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Fellas - I have an '87 F350 crew cab diesel dually project that I'm converting to 4WD, using a kit from Sky's Offroad Design. Before I welded their frame boxes in up front, I cleaned and painted the frame. In doing so, I noticed a small crack on the driver's side frame as seen in the pictures. It extends from the rivet hole to the edge of the frame, and it's an area where there are two layers of frame, so I can't get at it from the bottom.
Any thoughts on how to repair it? I have a stick welder that can handle 1/4" and I could lay down a few beads perpendicular to the crack. Doing it parallel to the crack would be more difficult because of the location of the rivet.
Dont bother trying to weld inside the frame rail. Just weld the outside of the steel lap-joints together. This will take the stress off the rivet and put it back into the Fwd section of the frame rail. I can see someone already welded the aft area of the box section together.
I'd weld it from up top, but don't weld where the crack is. The rivet hole will keep it from spreading. Weld along the length of the vehicle where the two frame layers meet. Two stiches, one on each side of the crack, about 1.5" - 2" long should do it. Two reasons for this: 1, no one will see it there, and 2, you're not making any welds perpendicular to the frame rail. Best to avoid doing that if possible because the weld concentrates stress in such a way that it makes future cracks more likely.
I'd weld it from up top, but don't weld where the crack is. The rivet hole will keep it from spreading. Weld along the length of the vehicle where the two frame layers meet. Two stiches, one on each side of the crack, about 1.5" - 2" long should do it. Two reasons for this: 1, no one will see it there, and 2, you're not making any welds perpendicular to the frame rail. Best to avoid doing that if possible because the weld concentrates stress in such a way that it makes future cracks more likely.
might seem dumb to say but could taking a steel-stick and applying to the frame in the crack from the top do minor assistance as well? I realize thats not going to be the same as the strength of the top and bottom of the C channel is meant to, but even if it was a little help... idk lol,-
might seem dumb to say but could taking a steel-stick and applying to the frame in the crack from the top do minor assistance as well? I realize thats not going to be the same as the strength of the top and bottom of the C channel is meant to, but even if it was a little help... idk lol,-
The end of that reinforcement plate where the rivet holds it basically ripped off. Welding the yellow line in the illustration isn't going to do anything because it's not attaching to the reinforcement inside the frame that is the one that is actually broken.
I would remove the rivet and weld (should be nice and easy because flat position) and then slap a piece of 3/16 on top of the existing cracked piece to double up the effective thickness of what's effectively a mounting ear/tab where that rivet lives.
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