Steps in replacing the front subframe

[TVR Sagaris]

Anyone got a brief guide to replacing the front subframe? As in which order to do what, what to remove and what not to remove.

Struggling to find anything - Haynes doesn't cover it - and I'd like to get a good idea of the work in my head before I do it.

[Neil8p]

To get it out I would do the following

Support the car where the inner wing meets the floor, I use axle stands and blocks of wood
Take the engine out, this will take care of gear linkage, drive shafts, wiring, exhaust, fuel lines and clutch slave cylinder
Remove exhaust if it’s still in the way
Disconnect brake line on the bulkhead
Undo the battery cable clips on the subframe
If hubs are still on, disconnect track rod ends from steering arms as the rack is mounted on the body
Support the subframe across the centre using a jack and a piece of wood
Undo the floorpan mounting bolts
Undo the front panel mounting bolts
Loosen the bulkhead tower bolts (2 small nuts for an early car, one big bolt for a later car)
Check the supporting jack
Remove tower bolts and lower jack, it might need a wiggle to get it to move. All the weight is at the back so be careful as you lower it as it will tip backwards.

Can't think of anything else, but you should be able to see if anything is still connected that will stop it coming out.

Have fun

[GTRMikie]

TVR Sagaris said:

- Haynes doesn't cover it -

My copy of Haynes does. Look under "Engine/transmission (with front subframe) - removal and refitting" (page 2B.6 in my edition) With this method you disconnect everything then lift the body off the subframe, then remove the engine from the frame.

[Cooperman]

GTRMikie said:

My copy of Haynes does. Look under "Engine/transmission (with front subframe) - removal and refitting" (page 2B.6 in my edition) With this method you disconnect everything then lift the body off the subframe, then remove the engine from the frame.

I did that once. It was back in 1969. Never again!

[Cooper1999]

Is it me, or have we had this conversation/thread not too long ago.......?

[Cooperman]

I think we have.
Best advice I can give is to take the engine/box out first and get everything out of the way. Then it's easy to remove the sub-frame with no danger of damaging the shell or having the whole lot go 'wonky' as you try to balance the engine whilst wheeling the body backwards.