welding ur truck frame
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Junior User
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Virginia Beach USA
welding ur truck frame
will it hurt more than help if i box my frame rails, and weld all the cross members in place? it bugs me that my truck frame works as much as my suspension, hehe. an even older truck i want to start, a 78', has a "loose" frame. any advice would be appreciated.:7
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Junior User
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Virginia Beach USA
welding ur truck frame
there, fixed my sig(i hope). yes its going to be a 4x4, i don't want to wear out any body bushings or have a chance for the cab to rub the bed while going "over the mountain, and through the woods" so to speak 
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Junior User
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Virginia Beach USA
welding ur truck frame
ouch, just doesn't look natural. yes, thats what i'm talking about. isn't that bad? won't the frame flex apart? o, btw, nice ranger. thats seriuos altitude:-staun
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 345
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From: Fort Worth, TX
welding ur truck frame
I just found a crack on the frame of my 73 bronco right where the steering box bolts on. I had it welded and is doing fine now but I am wondering what other cracks and weaks points my frame has. I am eventually going to do a frame up restoration and am to wondering about the pros & cons of either boxing the frame or just reinforcing it with steel plates...any thoughts?
thanks
thanks
Elder User
Joined: Jun 1999
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From: SE PA
welding ur truck frame
Just my thoughts, it's better to allow some flex. Reason being, the frame can take it-I think most of ours do without breaking. This also keeps other points from breaking, like shackel/spring mounts. Plus I think if you push a little to hard, it will "give" before it would break, to stiff and it'll just break. This should also allow the suspension to have an easier job of keeping the tires on the ground which is always a good thing in my book-of course a gusset or two in areas prone to stress, like the steering box area, is needed, but this usually isn't from frame flex or a weak frame as such but from the side-shock stresses and loose mounts, especially if you wheel hard and have tires over stock sizes. 'Bout the only thing I have re-enforced is the trac bar mount and the rear shock mounts on the frame. As I said, just my thoughts! But, hey, you asked!
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Atlanta GA
welding ur truck frame
Even double framed trucks (tractors) with 1/2 inch frames flex when their axles are on uneven surfaces. Given enough length, any thickness of metal will bend under its own weight. So, chassis flex is designed into a truck. If you stiffen a frame you better soften your suspension and design it for more flex if you are taking it off-road, imo.
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Senior User
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welding ur truck frame
The flexibility of the frame is traded off for reduced stresses generally in design. The best way to stiffen the frame in torsion is to connect the outer frame members together using cross bracing. The bracing should meet the frame at nearly 45 degrees. This will result in the most benefit with the least material. The stresses will be mostly tension stresses at the joint. The further off 45 degrees the bracing is it starts picking up bending and torsion stress which will cause cracking to accur at the joint earlier as the total stresses are larger.
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Senior User
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From: Coppell
welding ur truck frame
Well not sure if anyone covered this but ill put my two cents in. If your frame has a crack in it and its large enought to do so you should...
drill holes at either end of the crack so that it can no longer continue or at least be minimal.
Next you can weld the crack and the two holes you drilled.
What i would recommend is that you get some paint or a metal marker or anything and mark that point on your frame so you can check it and see if the crack has made progress.
Got that info from a magazine. It also suggest not to drill out the welds if for some reason you need to...
Hope that helps.
drill holes at either end of the crack so that it can no longer continue or at least be minimal.
Next you can weld the crack and the two holes you drilled.
What i would recommend is that you get some paint or a metal marker or anything and mark that point on your frame so you can check it and see if the crack has made progress.
Got that info from a magazine. It also suggest not to drill out the welds if for some reason you need to...
Hope that helps.
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gordon
1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
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Feb 22, 2000 08:28 AM
