Hi folks. It's been a LOOONG time since I posted. Last visit was more than a year ago.

My old F150 4x4 has a serious problem. Rust. I've replaced everything underneath the truck except the frame, which I patched in one place. Last weekend I blew a brake line and drove it (very slowly) to my usual mechanic. He tells me it ain't worth fixing becaue the frame's about to break. It's got about 2" of metal left in one spot, right where the shock mount attaches. He's not willing to do the repair because of liability issues--to do it right, he says, would be too complex. I respect that, but I'd still like to fix the thing if possible.

Mechanically, this truck is in great shape. Great I6 engine, great heavy-duty 4 speed transmission. At it's best it's worth $1500 bucks though, I'm guessing, so a lot of folks would see this as an opportunityt o buy a new truck. But I like my old truck. So if it makes any sense at all, I'd like to save it.

So what am I asking for? Opinions. Interesting experiences. Have you fixed a truck with serious frame rust? How did it work out?

This winter the sheetmetal rust has exploaded, too. The bottom edge of all the body panels has developed holes. At this rate there won't be much left of the body panels in a couple of years, unless I fix it, and I don't know how to do that economically.

So help me out here. Share some advice.

Thanks,
Jim

 

I'm not familiar with the older frames as far as shape, but they were made of mild steel not the new high-strength compressed steel, so if its a straight section its a matter of purchasing c-channel about the same size/thickness as what your frame was, cutting and welding it in place.

Some people also have good luck using larger C-Channel that fits snugly over the existing frame, and bolting or welding it on, then reattaching the spring perch.

Another option is to acquire a later year frame, and fab some cab/bed mounts, and move the body over if you really like the looks of the older truck. More involved of course, but doable with the right tools and manpower. Kinda like restoring any old car - frame off.

Years ago I had an 80-ish crewcab which I got for next to nothing, and the frame was in really bad shape, so a good friend of mine who can weld "anything" helped me build together a very straight c-channel based frame, using 3/8" wall, 8"x4" C-channel. Basically, a very large rectangle much like the frames of the F450's and the bigger trucks. Everything had to be fabricated - spring perches, motor mount arms, trans mount, body mounts, but my friend made this look really easy actually. While I learned to weld on that project, I'll admit my friend did 99.9% of the welds for obvious reasons. I ended up putting rockwell axles under that beast too... nice and high, nice and long, and rather gross overkill. Just sharing so you know when to stop fabricating

 

i've got an extra frame what kind of truck do u have? 150/250/350 ? extended cab? 4x4 or 4x2? What year?

 

i have to agree with frederic, probally the best thing to do if you don't want to replace the whole frame is to cut out the worst spots and get some new c channel of the same size and weld it into place then sand down the rest of the frame and paint it with some rustolium or some of that spray in bed liner stuff, if it is some odd shaped parts of the frame take it to some one and get them to fabricate a new peice for you then weld it into place.

 

Frederick...thanks. I'm trying to figure out how much money to spend on this truck. Assuming I can fix the frame for a reasonable amount, I've still got rust-through on the under side of every body panel. The rust has exploded this winter. I haven't done much body work myself, but more important I live in Maine and don't have a garage (never mind a lift). Any rough idea how much it would cost me to keep this truck from evaporating in the next couple of years? The engine and transmission are really good, and I really like this truck and don't want a new one (and definitely don't want to pay for one), but the frame is a mess and the body is getting to be. I need to figure out whether it's worth fixing up.

Thanks,
Jim

 

It's an 88 standard bed and cab (XLT Lariat, FWIW), but I'm in Maine...I doubt shipping a frame from Iowa would be cost-effective. Then again, up here in Maine, it's hard to find a frame of that vintage that isn't rusted out.

Jim

 

Just took a look at the underside of my 90 F150, for inspection here in New Hampshire, and I feel your pain. All the body panels are rusty, thin and flakey, my frame is still pretty solid, although coated in rust, but I think the body has seen its last winter. They use so much salt here, I could open up a pretzel stand with whats stuck on my truck. Good Luck

 

wow that's too bad cuz my frame is a standard cab 1988 with rust preventer on the back end and the front isn't even bad. i don't how to go about getting those things that far.

 

Well, that I can't answer for you, that's your decision.

But I will say this... if you view this truck as "a machine to get to/from work" it's easily replaced with any other vehicle, then don't bother. Replace it when it dies or you can see the roadway through the floor while you drive

If you're emotionally attached to it, you'll want to repair/replace knowing that the "value" you're getting out of an older truck like this is satisfying your emotional need for a really cool, old truck, that's somewhat uncommon on the road these days.

Over the years I've owned both (cars and trucks), some of them I get attached to and throw crazy money into, some of them I just drive until they die. Some die sooner than others. My wife and I was "given" a free Ford Tempo many years ago and we decided to keep it as a "local, knock around car" for quick trips to the store and for running to the train station, expecting to keep it six or twelve months just as a "beater". I sold it 5 years later because it just wouldn't die. No emotional attachment other than we liked the utilitarian aspect in that it never broke (a neutral switch and a front end alignment, thats pretty much it). Long, long time ago I had an 81 crewcab which a friend and I welded together a new frame, shoved rockwell axles under it, and lifted it to the moon. The bottom of the doors were about 4' off the ground. Wild zebra stripe paint job, more chrome than a gagle of harley riders, and a variety of other silly things (like a pair of kenworth air horns and such). I was emotionally attached to that truck obviously, though I was single at the time and didn't own anything other than the truck and two cats - more disposible income

Anyway, like I said, I can't answer that question for ya - if it's worth restoring. But you can see where I'm going with this...

 

Body work, when done well gets expensive. If you like the truck, and all that is good is the drive train, try to find another to swap the drive train into.

 

That's why, learning to do most of it yourself is a good thing - you save money, and get to justify the purchase of some really cool tools

But of course not everyone wants "yet another project".