My brother's 1992 F350 has broken both frame rails right behind the front mount for the front leaf springs. The full cracks are directly between the front spring mounting point and the radiator support body bushings.

The truck has a 2 month old reman. engine, aftermarket tranny, brandnew 35's, and very little rust. It wasn't supposed to be a throw away vehicle

I'm including a photo so you can get a better idea of the problem.

I'm looking for suggestions or opinions.

Option 1: straighten, patch, bolt, weld.

Option 2: complete frame replacement costing what the truck is worth

Option 3: send it over a cliff and file an insurance claim.


Here is a link to a photobucket.

I'm basically just asking for the best way to repair it.

The lift on this truck was done with extended front shackles instead of new springs (previous owner). It's fairly obvious the applied leverage caused these tears.

Should I be worried that this will happen again?

 

I would straighten it, then find a some 1/2 plate, and cut the longest piece you can out of it and make it just barely squeeze inside the C channel, then put at least 4 1/2 bolts on either side of the crack.

It will hold without a problem my uncle cut the frame and shortened the frame on his semi and then did the same procedure I told you, the truck has since hauled tons of loads many miles without a problem.

 

Should you be worried this will happen again? Unless you get rid of those crappy front hangers for some real lift springs... yes.

 

you should just give the truck to me lol jk fix it its a ford its worth it go with dean88 thats the best plan u could go with

 

You could also weld the plate after bolting it on.

 

you cant repair that. The only thing you can do is cut it off and make a new frame out of plate steel

 

or take the mount off and weld the crack and sell that baby on

 

it looks like the previous owner must have jumped it and landed square on the front end or something to cause that much stress on the frame to split it like that

 

i would straighten the crack weld it, grind down the welds, make a 3/8ths in steel plate that slips over the frame so it holds the side and top and bottom, weld it on, then drill some holes and bolt it on with half in bolts

 

I would to, also I like to make the 3/8 (or even 1/4) plate edges not square <==> Gives the weld more surface, and also distributes the strain off any one point of the weld.

 

yeah make a V where you are going to weld it so that the top edge of the patch is higher than the bottom end so it is like
\-----
--------

 

Thanks for the ideas.

Due to the position of the tear I might just rebuild the frame horns from the radiator support forwards. Maybe just replace it with a tube design. It's just such an awkward position that anything we do will be very difficult. A jigsaw puzzle of pieces would never stand the obvious torque put on those drop shackle mounts.

The tear down begins early Monday morning. I'm not looking forward to it! If I think about it I'll post some pictures of the project just so others can see the flaw in drop shackle mounts. Yes, they're a cheap lift but it stopped being cheap when that frame started to tear.