul (Notts) - 29/5/05 at 06:41 PM



The rear tube at the top on my chassie is located ( approx )2 inches further from the back of the bulk head cross member than yours apears to be !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have test fitted my rear tub and it was tight but a good fit!!


so there apears to be a problem !!!



[Edited on 29/5/05 by Paul (Notts)]


wilkingj - 29/5/05 at 07:04 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Paul (Notts)


The rear tube at the top on my chassie is located ( approx )2 inches further from the back of the bulk head cross member than yours apears to be !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have test fitted my rear tub and it was tight but a good fit!!


so there apears to be a problem !!!



[Edited on 29/5/05 by Paul (Notts)]


Thanks, Thats confirmed what I thought.

I would still like anyone else with a Viento to have a quick measure, and let me know.
The question is has now changed.,.. Is mine a one off, or are there others like it, ie could be a design change.

Maybee they have changed the design, and I have the wrong back panel.
I will have a word with Grant on Tuesday, and see what we can do to sort it. They have been really good so far, so hopefully we can sort this out..
I fell a bit better already! (probably the Newcastle Brown weigning my right had down thats doing it!


hector - 29/5/05 at 08:23 PM

Hi Geoff

I have just measured mine (viento), and from the face of the bulkhead to the CENTER of the rear rail and it is 445mm, and judging off your photo yours seems to be about 400mm??

I havent tried fittin the rear tub panel yet and i dont have a lid to try either

hope this helps you

cheers colin


wilkingj - 29/5/05 at 10:19 PM

Thanks, Thats two the same. Any more for any more?.. ie more confirmations?.

I will get there in the end, I was just hoping it would be a bit sooner.
never mind, I fitted the front suspension this afternoon, that went fairly well.


darrens - 30/5/05 at 09:41 AM

G'Day,

I've just measured mine, from the face of the bulk head to the centre of the rear tubular rail and it's 440mm. Not tried fittin panel yet but not looking forward to it.

Hope this helps

Darren


Peteff - 30/5/05 at 10:41 AM

These look like the toecaps of a man who's done a lot of praying. I'd be tempted to ask them to come out and have a look at it. If you had to could you cut some of the front edge down where it meets the side panels and cut the tops to suit? Rescued attachment Reartop4.JPG
Rescued attachment Reartop4.JPG


Paul (Notts) - 30/5/05 at 01:52 PM

Had time to do some detailed measurments on my Viento

bakc of top bulkhead crossmember to tube center = 445 mm

back of bottom bulkhead cross member to center of lower rear cross member = 694 mm

top of bottom rear cross member to center of top tube = 430 mm

hope these help!

Palu (notts)


wilkingj - 30/5/05 at 08:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
These look like the toecaps of a man who's done a lot of praying. I'd be tempted to ask them to come out and have a look at it. If you had to could you cut some of the front edge down where it meets the side panels and cut the tops to suit?


Praying???... Those are boots of a man who's Altar is covered in grease, paint, tools, and has a Pillar Drill for a candle stick holder

Hmm... I cut the panel to match the top rail near the roll bar upright (forward one)
However, as My rear bar is 45mm or so further forwards this looked like the right thing to do, as the panel would not fit (too Low and kept springing off the side rails).
The sides would not slip over the top rail, so I widened the slots, to give a bit more "give", but that didnt help either.

I didnt realise the rear rail was 45mm nearer the front until I laid the pre cut tin lid bits on it (later). Then it became apparent.

I expected to do some fettling, and I expected the rear panel to be a bit difficult, as it said so in the build manual, (Yup I DID RTFM) and others have also said so. So it kept cutting , a little at a time. On the last attempt, a bloody great crack appeared (well 5 small ones all together) Its stuffed the rear panel on the corner.
I cant fit it now (looks crap due to the cracks).

Anyway its Tuesday tomorrow, and I will have a chat with Chief Surgeon Grant and Matt.. They will know what to do.

Now I have some measurements, I know Mine is wrong, so It needs the rear top rail fixing, that's a welding that I am not really expert enough to do myself.

I have had a better day today, and have fitted the front suspension and hubs.

Only problem is I ripped my trousers several times when passing by the exposed wheel studs.
Good job I had the Viento on the stand in the low position!!

Its all coming together, and I am most grateful to the guys on the forum who go and measure their cars... just to help me out..

Many Thanks to you all. At least I am sure of what the problem is, and how to overcome it. However, its another hurdle to jump!. Thank god for my Doctor proscribing me plently of "Happy Pills" otherwise I would have topped my self by now! I only started the project for something to focus on, and to give me something to do (whilst recovering from a Major Sense of Humour Failure).


Again, Many Thanks for all your help (in keeping me sane-ish).

Best Regards
Geoff


wilkingj - 31/5/05 at 04:55 PM

Rang Luego this Morning....

Grant was out ALL Day at Cranfield University giving a presentation.

I think he was there being Stress Tested!!
I'll Ring tomorrow


JoelP - 31/5/05 at 06:26 PM

quote:
Originally posted by wilkingj
I fell a bit better already! (probably the Newcastle Brown weigning my right had down thats doing it!



no help with your problem, but might i take this moment to commend you on an excellent choice of beer?! it can only make things better. a firm favourite of mine too.


wilkingj - 31/5/05 at 09:07 PM

Yup... Its a good Beer (for one in a Bottle).
However, I ran out last night, and am blagging a tin or two of Draught Guinness off the wife

I cant get near my youngests Speckled Hen... he guards it!

