Frame repair critque please
 

Hi guys, this is my first post to this forum. I am an American living in Austria. I just bought a 1983 C10 to restore. I need a bit of America here.

Anyway, I tore the truck down the frame and saw some shady weld work done by the previous owner. I wire wheeled the frame and found the frame was cracked in a few spots around the steering box. It obviously cracked one time already as the previous owner gobbed some weld to the frame.

I cleaned most of the ****ty looking welds up, v'd the cracks and welded them up. I then plated over it on the outside and top, as well as fish plated the cracks that were above the engine crossmember.

I wanted peoples opinions on my work so far and if I should do anymore plating on the frame. I was thinking of plating the bottom inside of the frame around the crossmember, but there will be a gap where the crossmember is bolted to the frame. I am not sure if that will create a stress area on the frame.

Please let me know what you think of my work thus far and if i should do any additional plating. I want to get this right the first time, as I am having the frame powder coated next week.

Thanks guys

Paul

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

You are already fixing it better than most of the repairs I have seen done. Chances are you will never be as hard on that truck as the previous owner was.

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

Thanks for the feed back. My only concern is if I am reinforcing the frame in the right spots and not creating any stress spots on the frame.

Do you think it is necessary to plate the bottom of the frame if I have done the outside and top?

I just dont want to get it powder coated and then find it cracked again.

Thanks

Paul

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

If you welded the crack and then plated it on one side, that will be strong enough. The only thing I would have done different is I would have plated the whole area with one piece and plug welded the middle of the fish plate. You wil probably get a lot of opions of how you should do it but your repair is good don't worry about plating both sides.

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

Did you happen to drill the ends of the cracks out? I'd hate to see them start running again after you paint or coat it.

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

Looks pretty good so far.
Offroad Design makes braces or gussets to keep the steering box from ripping the frame out.
http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/steeringkit.htm
If you look em over you can probably fab up your own rather than pay EU Customs for importing the ORD parts.

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

If he beveled the cracks before welding them and had good enough heat and penetration those cracks are never going to be a problem again. I've fixed tons of these frames when I was in the body shop.

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

Hey guys,

Thanks for the feedback. Yes all of the cracks were v'd and welded as well as the crack being drilled. I added some more plating to the outside of the frame because I saw I did not cover one hairline crack. But i also wanted to tie the top plate and the outside plate together some more. Pics are attached.

Tomorrow I will plate the inside bottom of the frame (going to have to leave a gap where the crossmember is) but I think all of this plating should do the trick, hopefully.

Let me know if you think there should be anything else done, if not its off to powder coating!

Thanks

Paul

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

I made one final plating on the inside bottom of the frame. I think the frame should be solid now, off to powder coat!

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

It looks good to me,You gotta remember those these trucks was used as work tucks so things are gonna happen over time with them.

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

I say it was a design flaw.

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

Thanks for posting I just found out my frame is cracked in this area. I like that link for the brace.

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

I think my 110 welder should handle this job, what do you guys think? OP did you finish this repair?

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

Yes I did. I think I moved the rest of it to my build thread. "American in Austria build". Your 110 should be just fine to make this repair.
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Re: Frame repair critque please
 

Thanks 44.

Re: Frame repair critque please
 

A 110 welder should be adequate. If you don't weld much, do some practice first.