I wonder which of Ford, Chevy, and Dodge have the most incidences of broken frames. I got to wondering when I noticed the cross-member in the rear of the late model chevy trucks is a tube that appears to weaken the frame siderail. You can see where it attaches to the siderail just looking out the window at the wheelwell of the chevy truck you are passing (of course you are passing the chev because you are in a Ford!). Where it mounts is a big hole in the frame side rail (diameter at least 50% the height of the side rail) and it looks to me like it constitutes a big weak spot in the side rail and could cause the truck to fold under heavy loads.

 

I have seen alot of old chevys going down the road
that are sagging in the middle from rust,,funny,,
I've never seen a ford sag unless it was from worn
out frame to body bushings. the latter being much
less of a pain in the *** to fix..

 

Early ch*vy 4x4's(70's) have a kit to repair/strenghten the frame at the steering box-they like to split/crack/pull-apart from the leverage of turning! Don't know about the 4x2's, if they have the same problem or not.

 

I have an '85 Camaro and it doesnt have a frame, but the length of metal that the Power Steering assembly bolts to is busted right through..I couldnt believe that they couldnt get that right!! The split was just from the pull of the assembly as there are no dents and it has never been in an accident...I just had to bi**h about that..It really made me mad!!
I must add that it now sits in the yard lifeless...It looks good as a yard ornament..

 

I'd be surprised if the hole in the frame decreased the strength that much. Why? Because the farther you are from the center line of the beam, the more important it is to the total flexing of the beam. Otherwise an I beam wouldn't be nearly as strong as it is. The thin web really does very little except hold the two caps in place. The top and bottom are the real strength.

The same reasoning applies to wood beams in houses (Just where _do_ they run those plumbing lines? as well as aircraft spars. Take a look at a light aircraft with the skin pulled off, or stick your head in on a home builder. You'll notice that most spars (The main beam in the wing) have "Lightening holes" in them. Same with wing ribs (Watch "The Spirt of St. Louis with James Stewart, where they are building the plane.) Those frameworks are incredibly strong because of the spar caps and the bracing. Solid metal/wood is removed where it isn't needed for strength, but would add extra weight.

I'm not saying that's why Chevy did it, and wouldn't want to own one anyway (True Ford Blue!) but it may have been a convient place to remove metal for access to something else without comprimising strength.

At least that's what they taught us in engineering 101.

Dave T.
Aviation Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic,
Computer Tech,
Life long Ford Owner. (And damn proud of it!)

 

Look how many more Old Fords there are on the road, compared to Old Chxxx's!

Reason #1 Fords are easier to work on.

Reason #2 Ford Trucks are made from better Sheet metal!

Reason #3 They're just plain cool to watch drive by!

And finally:

Reason #4 They really make the Chxxx guys jealous!

 

I noticed the steering box moving on my '79 F150 4x4 (daily driver) last week. I thought maybe the bolts came loose, until I saw several cracks in the frame around it. It had cracked all the way to the shock tower and the frame was flexing. It was probably due to my abuse of excessive snow plowing over the years. I've never seen or heard of another Ford doing this ever. I guess with enough abuse, it can happen to any vehicle though. I had the steering box removed and the frame professionally welded. Looks like I'm good to go for another 130,000 miles! I'd still rather push a Ford than own a Chevy!!!
Kenny

 

I'm new here, so go easy on me. I figure it has to be Ford trucks. Reasons: There are more of them built, sold, and still running around. The law of averages. Also, what do you see more of in extreme duty enviroments? Not Chevy, not Dodge, but Ford. Most brand X trucks are personal rides, never exposed to the situations Ford trucks often see. Wreckers, rollbacks, mini bucket trucks, small packer trucks(I know a guy who broke one of these nearly in two, amazing how heavy compacted garbage is), stake beds, snow plowing, dump beds, grass fire trucks, ambulances, big way overloaded one ton service rigs, etc. I know my own service truck averages 8800lbs, transverses access roads to man holes, ditches, construction sites, places I'd be afraid to drive a C/K or RAM unloaded! Agree or disagree, please give me your opinion, I'm open minded.

'96 F-350,137"WB,4x4,PSD,5speed,4.10LS,
aluminum Pierce enclosed service body, Code 3 amber lightbar, SHO-ME wig-wags front and rear, Cobra 148, enough tools and material to wire a small Office LAN system on board at all times.

 

Hi guys, my father has an 85 f350 4x4 6.9L diesel four speed with granny gear His cross member came out of the truck but only after somebody towed a charter bus with a chain it used to belong to adventure trails bus line and was sent out to tow buses off of the road when they broke down!!! thats ford tough
John FATFORTY

 

One of my favorite Ford ads is from about the early 80s where a Ford pickup 4wd hauls both a Dodge and a Ch**y truck up a rock pile. One truck is crossways on the Ford's bed sides and the other is on a chain. Now that's Ford Tough!

 

EVERBODY KNOWS FORDS HAVE MORE BROKEN FRAMES,THEN ITS DODGE.THE FORD SUPER DUTYS WERE BREAKING IN HALF WITHIN MONTHS OF THE TIME THE WERE BUILT,AND IF YOU DON'T BELIVE ME ASK FORD.

 

most ford trucks can't survive long enough to break a frame .

 

fords front x-member cracks quite often on the axle pivot mounts,lifting the truck adds to the problem.I've replaced several and fish-plated others if the customer couldn't aford the new brackets.

 

Hey chevy boy Come on down and latch onto my ford and see if you can break the frame before that garbage truck motor gives up the ghost!!!!!! John

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 09-Feb-01 AT 05:44 PM (EST)[/font][p]Well my Father knows this Gentleman who has worked for Coachman RV manufacturing for a long time and over coffee one evening he told my Father that they used to convert Chevrolet chassis into RV's but eventually gave up on them due to their frames needing to be extremely beefed up in order to support the camper shells extra weight & length, and he said that the Ford chassis was already up for the challenge from the factory and there for made more sense to just convert the Fords. Also he told my dad that years ago wile they were still putting up with the inferior Chevrolets the company decided they should build another plant on the west side of the Rockies due to the problems they were having with some of their Drivers getting them up and over the mountains without overheating or loosing their transmissions wile on their way to the dealers on the west coast. So that should give you an idea who builds a better frame & an all around better quality product, and that was coming from the mouth of a guy who is in the field and has seen first hand who builds it better from the ground up. So Sorry Chevy Boys that's just the way it is.