Yet another rust post . Struggling to keep up with all of it.
Just greased up the transmission selector rod and thought id take a look at a small hole in the subframe/engine. cradle that I noticed a few months back.

Pocking around in it a little bit and getting the vaccum out, what was a small hole is now a bigger hole.
Ill get this welded up when it has its 1/2 shaft sepated from the hub due to siezure (another post).
Its not good, but at least the debris is out and the remaining metal around the hole is structurely sound.

That said the rest of the subframe is erm ......... lets just say ill ne doing this for some time hoping and praying.

Ive prodded and poked around the rest and it appears ok (laying flat on my back on the driveway), maybe a few things lurking that would be noticed on a ramp.

My 2003 L322 subframe looks almost new - there’s no sign of rust anywhere underneath (nor elsewhere). No salt on roads down here  Ron B. VK2OTC
2004 L322 V8 Auto
2007 Yamaha XJR1300
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How easy is it to replace a subframe? Would it be feasible to source one from a breaker, make sure it’s spot on and coated properly and then fit it to the car rather then chasing rust on your back underneath it? 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
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p38arover wrote:

My 2003 L322 subframe looks almost new - there’s no sign of rust anywhere underneath (nor elsewhere). No salt on roads down here

Welcome to UK motoring

dhallworth wrote:

How easy is it to replace a subframe? Would it be feasible to source one from a breaker, make sure it’s spot on and coated properly and then fit it to the car rather then chasing rust on your back underneath it?

The ones ive seen on ebay dont look too far off and there at £200+
The labour alone would be astranomical to get someone else to replace it, and as you mention before. I’ll be flat on my back trying to swap it out. Like most thing, would be easier with a 2 post 3 ton + ramp.

The car is almost at 200.000 miles - I dont really think it would be worth the expense swapping it, as im in it for quite a bit since I bought it now, on items that im not set out to do such as

-Paint
-Welding
-In more recent post, press tools for bush and 1/2 shaft removal due to siezure. + bolts that have snapped off due me trying to remove the wheel knuckle (goes into the workshop week after next for that)

I think it depends on what commitment you have made into the car...

If I had to replace the subframe on mine, it would be a no brainer I would just get on with it, its not a highly skilled job, just a huge amount of work.
There are two areas I would question and that is how to support the car and also how to support the engine as that rests on the subframe.

Once you have solved those then just disconnect everything (eg electrics, hydraulics and drive shafts) and drop the subframe with all the suspension components and slide them out.

Rebuild the whole subframe with new bushes all round and slide it back in.

As I said a lot of work (yes I have done it before but not on anything any way near this big) but not requiring great skill, maybe lots of guts and determination or just being plain stubborn.

For me I reckon a couple of weeks would do it, but somebody who is fit may a weekend or two. Range Rover 4.2 Supercharged 2006
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Previous Cars of note
Land Rover Discovery 2
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MG Midget 1974 - Concours

I have make it , its a lot of work , at first you need a good subframe , we have sandblasting and painting it with a good fat colour at last as eyecatcher a new colour in the car grey and at the last a painting inside and outside with wax

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Look doable, but a pretty chunky heavy job.

As you sat I reckon not too hard on a lift, so unless you are set on swapping it your self then I would get a garage to price it up, it may be less than you think labour only. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
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I had a 2002 4.4 completely rotten rear subframe (check this too!!!) but it had had a very slow oil leak from prior to my ownership and despite changing rocker covers and the pcv still dropped it Kepler the ground subframe soaked I cleaned it up and it looked like new still Current stable:
2006 BMW M6
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Gone:
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^^ Sprayed both the subframes with oil every year since I got the car. The original paint is still on them.

"FrankN"

Looking back at the before and after photo's, wow !!! that subframe had quite the crack !!.Plus with use of a decent ramp, made it all the more easy to navigate rather than laying flat on your back.

I see the vehicle on the ramp is being supported by the official jacking points, I tell you...my trolley jack went straight through the rear ones before I got new sills put in and had the jack points at the rear re-enforced)

Is that your ramp in a garage or at a car garage ?

My garage doesn't trust it, so so it goes on there MOT ramp instead. I too always lift it on the chassis from them on, even though the jack points structure at the rear are brand new.

"bigbo and northernmonkeyjones"

It is definitely something I would undertake as I have removed engine/subframes from nn Astra and a E46 325ci on the driveway, but they are much lighter in comparison to this 3 tonne beast !

.................Going slightly off topic............................

The plan originally was to purchase the car (£1000) put a £1000 into it i.e welding, paint, materials and to sort out the interment running issue, then to see where I went from there. The car was always purchased as a project, and not a daily

But as its taken up quite a bit of my time (And the welding and paintwork went over ££) I may as well keep it now, plus it does drive better (when it works) than my WJ 4.7 V8 Grand Cherokee that I have just sold which I owned for 10 years. I used the Grand Cherokee originally to pick this vehicle up as it wouldn't stay running.

nicedayforit wrote:

^^ Sprayed both the subframes with oil every year since I got the car. The original paint is still on them.

If mine was in great nic, I would be doing the same

@ mazza

The car have I repaired by a friend , on my ramp is standing my Jag with a charger defekt .

For all , oil outside is good but inside is the rust beginning , I have closed the draining and put anti rust inside for 12 hours but you must rotate it of all sides

Click image to enlarge

^^ if you can seal all the holes in the subframe why not just fill it with oil? That would provide 100% corrosion resistance.

Is the subframe is new , but when you many years later begins with him the rust is inside , I don’t know what is the best ,

Regards
Frank