front spring mounts welded?

[darksaga]

I have a 1968 gmc k25, I bought it 8 months ago and there has been a bit of modification to it, 78 front and rear axle 402 big block, th700, power steering ect....

well about a month ago I started geting a creaking/poping sound coming from the front end so I had someone turn the wheel while I looked at the area (front stearing area) and saw that the front spring perch on the drivers side was flexing. the drivers side was bolted but the passengers side has rivets, the sides of the
perches have been welded and I know its not a factory weld because its a goober weld. I tried to tighten the bolts but one snaped so I used a punch to get it out and replaed both bolts with grade 8 units

my question is can I weld the perch back to the frame and not have any problems? and are the bolts ok? Is there anyone who makes a brace for the stearing box frame area for this old of a truck?

thanks in advance

[Yukon Jack]

Check with www.offroaddesign.com about the frame brace. They do make a brace but I don't know if it will fit a 68. If they and no one here knows, check over at www.coloradok5.com to see if they know.

[6869704X4]

Ive been running bolts in mine with no welds for about 6 years. I check them once in awhile to make sure they stay tight. No problems so far.
My 70 frame has a beef up plate on the inboard side of the frame. I think yours should have one too.

[darksaga]

thanks, I was concerned about movement on it. I replaced the crappy bolts that it had with grade 8 an am going to brace/ box that area of the frame

[jerry moss]

that is a weak point on 67-68 4x4s. try to find a 69-72 frame and get the spring hangers from it, much better design. grade 8 bolts are very brittle--they don't stretch, use a good quality grade 5 bolt with lock nuts and don't over torque them. thats the reason frames are riveted , so they can twist and flex. if everything were welded solid the rails would snap sooner or later. boxing one area of the frame will remove the flexability in that spot and the frame will crack either behind or in front of the boxed area.

[6869704X4]

Jerry, or anyone else,
Is 69 the first year of the beefup plate?

[jerry moss]

i assume you're talking about the brace behind the steering box, inside the frame, that was factory installed. i've only seen them on 71 and 72 trucks and blazers, and not many on trucks. i'm not positive on the year it was first installed as i haven't parted too many 69-70 4x4s and the few i have parted didn't have it. i cut them out whenever i find them and install them on my trucks. got two of them hanging in my garage right now waiting to be put on.

[darksaga]

Originally posted by jerry moss
that is a weak point on 67-68 4x4s. try to find a 69-72 frame and get the spring hangers from it, much better design. grade 8 bolts are very brittle--they don't stretch, use a good quality grade 5 bolt with lock nuts and don't over torque them. thats the reason frames are riveted , so they can twist and flex. if everything were welded solid the rails would snap sooner or later. boxing one area of the frame will remove the flexability in that spot and the frame will crack either behind or in front of the boxed area.

thanks saved me a whole mess of work, my problem is that the hanger is making a poping/clanking sound when it first starts turning but not after that Im going to grind the old weld off and go from there

what does the beef-up plate look like I could try to fab one up

[6869704X4]

Just for reference mine is a 70 truck and it has one. Its riveted and welded. Looks factory. But, who knows?
I thought 67-72s all had them so, shows how much I knew. hehe

[jerry moss]

the ones i've seen are riveted and tack welded in place so it sure sounds like yours is a factory installed item. all 3 of my 72s don't have them factory installed but i have buddies that do have them factory and the trucks were all built out here at the fremont, ca. plant. thanks for the info.

[72SWB4X4]

my 72 swb 4x4 1/2 ton has the plate and is factory and was built in the fremont plant.

[6869704X4]

Mine is a St Louis truck. So I wonder what determined if they got the plate? Not the plant evidently.

darksaga, did you ever get a pic of the plate? We got off on another conversation(thread hijack) and I dont see where you got an answer.

[darksaga]

Originally posted by 6869704X4
Mine is a St Louis truck. So I wonder what determined if they got the plate? Not the plant evidently.

darksaga, did you ever get a pic of the plate? We got off on another conversation(thread hijack) and I dont see where you got an answer.

nope


I poked around a bit more and the noise may be coming from the p/s box, the output shaft is fairly loose. Im going to replace the box but I have one problem, when I purchased the truck I was told that the drivetrain was out of a '73 the rear axle is but the front axle (dana 44) is not, metric calipers and internal hubs making me belive that the axle is 78+, that leaves me guessing on the stearing box because a 78 steering box is not the same part #as a 73 box. I belive that the ony diffrance between the two would be metric fitings?

[6869704X4]

If it quits raining long enough I snap a pic for you.

[darksaga]

Originally posted by 6869704X4
If it quits raining long enough I snap a pic for you.

thanks

wait its raining
rain=mud No Fair!

[6869704X4]

one

[6869704X4]

two

[darksaga]

thanks its one piece right?


I could probably fab something up with plate and angle iron the bottom should be easy the top may be tricky and I would probably include the spring mount in it too


I wonder If I could just take a peice of angle iron and run it between the first 2 bolt holes?

[6869704X4]

Yes its one piece.
Not sure I understand what you mean about the first two bolt holes.

[darksaga]

right here make a plate with angle iron where the yellow is

had to do that with paint need to install gimp...........

[darksaga]

made a mockup of the front brace when I make it I will probably make one out of cardboard first

[6869704X4]

I gotcha now. Ive got so many bolt holes I wasn't sure which ones you were talking about.
I had the same thing happen to me with the front spring hanger. The rivets had worked loose so I took them out and put the bolts in.