When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
2017 f350 drw fx4.
top stud for the rear shock broke. I thought it would be a simple bolt to replace found out from ford it’s part of the frame. Really at a lost here. Spoke to a shop and he said if he put a regular bolt through it that eventually it would wallo out the bracket. And said he’s too scared to weld something new to it cause it might weaken the frame. Anyone else ever had this occur any suggestions is greatly appreciated. Picture I found online of what it looks like without the shock on it.
Nothing wrong with welding to the bracket that the stud is on. It’s separate from the actual frame.
I would flush cut the stud, drill it out, and use a bolt. It won’t wallow out the bracket if it’s the proper size. Wallowing out comes from movement.
that picture looks like you have a gooseneck/fifth wheel hitch installed and it looks like someone tried to remove the shock and couldn’t because of the hitch so they cut the stud with a sawzall thinking it was a replaceable bolt.
if so you may need to remove the hitch portion and weld in a new bolt or maybe the stud cut off a junkyard donor truck
or google shock mounting stud, there are lots to choose from
welding there should not weaken the frame at all, but drilling it and thru bolting would also work, just make sure to use washers and lock nuts and don’t crush the shock bushing too tight.
Is that bracket HSS? (High strength steel) You weld on it and it's no longer HSS - it's weaker. Still it's what I would do in this situation and keep a close eye on it here after.
I understand why many shops would walk away from this. Ask a Ford dealership, and would they say "new frame?"
oh yea while youre in there, buy the shock relocation kit to make the goosneck hitch not a b1tch everytime you swap shocks or remove the bracket and notch it out.
How long do you plan to keep the truck?
I'll probably get flamed for this but, for a quick fix, you could find a washer that fits the broken stud/bolt and tack weld it to the stud. That would retain the shock until you came up with a more permanent fix. Or you might find that it's good enough to do the job.
That is a B&W fifth wheel hitch. Terrible design, who would build a product that requires the hitch to be disassembled to install or remove a shock. The dealer installed the same hitch on my truck then a week later I went to install my fox shocks and discovered the same issue you have. I opted to drill the stud out and replace it with a grade 8 shock bolt. Fox sent me a steel bushing for the shock and it bolted up perfectly. I will never have an issue and I won’t need to disassemble a hitch that may or may not come apart after a few years. In hind sight I would buy the Ford hitch not the B&W.
I don't think so. They've been used ever since the bolt was invented (and even before if we talk about wooden dowels). As you can see...nothing about the single shear shock mount failed in OP's photo.
that picture looks like you have a gooseneck/fifth wheel hitch installed and it looks like someone tried to remove the shock and couldn’t because of the hitch so they cut the stud with a sawzall thinking it was a replaceable bolt.
BINGO !!! You can see the marks from the sawzall blade hitting the other metal around the bolt:
It doesn't require an enormously strong bolt in this application - it is only subjected to the forces the shock itself contributes to the suspension movement.
That is a B&W fifth wheel hitch. Terrible design, who would build a product that requires the hitch to be disassembled to install or remove a shock. The dealer installed the same hitch on my truck then a week later I went to install my fox shocks and discovered the same issue you have. I opted to drill the stud out and replace it with a grade 8 shock bolt. Fox sent me a steel bushing for the shock and it bolted up perfectly. I will never have an issue and I won’t need to disassemble a hitch that may or may not come apart after a few years. In hind sight I would buy the Ford hitch not the B&W.
I'm not sure I understand the issue you're stating.
Is it a B&W hitch issue or is it the factory under bed mounting bracket for the hitch. If it's the factory under bed mounting what does B&W have to do with it, don't their hitches just drop into the mounting cups.
I ask because I'm planning on buying the B&W 5th wheel hitch and ordered the truck with the 5th /goose prep.
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalytic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
