Hi everyone,

Been doing some searching on here as I grounded my RX8 I knocked the Cat heat shield and bent the rear tunnel crossmember, pulling one of the bolts through the floor pan.

My local bodyshop are saying they need to remove the interior so they can
weld the floor pan and replace the crossmember.

The question I have, which I cannot find the answer to, is this. Are those crossmembers structural? I read on one post that one side is the bolt holes are slotted so I'm tempted to think that they are there just to protect what is above them? If so I would be tempted with a DIY repair job.

Any advice or experience shared would be appreciated.

 

1. pulling the interior is really easy, any Mazda tech can have the whole thing out of the car in about 30 minutes.

2. the braces are both structural and do offer some protection. the structural part is minor, but you still want it.

3. a DIY might be to just peel the carpet back and use a longer bolt/nut.

 

Whatever you do, don't have the crossmember welded directly to the floorpan; it needs to be removable for a number of service operations.

 

Hi guys

Thanks for the replys, I was quoted Ł500 ($750) for the repair. As the hole made is only small, not much more than the diameter of the bolt itself, I am considering just bolting it back, and using washers as necessary. I would hope it would suffice as it is only 1 bolt out of 4.
I am open to opinion though!

Thanks again

 

pull the interior yourself, buy the appropriate size welds nuts, prepare everything as necessary and with someone helping (since the nuts aren't welded they'll want to turn) bolt it back in, then take it to some local welder and have them welded, then reinstall the interior yourself. You will save a lot of money this way.

Also, afterward remove the bolts, apply anti-sieze lube on the threads, then reinstall for the final time. The welding process will burn off any oil and lube from the threads so if you don't put some back on the bolts may rust and potentially seize the threads. The bolts are exposed to all the road elements underneath the car so better not to chance it..

 

Thank you, yes I think I will do this.

I just have to find a breaker with an RX8 I can take the crossmember off now!! No luck with the breaking websites so far.
I'm going to try and combine this job with an underseal, I'm close to taking the plunge with some other investment in the car so it HAS TO LAST FOREVER!! :-D