The Safrane.Info Forum!

Hi gang!

Hopefully one or two of you master restoration experts can give me some guidance here! This one is probably up 610's street..

I'm going round the safrane dealing with rust and grinding things back to bare metal etc. Now I've got what i can do at the front end done suspension wise - still got the chassis to do seperately - and i'm now looking at the rear subframe and shocks.

The shocks.. I think they're probably more hassle than they're worth. Totally rusted up, far worse than the front ones, I think i'll just replace them and be done with it. The rear subframe however isn't too bad but it does need the grinder / drill and my trusty wire brush assortment.

I've got to the metal plate in the middle above the two tracking rods:



Now.. although it was rusted right up and the nuts and bolts completely seized, I've got it all undone and lowered down. The only snag is the handbrake assembly is bolted on to it.

The metal plate itself is badly worn.. I suppose i could simply grind it down and repaint it but the angle grinder has already removed 3 small chunks from my attempt before unbolting. With the handbrake bolting onto it, I have a hunch a new metal part would be a better choice but none are available from renault

Anyway thats not the real problem. The real problem is that the handbrake bolts are seized and don't want to loosen up. When I turn it, it's bending the handbrakes metal leg that the bolt goes through and threatening to rip it:



It's looking rather frail and i'm a bit worried about how to get it off - tons of WD40 have been applied but it still doesn't want to budge (and there is another one like it on the other side).

Thats not the worst bit either... the metal block assembly bit is no longer available either so if i break it..

Can i have some guidance please!!!

Best tip with un-seizing any rusty bolts is to use heat. Use something like a propane torch (should be available from Halfords etc) to heat the head/body of the bolt until it is almost red hot. By doing this the bolt expands due to the heat, and when it cools it will contract thus breaking the corrosion in between the threads. Repeat this using plenty of penetration oil. Work the bolt head very slowly back and too when you start to get any movement from the head. Unfortunately, these things can take hours of heating and cooling to eventually work loose although I can't see that being the case on your safrane.

Thanks for that

Any ideas what i can do about the metal plate once i've got it completely seperate? - It's looking to be on its last legs and I don't see it lasting long once the car is back on the road.

I suppose I could smother it with hammerite / waxoyl but I think that will only delay the inevitable. The rest of the subframe is still pretty solid and just needs tarting up but that one part is a problem.

I do have another rear subframe but thats in an even worse state..