My 1999 F250SD 4x4 has a problem. The passenger side front axle leaf spring retaining plate has a hole in it from corrosion and fatigue. It's also quite thin.

This is the plate where the u-bolts go through and the nuts go on from underneath. It's welded to the front axle housing. The steering stabilizer bar is also connected to it.

The hole is more of a wide crack, and it's in the vertical lip of the plate that stiffens it and keeps it from bending.

The Dealer noticed it and recommended a local welder to repair it. However welding is not easy as it's in rough shape and quite thin in places. Fabricating a new one isn't an easy task either, especially as removing the old one will destroy a fair amount of it, making copying it for a new one, difficult.

The axles housing is in great shape with only a little surface rust on it.

A former Ford Dealer mechanic tells me that a Ford Parts Department does sell some weld on items, but he was unsure if that was the case with my truck. I will go back and double check, but I suspect not as they didn't mention it previously.

Does anyone know if there is an after-market plate available? I'm having a difficult time finding out as I don't know the proper name for this plate.

 

not sure if there is a after market part to replace that mounting plate.
maybe try a junk yard or pick-ur-part salvage yard.

or possibly a body shop could get you the info for replacement.

 

Thank-you for the reply. I've had no luck trying to find a new plate, so I think I'll have to have the thin parts cut out and new metal welded in.

I took a picture, but it's not that clear, so I tried to make a sketch (bad, but at least clear). Tnings look pretty rusty, but it looks worse than it is... except for the u-bolt plate. The tracking bar bracket looks quite bad too. It appears to be riveted to the u-bolt plate.

Rust. Winter road salt for the most part. I used to undercoat the truck for quite a few years, but it would wash away very quickly on the exposed parts. It has saved the doors and rocker panels though.

Back to the plate. The metal all around the crack is very thin, so the main problem will be determining how far to go with the old metal removal.