Just signed up, My wife & I have a F 250 4x4 super duty. Love it not a new

one that is fine with us also .

Have a question is it better to install the fifth wheel to the frame with bolts

or weld the supports to the frame and use 8 grade bolts

I have been told it is better to bolt them to the frame, would like to hear

from some of you also

Thanks

Bob

 

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My brackets are welded on the '03 F-350 I'm driving now. They were also welded on my '90 F-350. If I got another truck it would be welded too.

Dorf

 

Welcome to FTE

I have had 5ver hitches in 4 trucks and they were all bolted to the frame, on my present hitch (20K Reese) I used 4 of the box bolts and 4 bolts to the frame.

Looks like another Nebraska member.

Denny

 

Dorf, I am sure that you are happy with your setup, and would be hard to change your mind. May I suggest you do a little research on welding vr bolting. Maybe contact companies like Drawtite and Reese, and ask if they recommend welding a hitch to a chassis.

Welding can actually weaken the metal.

John

 

If I remember right that if you do any welding on the frame ahead of the rear spring shackle it will void the frame warranty.

Denny

 

Automotive frames are not weldable because of the high silica content in the metalurgy which is intended to retard oxidation. Notice that the manufacturer's do not weld their own frames. They are bolted and rivited.

 

On the F250 S/D I had, I had the hitch "bolted" in. As said above, I'd hate to "weld" on the frame. They have been "lightened" over the years, as it is! Welcome and good luck!

 

Maybe you should do some research! The installation manual for my hitch not only approves welding but gives the specification for the weld. That's for the Drawtite. Note also that some backyard jackleg with a buzzbox welder can do some real damage but that's not the case here as the welds were done by my nephew and he is certified for this type of welding. The heat affected zone (HAZ) is kept to a minimum and the welds meet the specification set forth by the manufacturer.

The factories don't weld the frames because it more cost effective to rivet and bolt the components in place.
Keep in mind that we are talking about light duty trucks here and not MDT or HDT which have heat treated frames and can't be welded without affecting the heat treat properties.

I'd like to know how many here that think that welding the hitch brackets to the truck frame is taboo have any knowledge or experience welding or fabrication of welded components?

It's human nature to speak negatively about a subject that we don't know anything about or understand. Usually these opinions are based on folk lore and stories passed around that get blown out of proportion and leave out important details.

The fact is that not everybody has a suitable welding setup or the experience to use it correctly. But they do have a couple of wrenches and so bolting the hitch on becomes the choice attachment for the masses of truck owners that have this as the only means to install the hitch.

You're right, you will not change my mind because I've owned welding shops and have supported my family with my welding knowledge and experience and I still have the equipment to do so. My nephew offered to weld mine for free so why should I crawl under there, besides he's a lot younger than me.

One more thing, I've installed a couple of hitches for my friends and welded every one at their request. None have had any problems in hundreds of miles of towing heavy 5th wheels.

Don't take my word for it, you can read it yourself, Draw Tite Rail Installation Manual. Note that every diagram has welding symboligy including Dodge installations.

Dorf

 

Dorf, I did read the 16 page manual, and it appeared to all be for bolt up installation. Pages 2 and 3 are very specific to tools to be used and only supplied bolts, nuts, & washers.

Does sound like you are heads & shoulders above most of us in the welding dept. though.

John

 

John, he is right about the weld symbols. The link shows an alternate weld pattern of 1/4" fillet welds, 2" long on both sides of the bracket.

I'm a welder. I was fortunate to attend a week long specialized industrial weld training just three weeks ago. My comment "Automotive frames are not weldable because of the high silica content in the metallurgy which is intended to retard oxidation." is a direct quote from trainer.

The trainer I quoted is in a position to not be misinformed about the topic. He has over 40 years hands-on welding experience. He's a degreed welding engineer and holds weld engineer licenses in the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He is a past board member of the AWS and wrote much of the code we follow today. He is a consultant to the US government. He supervised all welding reconstruction and operations for the rebuilding of the world trade center after the first time it was bombed in 1993. His most recent work was rebuilding the damaged portions of the Pentagon after the 9/11 terror attack.

Now I chose to believe his statements about the weldability of high silica automotive frames are true. But I don't expect everybody to buy into it. A lot of guys in the trades don't have a lot of respect for education.

Just because a draftsman specifies a weld doesn't mean it's the last word. Without a WPS (Welding Procedure Specification) and PQR (Procedure Qualification Record) it's just a request, not an approved procedure.

 

I think that modern auto-body sheet metal is indeed not weldable lilke that of the good old days due to to the trick metal content allowing thinner panels and providing increased corrosion resistance.

I think that car and pickup frames (if they have a frame in the first place) are weldable if below a certian tonage. True truck frames are 'weldable' but you'll ruin the temper in the metal if you do. On the off chance that I'm right, somebody will probably tell us at what tonage the pickup/truck break occurs.

 

I stand corrected. I didn't read in there where anything other than using the bolts included in the package was recommended, and not have attended class, I didn't see the symbolic writing on the wall.

My bad

John