Well, it's about time now that things have slowed down a bit to get a dreaded project off the list...

Fixing the rotten frame tails on my truck.

Here's what I have to work with:



Drivers' side:



Passenger side:

 

I think I'd just get new truck to work on, that is too far gone. It will take many green backs to repair that kind of damage.

 

While the bed is off, might as well give it a good undercoat, eh?

Except for some surface rust, the underbed is free from perforation. I'm amazed

 

Wow, I replaced some spring pearches for a guy at work and I thought his truck was bad. You have him beat by a long shot. good luck with the project.

 

Thanks, RTM.

As you can see from the pics below, the truck is in pretty decent shape... except for the last 12" of the frame.

Hank Bagrowski from Hank Bagrowski Customs is fabricating some replacement steel for the frame. Those should be here Tuesday, hopefully.

I'm cutting the frame back 18" from the end, just to be sure. It's also the point where it would start to bend, and complicate the process.

Although dirty from out wonderful NE weather, the frame is REALLY solid up to that point; so to keep it that way, it'll be cleaned up and given a nice thorough undercoat.

Meanwhile, I'm going to replace the shocks, since they're so easy to get to right now.

The spring perches will be replaced with custom fabricated ones, but I'm going to get the frame back together first.

 

Cost so far:

$22.87 Undercoating
$75.00 Steel
--------------------------
$97.87





Stay tuned...

 

You can still buy the pearches from ford if yopu wanted to. Are you going to add a plate to the inside of the frame wheere you patch it?

 

RTM, part of why I'm fabricating custom hangers is because I'm going to raise the truck 4" with them.

Below is the 4"x12"x3/16" mending plates I'm going to use. They're 304 stainless... I guess they'll last awhile. The holes will allow for plug welds, so it won't be welded just on the perimeter.

Oh, and these were "free"- or rather, I've had these kicking around for about 20 years or so. Time to get some use out of 'em.

 

I see now. Sounds like a good plan to me.

 

I've heard that salt eats through stainless...anyone else heard that? Looks like a big project, good luck, and let us know how it goes.

 

Ep, once the steel gets here I'll start back to work on it. Should be here Tuesday. I'll be taking more pics, and adding them. I'll definitely keep ya guys posted!

Stainless is alot more corrosive resistant than carbon steel, how much more depends on the alloy. 302 and 304 more, and 305 or 316 being less so.

For some strange reason, I don't see it as a "big" project... either I'm overly optimistic... or I'm good. Dunno which yet...LMAO!

I learned the fabrication craft as a welder at a concrete plant. Sometimes we'd have to crawl under poured molds with a flashlight and a stick welder and shore up concrete-caked supports that were failing. Man, I guess compared to that this ought to be a breeze!

 

Well, here's DAY 2.

Used a grinder with a flap wheel to blast off all the road grime and some scale rust. Underneath it all is a frame that's actually quite solid, for the most of it.

 

Closer pic of the frame metal:

 

Time to pull the fuel tank.

Make sure the lines are de-pressurized before you pull off the clips:

 

Some elctrical tape over the ends of the tubes keeps them clean, and prevents stray fuel from gettin' you soaked.