New crossmember doesn't align

[bobplyler]

I got a new crossmember about a year or two ago, and don't remember where I got it (I've been buying a lot of parts).

I tried replacing it today, and the lower nuts fit fine. The passenger side side bolt went in
smoothly.

Bur the drivers side bolt won't go in. It looks like the nut is welded out of place by 1/4 - 1/8 inch. It's close.

Is there any secret to getting these aligned?

The original crossmember is in pretty good shape, so I'll probably just put it back.

[manoa matt]

What year is the car and what year is the crossmember from? The 79 and later crossmemebers had a 1/4" steel plate welded to the surface that contacts the frame rails. The plate spaced the crossmember down to accommodate the larger 2L engine.

Although I have no direct experience with a later crossmember, I recall other forum members have installed later crossmembers on earlier cars with no issues.

[bobplyler]

It's a 79. And the crossmember is for a 79. The nut looks to be a little low, and a little too far back.

[v6spider]

Is it possible that there is damage to the car... that the frame could be out of alignment?
Have you taken any measurements to see if either the cross-member was made improperly or the car has collision damage...

Might give some clues as to whatis causing the misalignment.
Rob

[bobplyler]

The car's been in two minor fender benders. One got the left front fender, and the other bent the hood. No major damage. I'm going to check the new crossmember when I replace it with the original.

[fiat218]

I bought a cross member from vicks auto, it fit perfect for my 79
There was a triangle plate with it,I did not know what it was for so I called them,
He told me on the frame some cars have space between the crossmember and the frame,I can't recall the exact words he used, but u should be able to see if the frame right where it bolts up to the cross member ,it either flat or there a indented area. If so then you use that plate to take up the space

[fiat218]

Well I happen to notice a slight space between the frame and cross member , stuck in the triangle part
It was on the drivers side

[bobplyler]

The plate isn't necessary on mine. Left<>right fits just fine. It's just the welded on nut on the left that doesn't align.

[seabeelt]

Could be a quality control issue with the new part. Measure the holes from the old and compare to the new and also from side to side. They should be the same.

[bobplyler]

Could be a quality control issue with the new part.

That's what I suspect.

[spidernut]

This should help: http://fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php ... er#p162624

I bought the cross member listed in this post from Vicks. At that time, he and I went back and forth over the compatibility of the 79 and 80 carb'd Spider cross members and the 80+ fuel injected cross members. I had to send the pictures in the post listed to make my point. It is nice to hear that he is on board now and understands that there IS a difference. I was pretty pissed at him for selling me a cross member that didn't fit. Throughout the process of trying to resolve this issue, I discovered that all of the fuel injected models have a notch in the passenger side frame that is the exact thickness of the metal plate that is welded onto the cross member. The 79-80 carb'd cars do not have the notch or the welded on plate. Why Fiat did this is beyond me...but it is what they did.

You should not have any gap when the cross member is installed. It should fit tight against the frame. If it does not, there's something wrong. The holes should align perfectly. Maybe the photos in the post referenced will help. If you have a cross member with the metal plate, it will never fit between the frame rails until you remove the metal plate.

Considering the price of used and new cross members, I'd recommend putting your old unit next to your new unit and using a tape measure compare the two. If it was truly a 79 cross member and your car is a 79, there should be no differences at all.

[fiat218]

My 79 had a space,it was on the driver side
Regardless of that space,the crossmember should have bolted up. Or no