[mmiddle]

To be honest, I it were my truck or one I just bought. I would pull the motor, cleanly dress the cuts and weld in 3/16 plate. And when I sat weld, I don't mean with a flux-core wire welder. These need at the very lest solid core MIG wire or best Tig welded. You have created very critical stress points.

I know it may sound like we are being harsh here. Don't take us wrong cutting or notching the frame and cross members is not a big deal, many of us do it for one reason or another. But, What has us freaked out is the roughness of the cuts and the idea of bolting patch plates around the holes.

I know this is apples to oranges... but aircraft have fallen out of the sky due to small scratches in a wing spar. Even tooling marks in a machines surface can create a stress point.