Does any one have a picture of what the rear frame rails are supposed to look like from the factory? Someone took a cutting torch and cut off the back of the frame on my '48 (just the very end). I guess they had something something mounted to the frame they cut off. I was just going to take a cutting wheel to clean up the end of the frame rail, but was curious what they looked like from the factory.

thanks,

 

This is a '52, shouldn't be any different....

 

Thanks for the picture. Here's a picture of the rear frame rails on my F4. It is kind of hard to see, but the end of the rails has been cut off with a torch. I was just going to cut the ends square and probably get rid of the piece of angle iron that was used to hold the spare?

Since it will eventually have a stake bed I thought about welding some angle iron to the side of the frame rails to mount the tail lights to.

 

hivolt5.0,
The PDF diagram for the TL Frame shows the rail with a 90 degree cut and mine is angled. Note this diagram matches my F4 Frame except I appear to have 1 less crossmember in the middle.

So, maybe mine has been cut off too. It could not have been cut off very much.

Here is what it looks like, kind of hard to see, but it is longer on the bottom of the rail...

Cass

 

Most likely your truck had a dump bed on it at one time because to clear the box in the dump position they usually whacked off the frame behind the spring mounts. My F-4 had the same thing done to it along with the extra plates welded to the top of the frame. My truck didn't have a dump bed when I got and not hydraulics either but it could have had manually operated system. I bought a '47 COE frame and I am going to graft the end of it on to the F-4 frame.

 

My F-3 frame had the tail ends of the frame rails cut off behind the rear spring mount (bout 2 and a half feet of rail), only to have been rewelded on (very poorly I might add) at a later date. Never quite figued out why

 

Thank you all for the replies. I apologize for not responding sooner but I had a new son on Monday so the last few days have been busy. :-)

As for the frame rails, do you think I should find some iron to weld to the ends of the frame rails to get them back to the correct length? I want the truck to look as stock as possible (with the exception of the drive train since I have a 302/AOD combo in it now).

thanks,

 

I am doing it on my F-4 mainly because I have a stock flatbed I putting on it and I want the frame length to match with the end of the flatbed.

 

I know...

CONGRATULATIONS on the New Arrival! ! !


Back to the frame.

I think I would at least "Clean" up the hack job and even it out. Add on if you think it is needed.

Cass

 

Thanks Cass, lots of sleepless nights on the way. :-)

I was definitely going to clean up the rails because they look pretty bad right now.



Bob, are you making your own flatbed? I want to put a stake bed on my truck but I'm not sure where to get one, or how one is put together. Admittedly I'm kind of "new" to these "old" trucks.

 

I was fortunate enough to find an original Ford script flat bed about three years ago that was in almost mint condition, with all of the hardware for $200. The wood needs to be replaced but the metal parts have minimal rust and only two small rust outs.

I've been working on trying to do a detailed drawing of the stock bed. I am almost done, I just have to find the time to finish.

 

Cool! When you finish I'd love to have a copy of the drawing if you don't mind.

 

Bob - is this going to be an express? F2/3 type?

Sure would like to see the wooden cross members, for when I do mine...

R

 

Roger,

No, it's a drawing of the stock Ford script flatbed.

 

Bob, I'm dragging my behind. But I hope to get the flatbed off my truck within the next week or two. I have a possible buyer for the 1973 IH, so it'll need to come off. Funny what motivates a person, lol.