Strange inward deformation?, My 1974 914-4 has a strange anomaly Options

[Jezibel]

My 1974 914-4 has a strange anomaly that I cannot figure the cause of. [See attached 4 images of the left rear lower side panel.]

When I first got the car it had this unusual inward turn to it, assuming it had been somehow bent inwards a slight bit, so I manually pulled it back into normal conformation again.

However, in the course of driving the car's once--week 10 mile course (that includes a fast sweeping right turn freeway onramp) and returning to the garage, that panel seems to always want to resume that weird inward turn-in on that lower right rear panel (just in front of the wheel arch...between the left-side jack point and the wheel arch).

I haven't the slight idea what is causing this. The car has been "restored' and repainted a few years back, with any and all rust issues (if any) carefully addressed and rectified, but I am drawing a blank to explain this particular panel 'glitch.'

As usual, any and all insights and inputs on what may be behind this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[mepstein]

Pull the rocker and take pics. Unless you have pics of the restoration, anything could have been done to that area. Structure could be failing, etc. there is a problem but it will need some more digging to see what it is.

Also, take some pics at belt level, looking at the back of the car

[Montreal914]

Is there a rubber washer ~4mm thick between the rocker and the fender? There should also be one in the front.

The rockers are very weak in that last rear ~foot as the lower reinforcement fold is notched away to clear the rear suspension.

My view on this: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)
The rocker is riveted the whole length of the door sill, then is not supported for that last ~1ft and held at the back anchor point (black arrows in the picture).

If the car flexes at the jack point (classic weak area), The fender will pull the rear anchor point up and will force the rocker to bend at the yellow arrow #1. This would induce a deformation on the rocker which, due to its natural bevel shape along the lower line of the car, would make the lower rear end to bend inward.

Again... just a theory for what it is worth... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[Jezibel]

Pull the rocker and take pics. Unless you have pics of the restoration, anything could have been done to that area. Structure could be failing, etc. there is a problem but it will need some more digging to see what it is.

Also, take some pics at belt level, looking at the back of the car

Copy that, MEPSTEIN. Thanks. I'll do that.
Cheers, -Jezibel

[SirAndy]

That's a lot of shims on that corner too. May just be a bent trailing arm, could be previous accident damage too.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[Jezibel]

Is there a rubber washer ~4mm thick between the rocker and the fender? There should also be one in the front.

The rockers are very weak in that last rear ~foot as the lower reinforcement fold is notched away to clear the rear suspension.

My view on this: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)
The rocker is riveted the whole length of the door sill, then is not supported for that last ~1ft and held at the back anchor point (black arrows in the picture).

If the car flexes at the jack point (classic weak area), The fender will pull the rear anchor point up and will force the rocker to bend at the yellow arrow #1. This would induce a deformation on the rocker which, due to its natural bevel shape along the lower line of the car, would make the lower rear end to bend inward.

Again... just a theory for what it is worth... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

And that, my friend, looks like a very nice job of sleuthing! It certainly sounds quite reasonable, and as I said, the car is put through a long 'sweeper' on-ramp that I usually take at speed (thus putting some significant force on that left rocker rear section. I'll check the rubber grommet tomorrow, and also see if this seems like it might explain that strange inward bending anomaly. Thanks! -Jez

[Jezibel]

That's a lot of shims on that corner too. May just be a bent trailing arm, could be previous accident damage too.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

Another useful insight, SirAndy. Tomorrow I'll take a much closer look at all this. Hope it isn't a bent trailing am (as you suggest). Cheers, -Jez