yes i noticed that on chevy and GMc frames they kind of hang lower than everything on the truck they look like it ould be a problem when off-roading. anyone else noticed this? its only on the heavy duty models.

 

I've noticed the same thing; it must look horrible with a body lift.

 

your only as high off the road as your pumpkins - the Chec HD frames are the highest. I don't think it looks the best either but that frame/body combo has the least win drag of the HD's as well as the highest GVWR.

 

Its terrible they hang that low. One big reason I would never have one. Being out in farm country you do drive your truck over ditches and high spots on roads. Looks like you get high centered with that truck. Its already happened around here. One guy was going to check his irrigation well had to drive through a low area. Well he got high centered. Stupid low bumper hit the mud and then the frame high centered him. He got an older HD Ford 4wd truck and then he was just fine. Traded that thing off pronto. GM trucks are to low to the ground to suit me. In farm country they just dont cut it. Just cant off road those chevies takes a good ford to do that.

 

they are just as weak as the 1500 frames however...

i replace chevy frame al the time.... they all buckle behicnd the front lower control arm mounts so bad the rails frequintly hit the starters and wipe them out as well.

pretty much a non repairable frame, fully boxed, but weak as he!!

waiting to see what the new sd frame looks like after a good front hit...

 

Matt,
As a side note, my dad was repairing a '03 SD that had a burned seat. He was looking for interior parts from salvages. Most of them replied by saying something to the effect of, we don't have any interior parts off of superduty's for sale. Why he asked? Well, they are all rebuilders. You can't hit them hard enough to scrap 'em.
Now that is a tough frame.

 

well I have a 78 chevy and I have went through ruts that our combine got stuck in about half way up the tire and didn't hurt the frame and my dad has a 98 chevy that we use for farming that we have had no frame problems with.

 

That's ironic I have a friend that owns a salvage yard that says almost the identical thing about late model Ford frames...

 

Matts 250 is right those chevy half ton frames are extremely light. A diehard chevy guy told me this. The HD trucks got a strong frame but the half tons are whole different story very light.

 

thenrich,
Late model Ford frames (97-03) are pretty weak compared to the old Ford frames. They are probably right about on par with the 1/2 ton Chevy frame at this point. The '04 Ford frame is totally new though. Supposedely the strongest and stiffest frame available.

 

I'm sure that in a few years we will start seeing alot of sagging chevy trucks. The frames are welded in the middle. All chevies have the same back frame and the front is welded on to match what ever engine combo is chosen. Saw this in one of the four wheeler magazines not to long ago. They talked about it in an article about a guy that built a dmax suburban.

I dont see a whole lot of difference in the super duty frame than my other F250's. Seems pretty stought.

 

Hun all the thing you guys mentioned on the Frames of Chevy trucks like how they sag and how there low while to me there just rite. I own a 04 Chevy Duramax LLY 590 i use it to tow and do the handy work around my ranch, when i bought this truck i ask the dealer the same question and he said it was a hydrofome frame alot stronger and durable then any other. No braggin here from me but i like how my Chevy handles, it moves my three axle trailer good, here in South Dakota it gets busy with stock show rodeos and stuff and the Chevy does me good especially my old 3/4 ton Chevy i just got a 472ci in it and thats a hauler itself but not here to compete just wanna be heard but i do got a 79 Ford just got it started two days ago and it started up with ease!

 

You know that the frames are strong enough, I haven't seen too many problems with them only 2 replaced due to mechanical problems with the 6.5L diesel cracking around the motor mounts and hydra forms doing thier job in accidents,

Having said that though it is easy to get hung up under the cabs due to deep snow or I would imagine mud, I do wish they had a little more clearance under the cabs but then I would probally just get even deeper before I get stuck.