Re: 1971 K10 Stepside - Getting a Roller Roadworthy
Yep that definitely has had some work done. You have the factory brace so that is a good thing. Neither of my trucks had it. Some got it some didn’t.
My suggestion… strip it down and be really sure of what you’ve got. If it wasn’t repaired correctly those cracks will continue to spread. This is the repairs I did to my K10 last winter just so you can see what it entails. Mine had been poorly repaired in the past and had several cracks that had still spread after the repairs. I drilled both ends of every crack I found and then “V” beveled them as deep as I could without cutting thru the rail then filled them back in with the Mig and flap disked almost smooth; I always try to leave the top a little high when I can so as not to thin the metal out too much. Then once that was done I welded the repair plates over top. Be really sure you get every one. They can be hard to see at times. Mine got ran for a long time with no front crossmember so it was really bad compared to my K20 because of the extra flex and movement in the frame rails.
Note the washer welded to the top of the frame where the front crossmember is now bolted. I did this on all the holes for the front crossmember and the engine crossmember. The holes in the washer a drilled ever so slightly undersize of 7/16 so I could ensure a tight fit in with every thing and do my best to eliminate all chances of movement in the frame.
Last edited by 57taskforce; 08-30-2024 at 02:54 PM.
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