What to do about frame rust?
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Freshman User
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 36
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What to do about frame rust?
Hey all,
The frame on my 88 F150 4x4 is rusted through where the bracket holds the rear of the passenger side leaf spring to the frame. The bracket is still attached to the leaf spring, and is also attached to a nice chunk of frame that broke off. The frame rail still has meat top and bottom, but the side portion where the bracket attaches is gone.
What's the best remedy for this? Should I weld in a plate to reattach the leaf spring bracket, or should I cut off the end of the frame rail and weld in a whole new piece? I really love this truck, so junking is not the answer I'm looking for unless this situation is truly hopeless.
Thanks,
Jack
The frame on my 88 F150 4x4 is rusted through where the bracket holds the rear of the passenger side leaf spring to the frame. The bracket is still attached to the leaf spring, and is also attached to a nice chunk of frame that broke off. The frame rail still has meat top and bottom, but the side portion where the bracket attaches is gone.
What's the best remedy for this? Should I weld in a plate to reattach the leaf spring bracket, or should I cut off the end of the frame rail and weld in a whole new piece? I really love this truck, so junking is not the answer I'm looking for unless this situation is truly hopeless.
Thanks,
Jack
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,621
Likes: 1
From: Sweetwater Texas
I've never had luck with just welding on a frame, but then again I've never seen a frame here in Texas rust out, our broken frames are from bad roads and overloads and on them the general fix to to put as long as piece of 1/2'' plate inside the open part of the Channel and use 4-6 1/2'' grade 8 bolts on each side of the break.
Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21,437
Likes: 75
From: Gilbert, PA
THAT IS BAD! Like a previous poster said, how bad is the other side and everywhere else?! you better check where all the spring hangers mount, rear shock brackets, and behind the front coil buckets. I would never even consider fixing a frame that bead. just get another one
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Freshman User
Joined: May 2007
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So you guys think getting a whole new frame rail, and dropping the old one out, is the way to go? The rest of the frame rail, and the other frame rail, has surface rust mostly. This is just the result of a good old Maine winter truck! I suppose replacing the frame rail is possible, I just hadn't thought of it. There's probably just bumper mounts, motor and trans mounts, trans cross member, a few other welded cross members, and suspension front a rear that connect to it.
Anything I'm not thinking of?
Anything I'm not thinking of?
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: stinkin lincoln, maine
Yeah, the lovely maine winter is why I'm replacing the core support, drivers side fender, and cab corner. Oh, and the main reason for swapping on a fiberglass flareside bed.
Id' make a notched cut up past the front hanger, then weld on a new piece to that. If you watch Trucks! on spike tv they did that to make a long bed truck a shortbed truck.
Plus they do it all the time to log trucks, so if a vehicle grossing 100,000 pounds can have a frame section replaced safely, no reason you can't do it to a little 1/2 ton pick up.
All you'd hafta remove is the bed, and gas tank probably for safety, grind off the rivets for the front hangar and crossmembers, and away you go!!
I'd ask around heavy equipment shops about it, instead of collision centers, if its something you don't have the rigging for.
Id' make a notched cut up past the front hanger, then weld on a new piece to that. If you watch Trucks! on spike tv they did that to make a long bed truck a shortbed truck.
Plus they do it all the time to log trucks, so if a vehicle grossing 100,000 pounds can have a frame section replaced safely, no reason you can't do it to a little 1/2 ton pick up.
All you'd hafta remove is the bed, and gas tank probably for safety, grind off the rivets for the front hangar and crossmembers, and away you go!!
I'd ask around heavy equipment shops about it, instead of collision centers, if its something you don't have the rigging for.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,512
Likes: 8
From: Cook Forest and Irwin PA
In the projects section I have photos of my world famous 'ford rusty frame fix' and I have have pics of it installed on my 'new' 90 F150 in the 'new blue almost ready for the road' thread.
It takes a couple weekends to do including all the fabricating if you got ways to cut mild steel and weld it up. but if you do it and include my rear crossmember design, its way stronger than what ford ever built.
do NOT weld to a factory frame. it will rust and crack around the welds and since yours is already rusting, it wont hold anyways - it will just slough off.
and any holes drilled in the frame where not rusty, need chamfered to minimize cracking.
It takes a couple weekends to do including all the fabricating if you got ways to cut mild steel and weld it up. but if you do it and include my rear crossmember design, its way stronger than what ford ever built.
do NOT weld to a factory frame. it will rust and crack around the welds and since yours is already rusting, it wont hold anyways - it will just slough off.
and any holes drilled in the frame where not rusty, need chamfered to minimize cracking.
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 117
Likes: 1
Somewhat off topic question - my frame is rusty but not to the point where brackets and shackles are falling apart. Waht can I do to preserve it? I hear about people having their frames sandblasted & coated, sprayed with oil, etc.
Waht would you guys do? I'd like to just have it sprayed with oil but I am not sure about the pros & cons. How much does this generally cost? How much does a sandblast cost?
Waht would you guys do? I'd like to just have it sprayed with oil but I am not sure about the pros & cons. How much does this generally cost? How much does a sandblast cost?
Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21,437
Likes: 75
From: Gilbert, PA
I brought a bare frame to a sand blaster. It cost me 100 bucks. That was cheap. Now a friend of mine just had his mason dump body and the rear half of his frame sandblasted, cost him 2200
. He got screwed
. He got screwed