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So to install this, I looked and three of the four rivets to the frame are already cut out and bolts. One rivet left then the rivets to the radius arm bracket. Any trick to this or just remove rivets, install new with grade 8 bolts and done? Need to support at any particular place or just jacking and putting wheels on my box stands as per normal?
PapaMatt. You sure its missing. Mine looks just like it.
Must have been the same mechanic. Sure would like to find his garage since there must be a pile of them out back.. Like you, I'm embarrassed that I never saw it was gone until you wrote the problem. Wow do I feel stupid.
Jowiliker, I did find one is a local junkyard but its riveted. Is there a way to remove the rivets with hand tools. The yard will not allow torches (which I don't have or operate) and want $200 labor to remove then $80 for the part. Motor out of truck so access is possible but how would you go about it> Looks like 8 rivets total?
You can check some YouTube videos on removal. One guy did it by:
punch the center of the rivet to get a mark
drill out the head to the frame with a 3/8 bit
Widen the hole with a 1/2
Take a pinch and a Big hammer and a few whacks and it pops out the other side
He did a few and it looked easy enough.
Now ask me how I am going to that with the cab and everything else still on the truck.
Scott, 1st thing I would suggest a different yard. I'll agree they can require a little effort to remove the rivets but that part is not a high called for part. A battery powered offset grinder with cutting wheel would be my suggestion. Those rivets were not supposed to be removed so they might be a bugger to get out.
Keep looking for a donor that had an automatic that is bolt in.
Folks I have a 72 F100 that I got about 9 months ago which is also missing the same crossmember under the transmission. I was planning to use the contacts provided at the top of the thread but just realized this thread is about 3 years old and those contacts are stale. any idea where I can source one. I am in Austin TX.
Try this link. Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market
Set the search for your zip. You will have to use something other than cross member in the search because they don't list that part. You just need to find someone close that has some trucks to mine one out of. Those things are hard to remove and replace with the cab on the truck. But without it the frame will flex where the radius arm connect.
Thanks for your quick response I will follow up your link and see what can find. What year trucks would fit my 72?
erhan
Try post #2 in this thread. NumberDummy gives all the applications. Assuming yours is in that list then the others listed should be what your are asking for. I hope.
Thanks, I missed below line earlier when I went thru the thread. This does show the years. I assume the later year trucks have bolted and earlier trucks have riveted crossmember.
I'm not sure about later years, but as John hints at in post #3 and #19 the automatic trucks were bolted-in in the earlier years, and I suspect he might be aluding to slightly later years, too. The MX Cruise-O-Matic couldn't be removed rearward intact with that member in place so they made them bolt in from the factory. Someone else might know about some of the later years, but the C6 was even worse since it had the integral bellhousing so those years I suspect, too.
Got it. I do have a C6 in mine which was put in by previous owner. I found the shop that did it (3 years ago) and asked if they may have forgotten to put crossmember back. They said they would not forget something like that. Anyway thanks for all the responses I think I can manage from here.
I dealt with this issue a few years ago when I replaced the manual in my 66 with a C4. Those rivets, especially the upper ones were a big PITA. I can't imagine getting them out without power tools. If I recall correctly I didn't actually remove the crossmember, I just slid it back enough to get enough room to get the C4 in. In fact, it seemed to me virtually impossible to get the damn thing out because I couldn't get it out of the rail channel, if that makes any sense. I must be missing something because apparently they can be removed. I mention this only because if there's some trick to it the OP may want to use it for getting his new one in.
To remove or install them, "on my truck anyway" I had to spread the frame rails a little. I used a piece of 1 inch pipe with some all thread rod inserted in one end and a nut on it to push the bottom of the rails apart. This is a picture of another way to do it that the PO used when he put a C6 in back in the 1980's.
I guess the PO wanted an adjustment sleeve on his in case his rails expanded over time. LOL. I'm surprised the method you describe would spread those rails. That's good to know.
You can check some YouTube videos on removal. One guy did it by:
punch the center of the rivet to get a mark
drill out the head to the frame with a 3/8 bit
Widen the hole with a 1/2
Take a pinch and a Big hammer and a few whacks and it pops out the other side
He did a few and it looked easy enough.
Now ask me how I am going to that with the cab and everything else still on the truck.
Yes, without the cab on there it would be a snap. Just grind them off and punch them out. I did that with the bottom rivets. For the top ones, I measured from below to determine where they were, cut a strip from the floor pans about an inch wide and 6 inches long, and punched and drilled them down through that way. Covered the access holes with a strip of metal and sheet metal glue. Don't enjoy cutting holes but I didn't see any other way to do it.
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