Check your cross member!

[RoyBatty]

Not like most of you need to be told this.
But I knew it could be an issue and "thought" I might have seen the beginning of a crack on the left side of the cross member in my '75.
So, while driving home from work last week, I noticed there was an pull to the left in the steering that wasn't there before.
I got under the car at home with the intent of adjusting my alignment, and found the suspect area I had spotted before had opened up to a crack that was about 3/16" at it's widest point. Yikes! I guess I'm lucky to not have been in an accident.

Got a new cross member from Auto Ricambi and installed it in about five hours in my driveway.
Adjusted the camber/caster and toe. All is well.

[124JOE]

i had mine do that the mecanic welded it.i drove around 2 years that way

[v6spider]

Any reinforcement you can do won't hurt AT ALL!
I also recommend welding the seams as well. That alone will make the cross-member a lot stronger.

Cheers!
Rob

[DUCeditor]

When I had had my car only a year or two mine broke free on one side. Amazing grace, it happened (or at least revealed itself) only when I went to begin another drive.

My mechanic at the time, a man totally familiar with Fiats (he had owned a garage in Rome for some years), fabricated heavy metal braces and installed them on both sides, between the cross member and the frame. A fix unique to him? I don't know, but I've never heard of anyone else who had one like it done.

Its been that way now for another 22 or so years, tight and strong.

-don

[CajunMike]

It is important that everyone inspect the xmember periodically. Mine had a complete failure luckily as I pulled into a parking spot. The front right wheel completely buckled under the fender well. Had I been on the road it would have been a disaster. The lower bolt ripped out of the housing. Me and a bunch of guys literally had to pick up the front end of the car to put it on a tow dolly.

[124JOE]

ouch

[124ADDHE]

Agree! Same thing happend on my 74', luckily just as you, it was after leaving the road and when parking!!! Never forget that lesson

[wachuko]

Yup!

http://fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=13195