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frame cracks?

beater_k20

beater_k20

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i finally decided to clean up the frame i bought from a fellow member a few months back, to get it ready to put my C10 body on, last weekend. it was thoroughly coated with grease and oil like many 20+ year old trucks are. i had pulled the steering box off because i noticed a small plate welded behind it. ok, no big deal... wrong! as i got to looking, the frame has been cracked, almost to the point of being broken completely in half, and welded back together. i also noticed a plate on the rear shock mount as well. so i've got 2 pretty severe cracks, although they have been repaired. since i really dont have much accomplished (3/4 ton front axle in, which could be changing to a D60 real soon, its just a rolling chassis with the remains of a bed on it, stock 12 bolt out back which is going in the trash.), should i just scrap it and find a solid frame? or should i just put it together, order the weld in brace kit from ORD (or someone else?) and wheel the wee out of it?
 
man, i didn't think that it was that bad of a truck /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

if it was me i would run the ord welding kit along with the bolt in brace. someone here (i think mountainexplorers) has a picture of a frame that sounds just like what you got. i think he used the welding kit.

as for the shock mount, my k10 has a crack around the bolt hole. i welded it shut and im gonna weld insome 1/8" on bolt sides.

you got pics of the frame cracks?
 
TJ, its cool, there's no way you could've seen them with out cleaning the gunk off the frame and taking the steering box off. at first sight, it looked ok. but once the gunk was gone, they stick out real bad. the rear shock i can deal with, and i noticed it when we were putting the rear end in. i think its really a non-issue, because the shocks dont really have all that much force exerted on them. the steering box on the other hand, is a major issue, due to the severity of the cracks. oh, and as for the "remains of the bed" comment. lets just say it didnt like my pressure washer. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif still looks good from the outside, but the bed floor is swiss cheese under that mat still enough to keep the mud off the back of the cab, all the supports are still solid, and its never gonna haul anything, so im just gonna run it, and try to bash it off. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif i do have pics of the cracks, i'll have to take them tomorrow to get them developed. dont think that i'm upset with you for the damage that is done to the truck, its more my fault than anything, i saw pics, made an offer, and picked it up. didnt ask a whole lot of questions like i probably should have.
 
glad your cool with it, cause i was begining to think that you wern't.

so how many goodies did you find in the bed? /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 
Clean and repari the box part with the ORD items, and just spend a day relocating the shocks, maybe play and weld the old shock mounts
 
Seeing as it's a bare roller right now I'd just repair it. Remove the plate that is there, grind the cracks and weld them up. Once all the cracks are welded grind them down flush and install the ORD weld in repair kit.

The biggest issue with a badly cracked frame is accessability...which shouldn't be an issue for you. It's just steel.

Same deal for the shock mount out back.

Rene
 
Have you thought about swapping in a driver side frame rail? Doesn't seem like it'd be that much trouble, just remove the rivets on the crossmembers and replace them with grade 8 bolts. Just tossing another option out there for ya ... /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 
Run it. I am currently in the process of installing the weld in repair kit. (taking a brake for the welder to cool down) I had a good size crack at the engine crossmemeber that has been fixed. No big deal. Weld them up and go.

My 73 Jeep CJ5 was literally broken in half /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif just behind the rear spring hanger of the front spring. Just cleaned it up welded it, braced it and go to town. I drive it an a frequent basis. I have had some other small cracks repaired and welded up too but as long as you get it repaired right it is fine.

Harley
 
my vote goes to scrap only because you can find frames fairly cheap, You could run it and it would probably be ok with a brace kit. BUT if you have problems and the rest of the truck is back togeather your going to hate yourself.
 
i've got a buddy, who has all kinds of fab ideas, and if the deal i've got in the works on a K30 comes through, he says he's interested in my 3/4 ton axles, a spare trans i've got (or one that will come with the K30), and my frame if i decide not to use it. i've got another friend, who told me he knows where there's a K10 frame sitting. im going to check on that as well.
 
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