Thought you guys might like to see what I have been doing the past week.

I have had my truck now for about 13 years. I have been battling rust issues ever since I got it. The past year I have been getting scared of the frame, especially when the rear spring hanger on the driver's side broke loose and the spring was banging against the bottom of the bed.

I looked it over and decided the frame was saveable, but most of the crossmembers where totally eaten away. I went to the local junkyard and they cut the back half of the frame off a 2wd later model truck that looked like it was in good shape. They charged me $50.00.

I have spent all the past week drilling out and chiseling off rivets on the junkyard frame as well as the truck frame. Here's a picture of what it looks like. You can see the famous holes in this frame, since my truck is an 80 model.



I wanted to buy the best paint I could that would hopefully last. I read about the POR and other stuff, but this whole thing was kind-of a last minute job before it gets too cold(too late for that). I happened to be in tractor supply and they had this "zinc powder paint" that was supposed to be good for prohibiting rust, and also could be used over "tightly adhereing" rust. It was expensive enough, $50.00 a gallon. I hope it works, but I am wondering if I made the right decision. It has turned cold here, and its not drying very well at all. And I also read on the internet that this stuff works well, but it's not like a regular paint. The zinc in the paint somehow reacts to the steel and forms something like a battery. Instead of the steel corroding, the zinc powder in the paint corrodes. It's sounds very weird, so I don't know how it's all going to work out. It's grey in color.

The crossmember you see in the picture below with the large hole is the one that goes under the back of the cab. The large hole is not supposed to be there. That is where the rear body mount for the cab sits, and I am finding out this must be a very common place for these trucks to rust, since the crossmember I got from the junkyard was worse than mine. You could not see it until they raised the cab up. But the lower braces on the junkyard crossmember where in very good shape, so I took the rivets loose, and will use my top piece with a patch, with the bottom pieces from the junkyard frame.



The only weak place I found in my frame was at the passenger side rear. I decided to cut a piece out of the junkyard frame to patch it. I cut the top part of the "C" off the patch, and it slips right in. Since I am going to replace the spring hanger and bolt it on, and re-mount my trailer hitch, the bolts will go through the patch and the original frame, so I don't think I am even going to weld it. Here is a picture of the patch. You really have to look hard to see it, it really looks good when it's in place.



Here's a picture of the crossmembers I am replacing. The one that mounts the rear brake hose I am leaving, because it's in good shape, and I wanted something to hold the frame together while I am working on it.

 

You're going to have a new 1980 truck.

Looks good.

 

You, my friend, are a brave, brave man..... I just don't know if I would've attempted that.....

 

have mig, will travel!@!!