Nice to meet you at Stoneleigh..


Scotty - 1/6/05 at 08:23 AM

hi geoff
just read this post, mine was one of the early kits, and will check later
let us know how it goes


wilkingj - 2/6/05 at 09:01 PM

Update:

I have contacted Grant, and had a good productive chat. Chief Surgeon Matt is on his Hollys, so I will have to wait untill he gets back. Thats not a problem, as I still have plenty of other jobs to do.

My two problems are simple. Luigi is imprisioned in the Shed, ie its built around him!. I wasnt going to take the wall out until it he was ready for SVA / MoT etc.
Also I dont have a car trailer, and its too heavy to get on the roof rack of the Landy.
I will get sorted... usually do in the end, but its the journey to get sorted that can be a bit difficult!

I am not doing much, as it got to me a bit too much, by cracking the panel, so I have spent a couple of evenings resiting the Firewall into the Comms rack at home. Now I can use the KVM switch on all the machines, and not have so many cables trailing all over the place. Its a bit tidier

Its all back up and running, but network seems a bit slow. Hope its not the cheapo extension lead I extended the ADSL with.

I may try changing it to a bit of CAT5 Cable, as its twisted pairs and the extension leads are flat 4 (or 6) wire cable. It wont like not being twisted..
I will just see how it goes, but 2.14Kb per sec is NOT right on a 2mb line.

Hope its just the patch I am downloading!.. It is fairly new, so probably half the world is downloading it!.

Oh Well.... Back to my bottle of Newcastle brown... It helps me sleep better...


wilkingj - 19/6/05 at 10:03 PM

First and Most important of all is:-

BIG THANKS TO EVERYONE at LUEGO

Grant has been brill, Customer Care working at its very best!


Right... down to the rest of the Story.
The new back panel was ready for collection, and I wanted it Friday, but they were busy getting ready for the newark Show. So Grant opened up on Saturday, which turned out to be better, as I went a bit further up the A1 and visited Newark, as I originally wasnt going to go.

Grant let me have a new rear rail as well, just in case I really needed it. Today, I looked at it and my original thoughts were to cut the sides of the top rail and insert a bit of tube and support it internally with a smaller pipe. BTW... Land Rover Steering Drag Links fits exactly inside the top rear rail size wise

First I overlaid the new rail just to see how they compared. See for your self:

[img]/upload/CompareBars1a.jpg[/img]

Not only is it short, its not equal across the back! No wonder I couldnt get the back panel on, and broke it

First I slit the sides of the original bar and with a rather large lever, moved it to the new position further back. It looked OK, but the sides were now pointing a bit skywards. OK... Out with the scaffold pole, and Geoffreymedes here could not bend the short sides. Which is a tribute to the quality of the steel and Matts welding.

So I chose to go with "Plan B". Slotting disk duly fitted to the Angry Grinder, I carefully cut out the old rail, leaving just a small section on the uprights, so I could get the right height again.

[img]/upload/NoBars1a.jpg[/img]

I then had a play with my welder and the off cuts, and found settings that welded quite nicely. I am not the worlds greatest welder, but when it goes right, I can do a reasonable job. I was going to get a mate (Apprenticed Welder at Lister Engineering, and now chief Coppersmith and Welder for British Rail - Welds anything to anything!) to do it.
However, as I got on well with my tests with the old bar, I thought I would chance it. Well 90% of it went really well, and the other bits are solid, but not too pretty, and it wont be seen with the body on.

I did tack weld it, and measure it all several times!

Its all in place within 1mm or better.
I have trial fitted the old back panel, and it just clicked into place first time.. and aligns nicely.
So Ive painted the rail and exposed metal, with red oxide. Tomorrow, it will get a nice cost of black Hammerite smooth. The I can fit the new back panel, and get back on schedule.

Grant and I discussed how this came about, and from what he told me about how the bits are made, I cant understand it either. It shouldnt have happened, but it did. No one esle seems to suffered with this problem. All your measurements tie in with Luego's, and the Viento's I have measured. I had a few funny looks at Newark when I asked to measure up a Viento belonging to this chap.
I even measured up Suggs Viento as well... They ALL tally. BTW... Really NICE Build / Job Suggs (and lady)
It looks like mine was a one off, and its almost solved, (fit new back panel this week after the paint has dried a bit!)

[img]/upload/NewBar-on1a.jpg[/img]

All I can say is, thanks to everyone for helping by measuring.
Not forgetting Luego, who have been Brilliant..

PS... they even offered to do the welding, but I would have to dismantle one end of the Carport wall, and get a trailer, so I didnt take them up on that offer.
I have mates who are Pro welders, so didnt need to. They would have also dug me out of the crap if I had come a cropper with my welding attempts, but even that went well for me.. Even the sun shone... and I slaved over a hot welder all afternoon


Paul (Notts) - 20/6/05 at 05:34 AM


excellent


wilkingj - 20/6/05 at 10:01 PM

Can anyone see the images, All I see is the code / link.


need4speed - 21/6/05 at 07:06 AM

Geoff,

Nice to hear you have it all sorted. No your not the only one I only see the links as well. nothing in your photo archive either.

Dave.


wilkingj - 21/6/05 at 05:07 PM

Thanks... The Photo's are all under the section marked REARTUB in the archive..

A BIG THANKS to Luego, who have been Brilliant. A classic example of Customer Care at its best. Well Done Grant & Co.

[img]/upload/New Rear pane1a.jpg[/img]

[Edited on 23/6/2005 by wilkingj]