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Guide To "tubbing" Rear Arches


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#1 mini_turbo_pete

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Posted 11 March 2008 - 09:21 PM

This is a guide for people who want to Tub their rear arches

Lovely standard shape rear arch.

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make a nice big cut down the centre of the inner rear arch, then cut around the edge on the seam on the rear quarter then cut accross the front and the rear of the inner arch to join the other two cut up.

You will also need to cut the bottom bit of the side of the rear seat back out where it's spot welded to the rear inner arch.

This is what the piece you cut out should look like (note at this point the arch in the quarter panel is the standard shap with the lip removed.

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this is what the hole you have left should look like

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The piece of inner arch that has been cut out can now be used to mark the outer bodywork for cutting, put the inner arch side against the panelwork and mark it out. I used my finger and the dirt that was on the car.. lol..

Remember this is not a precise line for cutting, it's a rough guide, use some cutter to start cutting the bodywork out (i always use aircraft style snips) cut it slowly and keep looking at it to make sure that you have not started to cut too much out. i use a small piece of box section rest it on the piece of the inner arch thats left and the outer bodywork where your cutting, make sure it sits horizontal, if it goes up you have cut too much out , if it goes down yo need to cut a little more out.

I would strongly recommend that you don't use a grinder (unless you are extremely good with one)

This is a pic of the other side of my car, you can see where i have marked it out around the inner arch piece i cut out.

you can also see where i have cut it smaller than the marked line and gone back and cut it higher (it's easier to cut more out than it is to put it back)

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Once thats cut out get your peice of steel that you are going to use for the new arch and roll it untill it's a slightly smaller radius than the newly cut arch, make sure it's wider as you can cut this and trim it down after.

Start by tacking this in the centre of the arch, tack it on the inner arch as well as the outer arch

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Keep taking on untill you have got full arch tacked into place all the way round, tack from the centre and work your way to the edges. Keep the tack close together, the quarter panel will distort a bit around the welded area but this can be kept to a minimum if it's tacked close together

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Once it's all tacked you can start seam welding it all the way round, once welded you can trim off the excess metal.

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One tubbed arch...

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Just remember if you are going to slam your car you will need to move the brake line bracket off of the top of the radius arm and peen the inner arch lip over.

#2 1380davis

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Posted 11 March 2008 - 09:28 PM

cudnt explain it better.

fancy doing mine for some monies? lol

#3 panelbeaterpeter

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Posted 11 March 2008 - 09:47 PM

Great guide! you have the same grinder as me :cry: Moved to FAQ's :cry:

#4 mighty mini jack

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Posted 11 March 2008 - 10:20 PM

And me too!

Great guide Pete!

#5 mini_turbo_pete

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Posted 11 March 2008 - 10:56 PM

cudnt explain it better.

fancy doing mine for some monies? lol


Yeah i'll do your arches, i'll need about a month or so if your ok waiting?

Great guide! you have the same grinder as me :cry: Moved to FAQ's :cry:


My one is getting on for 6 years old this year and still going strong, I have in the meantime gone through 3 bosch ones.. lol (i usually have one with a cutting disc and one with a soft pad)

#6 In-a-mini

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Posted 12 March 2008 - 05:53 PM

Hey pete that grinder looks very familiar lol. All the work ones are still going strong they go through brushes eventually but only cheap they have a spring built in so when they wear down they stop so not to destroy itself (saves the comutator).

#7 robson

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Posted 06 April 2008 - 10:26 PM

mini turbo pete did mine today (almost - welder broke near the end!) and the work carried out was superb! Learnt many a good tip today too

Thanks very much!

#8 Ro8bieg

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Posted 06 April 2008 - 10:40 PM

Great guide! gonna be doing mine soon, looverlly mini 2 :D

#9 mini_turbo_pete

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Posted 09 April 2008 - 10:58 PM

mini turbo pete did mine today (almost - welder broke near the end!) and the work carried out was superb! Learnt many a good tip today too

Thanks very much!


I will be seeing you tomorow equiped with a new welder...

#10 joe_m

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Posted 24 May 2008 - 03:42 PM

hay,

erm.....
sound silly but what exactly is tubbing out arches ?
any befor and affter pictures ?

on petes picci of his mini, with the flaming exhaust, is the the finnished artical.
as i understand it you are just raising the hight of the arch..........?

i dnnnooooo ...

#11 T.Harper

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Posted 24 May 2008 - 04:15 PM

hay,

erm.....
sound silly but what exactly is tubbing out arches ?
any befor and affter pictures ?

on petes picci of his mini, with the flaming exhaust, is the the finnished artical.
as i understand it you are just raising the hight of the arch..........?

i dnnnooooo ...


Yeah, to stop wider wheels rubbing on the lip of the arch when you are going over bumps.

#12 joe_m

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Posted 24 May 2008 - 04:25 PM

hay,

erm.....
sound silly but what exactly is tubbing out arches ?
any befor and affter pictures ?

on petes picci of his mini, with the flaming exhaust, is the the finnished artical.
as i understand it you are just raising the hight of the arch..........?

i dnnnooooo ...


Yeah, to stop wider wheels rubbing on the lip of the arch when you are going over bumps.



ahhh cheers bud

#13 dave20046

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Posted 24 May 2008 - 04:28 PM

hay,

erm.....
sound silly but what exactly is tubbing out arches ?
any befor and affter pictures ?

on petes picci of his mini, with the flaming exhaust, is the the finnished artical.
as i understand it you are just raising the hight of the arch..........?

i dnnnooooo ...


Yeah, to stop wider wheels rubbing on the lip of the arch when you are going over bumps.

Hi good guide, jsut a couple of things did you use the grinder to do all the cutting or did you use an air saw or something? And what size wheels would require tubbing of the rear arches? Im planning on putting 6x12 deep dish wheels on my project mini.

#14 01smartc

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Posted 25 May 2008 - 09:07 PM

Ive just finished mine and i did it another way which seemed easier to me...

I left the arch exactly how it was and welded in a strip of metal on the inside of the car between the quarter panel and the top if the arch. basically straightening where the arch dips down.

You can then see, on the outside of the car, a line where the weld has penetrated through. Just then need to cut a few cm below this line all the way round and knock the excess over to make a perfect edge.

Probs the wrong way but thats how i did it!

Smartie

#15 fasteddie84

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Posted 06 February 2011 - 10:04 AM

Any chances of getting the pictures working again on this as I would like to do mine in the next week or so.

Thanks




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