How do shop's bend I-beams?

 

with heat and a big press. this is not a common practice anymore, if it needs to be bent, there is something wrong, [i.e. accident damage, bad springs, or worn suspension parts].

 

you can bend the i beams if you want to, however, a shop won't bend an i-beam, at least they aren't supposed to. it ruins the integrity of the metal making it weak.

 

I bent mine using a heavy chain and a 20 ton bottle jack - same as we did for the stright axles of the big trucks.

If you want a shop to do it, take it somewhere where they work on the big trucks. Many of the car type alignment shops want to do a toe in adjustment and call that an alignment.

 

Heating the beams is what weakens them. Those parts are forged and have a specific heat treatment. Heating will destroy the heat treatment and weaken the beams. Most heavy truck shops have the equipment to align your truck and bend the beams. They use chain and hyd jacks to do it. Some beams have been bent too far by shops and they have weakened the beams. Usually you need to replace all of your suspension bushings before you even consider bending the beams.

 

I started to ask around in my home town. I found an aliment shop that works on old
trucks. They said the can adjust the camber. They have a machine that bends the
I-beam. He say they bend the medal cold. I asked if he had any tips on king pins. He
said try not to use heat, it will destroy the temper. How dose a machine bend an
I-beam??

 

They are using an alignment rack with some chain, hooks, and a hyd ram as a "machine". I have seen it done many many times.

From the remark about the temper they probably know what they are doing. Get ALL of the bushings replaced with poly units b4 you adjust the beams. They can check out the kingpins and replace them as required. Let them replace them for you. You can do these things if you have all of the required tools and experience. Otherwise let the pro's do it.

I replace bushings at home since I have some specialized tools I have made. I let a shop do kingpins.

 

MY dad's '77 had to have the I-beams bent right after he bought it... Something about they weren't right from the factory...

 

I have seen frames stacked in certain shops here in KC being straightened and aligned b4 the body was installed at a local truck plant... -hehe

 

I was reading in my chiltons on how to replace the bushings. They said I need a torque
the bolt that the I-beam mounts to the frame to 350ft pounds. Thats a lot of force, I’d like to do most of the work my self, can’t learn, if I don’t try. Any advise would be
greatly appreciated?

 

The Ford shop manual shows the torque on the front axle to pivit bracket to be 120 to 150 ft-lbs for the F100, f250, and 120 to 180 ft-lbs for the F350.

The bolt that holds the Radius arm to the axle is 180 to 220 for the F100/F250, and 350 to 500 ft-lbs for the F350.

I do not know what bolt Chilton was talking about.

I did this job on a F250 and do not remember it as being impossible - just use a cheater bar and pull for all that you are worth.

The mistake I made was trying to replace the king pins in place - if they are really bad it is better to remove the beam and work in it off the truck. I got the king pin out but ruined the axle and had to replace it.

I found a set of I-beams off a heavier truck with even larger king pins so I now have a stouter front end - used the springs off the original so the ride is unchanged. I did have to have it aligned when I was done.

 

thanks that helps a lot!

 

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