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Ovalled shock mount hole- REPAIR OPTIONS?

Can Can

Can Can

Pusher Man
Joined
Feb 17, 2000
Posts
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Location
Cochrane, Alberta, Canada
I'm sure more than a few of you have run into problems with your shock mount holes on your frame. I'm curious what some of you have done to repair them when they got ovalled.

I know the best way to fix it up would be to weld in a piece of plate with a new hole drilled into it, but I don't have access to a welder and am hoping for some other options that have worked for you guys...... /forums/images/graemlins/ears.gif
 
I assume that You mean the upper rear shock mounts, right?
Well in Your (sad) situation of not having a welder I see two options. One if the mounting bolt has enough thread put a nut on the inside of the frame. Or two drill the hole out and put in a Heli-Coil simply replacing the threads.
Another opption would be to get a local welder to fill in the hole real quick and redrill and tap the hole.
So what is it on the truck or the Blazer? If its the one that is rivited to the frame (drivers side) I could cut Mine of My frame and send it to You. /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grind.gif /forums/images/graemlins/hack.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Corey, it's on the pickup. It's the front driver's side upper shock mount, and it's not welded or threaded. It's simply a hole in the frame that the shock mounting bolt fits into. I'll get a pic of it tomorrow.

The shocks have been on the truck for over 7 years and just last week I started hearing a clunk in the front end. The backing nut must have slightly loosened off over the winter and gradually ovalled out the hole.

I think I'll see if one of the local welding shops can fill the hole so I can re-drill it out......

Any other suggestions, lads?
 
Ford towers are always a possibilty. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

That said I would just put a bolt in it and tighten it up if it's not so bad. How badly ovaled is it?
 
/forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif Drill the hole bigger and install a bushing maybe /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Ford towers are always a possibilty

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll second that

[/ QUOTE ]

I've even got a pair I could sell. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Well, the problem right now is twofold-

1. The mounting hole is ovalled enough that there's about 1/2 an inch of movement. Bad enough that the sucker really rattles while going down a pothole-filled road.......

2. I replaced the original mountiing hardware about 7 years ago with new mounting bolts supplied with the shocks I bought. They use a of locking backing nut(on the bigger half of the bolt) that has steel inserts at the top of the threads that "bite" into the stud to eliminate the chance of accidental loosening. Basically, combine that with 7 years of Alberta driving and they're impossible to move. A buddy of mine had to torch his off when he replaced his shocks awhile back. If I could just tighten the sucker down it would work until I had friggin time to get to a welder buddy of mine's place, but I can't get the backing nut to budge, even with a 2 foot snipe..... /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Just torch that crap off and bolt yourself up some Ford towers. Cheap and a nice upgrade, plus if it ever happens again you torch the mess off and it's easily replaced.

This rig doesn't have an SM465 and mech clutch does it?
 
Are Ford shock towers really that much of a gain with the taller shocks, from what i have seen, they are still taller up, so it would seem that even with the taller shock, you are taking away some of the extra travel with the taller mount?

Does this make sense?
 
If you have access to a welder you can just weld a thick washer on the outside of the frame. If you use 3/16" or 1/4" thick material it should be fine.
just my .02
 
Too see what kind of mounting system I have click HERE and scroll down to the "Cantilever Pin Mounting" diagram.

The "A" thread part is the where I'm having the problem. The nut won't tighten up to frame there.

BTW, Tim, the truck in question is and 83 2WD pickup.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Are Ford shock towers really that much of a gain with the taller shocks, from what i have seen, they are still taller up, so it would seem that even with the taller shock, you are taking away some of the extra travel with the taller mount?

Does this make sense?

[/ QUOTE ]

I see what you're trying to point out and I'll do my best to explain this to you.

Stock mounts are "X" distance apart at ride height. Say that you have 3" of uptravel and 3" of down travel. That means that you need a shock that is long enough to flex to X+3 and short enough to flex to X-3 without bottoming out or over extending.

Unfortunately when you get into lift springs, they're capable of more down travel than the "X" distance of spacing can provide, so you need to increase "X" in order to run a shock long enough to get sufficient travel downward without bottoming out on compression.

So, in short, no, putting ford towers on by themselves don't increase wheel travel, but the space allowed by them which lets you put a longer shock on DOES increase wheel travel significantly.
 
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