ORD steering brace installed

[rocknerd]

after realizing my frame was cracked in multiple places behind my steering box i did some research and found ORD out of Colorado. I ordered up the weld on repair kit and the bolt on brace. Installed them yesterday on my 88 k5 with minimal issues and am impressed with the results. quality stuff.

 

[Chevy305]

after realizing my frame was cracked in multiple places behind my steering box i did some research and found ORD out of Colorado. I ordered up the weld on repair kit and the bolt on brace. Installed them yesterday on my 88 k5 with minimal issues and am impressed with the results. quality stuff.

Did you stitch weld the brace on or all around?

 

[73redblaze]

pics please

 

[rocknerd]

will be able to put up some finished product pics, but too busy to snap pics during the install. i stich welded. solid weld all the way around makes it brittle. but the install instructions tell you that.

 

[badmix]

I was happy that someone came up with a solution to a very bad problem. I didnt have any cracks, but got the brace for insurance and glad I did. Very cheap preventive maintance, if you have K5, it should be the first mod done, next to the XJ steering shaft, lol.

 

[K5 Jess]

do you know the bolt sizes for the steering box? Im ordering the plate and brace tomarrow and want to upgrade to grade 9 bolts but dont know the sizes.

 

[sweetk30]

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=196260&highlight=bolts

 

[K5 Jess]

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=196260&highlight=bolts

I read it but the link doesnt work. Found some on amazon and a google search but I need to know the size. Id like to order al this at once.

 

[MTBLAZER89]

7/16 coarse thread I believe. I don't remember the lengths with the brace.

 

[K5 Jess]

I just re-read it and it said

Those plates are "1/8" thk, but they are actually .155 thk ea. That leaves the 3" bolt short of full thread in the box. So with welded plates and a brace requires 3 X 4" and 1 X 3" bolts, nuts, washers and a drill to drill-out the box; then we can torque the Grade 9 for all its worth, not just 80 ft. lbs.

Ive been lurking around bullet proof steering dot com and I cant find where I can order a set

 

[MTBLAZER89]

If you are going to do that mod make sure you look at your box first. The top forward hole is not perpendicular to the surface of the box meaning you need to machine the box down or use a tapered washer of some sort. All the rest of them work great with a nut on the outside.

 

[K5 Jess]

cool! will do. My buddy has access to a machine shop.

 

[stumpbuster]

all natural eggs

 

[K5 Jess]

all natural eggs

huh

 

[BGKYK5]

It looks like a new guy needs to up his post count.

Make sure you fix the cracks in the frame before welding that on. You should drill a stop hole at each end of the crack, "v" them out and weld them up, and then weld on the brace.

 

[K5 Jess]

will do! Did you grind the bead smooth or just leave it?
I just ordered the weld in kit and brace from ORD. they were way cool! very helpful! Its nice to order from a company with cs like ORD.

 

[xpndbl3]

I think my 3/4 ton suburban must be one of the only vehicles to not have stress fractures or cracks on the frame. We flap wheeled down the undercoating on the frame and it revealed a bare pristine section of frame. Stitch welded on the weld on brace and drilled the hole out for the bolt on brace and away I went.

 

[BGKYK5]

will do! Did you grind the bead smooth or just leave it?

Ground smooth.

Stop holes and v-notched:



Welded, ground, and ready for brace:



Now:

Actually, now I have B52s installed, but you get the idea.

 

[K5 Jess]

Ground smooth.

Stop holes and v-notched:

View attachment 93842

Welded, ground, and ready for brace:

View attachment 93843

Now:

Actually, now I have B52s installed, but you get the idea.

Yes, thank you!