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Frame flex much? w/pics

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scotsdale83

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Is there any way to reduce the frame flex? I dont wanna invest in a cage right now. But was thinking about crossmembers or something along those lines?

Here are some pictures from the last wheeling trip and one from last year. Going up the hill on the power lines you can see the frame flex is getting pretty good. In the picture with 2 trucks, the toyota died in the hole and I went around him to pull him out with my winch. Frame flexed so bad going down the hill it went in to 2wd. (same hill as the pic going up).

Any suggestions guys? or is it just a chevy thing?

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YIKES!!!:eek:
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On a friends truck we tried a lot of stuff including extra crossmembers it all reduced it somewhat. The biggest thing that helped were some sliders welded to the frame with gussets off the supports. Of course he was running a blazer tank by then too.

Essentially build the sliders so they extend the frame you need to use at least 4 stringers back to the frame and gussets on all of them if you can extend the gusset up to the top or bottom of the frame so the gusset is bracing the frame on two planes that will help a ton
 
Yeah, maybe check your body mounts, but mine does that too. It tweaks enough that the doors don't like to open or shut very well. You must have a 208 tcase or something. Tcase mounted shifters like those found on a 205 won't pop out of 4x4.
 
It was GM's idea back then. Frame flex. Long beds are the worst because the cab and box aren't tied together.

You'd need to run a good cage to really help, but boxing the frame and better crossmembers will help.
 
heres some frame flex from my old longbed k30, much worse than yours haha. its cuz the body and bed are two separate things and the frame is so long. you wont really see that with a k5 or burban cuz the body is all one piece.

DSC01676.JPG

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You won't see THAT in a K5, but you will see doors rubbing the front fenders, the door striker pins breaking the B pillar, the A pillar coming apart, the fiberglass topper seams cracking, the tailgate splitting, the roof sheetmetal buckling, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting. :)

Good thing with the trucks is that at least the cab wasn't trying to absorb that flex over the length of the frame, unlike the K5's, where the (structurally weak) body is the sole resistance to frame flex from front to rear.
 
one time I had my old 79 longbed twisted so much that there was about a 6" difference between the body lines between the box and the cab. the truck was all stock with worn out springs and 31's
 
K10 KRAWLER said:
P.S. that dent on the fender in the first pic is from the doors getting twisted up
Click to expand...

That's a good one, I gotta remember that excuse for the next dent...:laugh:

My K5's not rusted, and from where I'm sitting, my ORD bumper does the "Now-you-see-me-now-you-don't" thing in the rocks...;)
 
So what I am gathering is I gotta just deal with it? Or put in a cage? Has anybody put in crossmembers that had helped at all? The body mounts are ok. Its the frame flexing thats the problem.
 
You've gotta go all out. Strengthening crossmembers will only lead to problems where they are tied in, as the frame will flex around the mounting points.
 
If you are that concerend about it check for cracks, and make sure all the crossmembers are ok. If you dont find anything out of the ordinary you're all good.

BTW, I think its just a longbox thing, theres lots of leverage and weight twisting those long frames around.
 
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