Show off some frame flex?
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 129
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From: North Idaho
Show off some frame flex?
I decided to post some pictures of my brothers 77 highboy...I was working on a fence today and had to back the truck into a sizable ditch so I had to see how much it twisted... surprisingly not much...I backed up until it almost picked up the left rear tire. It started to spin so I parked it with the tire almost off the ground, I didn't feel like putting it in 4x4...But overall it looked good, good old highboy frame.
Couldn't get the tail gate open..but you cant hardly open them on level surfaces either...
A little rust
Couldn't get the tail gate open..but you cant hardly open them on level surfaces either...
A little rust
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 129
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From: North Idaho
It probably would have twisted a little more if I picked the tire up off the ground maybe another inch, It was just to the point where it was about to pick up...But this is a pretty light truck, it weighs 4800 lbs where as the lightest 4x4 superduty you can get weighs in at 6100 lbs...so it works out.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,121
Likes: 1
From: Springfield, VA
I was about to say the same thing. I guess having your bed bent in an oppisite direction from the cab is cool to some people, just not me.....
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Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 7,005
Likes: 2
so i shouldnt notch my frame to weaken it a little to get a few more inches of flex outta the frame?
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Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: North Idaho
You can say it is not a good thing to have, but honestly I think it is necessary. They know these trucks are going to go offroad, if frame flex, or I should call it twist was a bad thing it would have been engineered to not do so(Frame twist was actually part of an old ford truck add, It said, "Bed is separated from cab to twist when going over rough terrain"), with out a flexible frame cracks will occur. Have you ever seen a semi truck do a sled pull or go over rough terrain? Those thinks twist up like a rubber band. It is designed to flex so it does not get over stressed and crack, like a spring you can bend it a little bit and it will go back...I dont think frame twist is a cool thing. I should have titled this post differently it differently. But it is necessary and good to an extent. Flex a flexable frame, it will go back, flex a stiff frame and it bends or cracks. That is the way I look at it.
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: North Idaho
I have no idea of what you are getting at. What are you even talking about?
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 7,669
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I do not completely agree with your assessment of frame engineering but i do not have the strength for a full rebuttal at this time.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,868
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From: Rhode Island
The beds were separated from the cab because the frames were so floppy and flimsy.
There's a reason modern trucks use fully boxed ultra-high-strength steel frames = they're extremely stiff. Look at modern 4x4 Buggys, they use extremely strong and stiff tube-steel space frame. All their flex comes from the suspension, and suspension only.
Flexing frames is what causes them to crack. The metal gets fatigued from bending so much.
There's a reason modern trucks use fully boxed ultra-high-strength steel frames = they're extremely stiff. Look at modern 4x4 Buggys, they use extremely strong and stiff tube-steel space frame. All their flex comes from the suspension, and suspension only.
Flexing frames is what causes them to crack. The metal gets fatigued from bending so much.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 129
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From: North Idaho
I see that buggies use a full tube frame... which is a little hard to do on a daily driver, I can understand that the high strength boxed frame is a substitute for that, but i still think a little bit of frame torsion is necessary. I have never seen an issue with a frame cracking from being flexible off road, and look how long these trucks have been like this and survived. I think when big rigs go to ridged boxed frames then I will believe that a very ridged frame is the way to go. Untill then I will go with the frame torsion, they are heat treated so that they can flex a little bit like a spring would. look how long springs last and the punishment they go through.