My frame is cracked.

[rs74]

I tore the whole truck down then had it media blasted and still didn't notice it. I showed up to the paint shop today and the painter said that it had a crack in it. Sure enough. It is in the inside lower lip of the frame back from the power steering box. I think it is an odd spot for it to crack. In the first pic you can see where it is in relation to the steering box. I am going to try to pull it back together and then grind a v in the crack and weld it up then grind it back down.

[1977cheyenne_C10]

that sucks man. hope everything comes out good

[rollin thunder]

x2. glad you caught it!

[cmyc5575]

What would cause this to crack like this?

[superwade57]

Actually a really common place for these and other generation (newer even) Chevy truck frames to crack. I think its usually behind the steering box around the bolts that holds it on. But believe it or not the steering box puts a ton of stress on the frame.every bump you hit especially while turning. Jars that gear box.
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[rs74]

Originally Posted by cmyc5575

What would cause this to crack like this?

That is what I want to know. I have had this truck for 15 years and never wrecked it or overly abused it. It has always had the same engine in it since I have owned it. I am wondering if it was there when I bought it years ago. The engine was healthy but nothing to make a frame crack.

[rs74]

Originally Posted by superwade57

Actually a really common place for these and other generation (newer even) Chevy truck frames to crack. I think its usually behind the steering box around the bolts that holds it on. But believe it or not the steering box puts a ton of stress on the frame.every bump you hit especially while turning. Jars that gear box.
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I knew they cracked around the steering box mount bolts but didn't know they would crack that far back. When I tore it down to the frame I even checked around the steer box mount and seen nothing but didn't look there.

[B Barber]

A healthy motor does wonders to a frame. It takes a lot of mods to beef one up when you get even higher in hp numbers. This is not an odd place for one to crack at all.

[cory d]

what have other done to fix this? mine was cracked around the box but the previous owner bought the plate from whatever 4x4 company and fixed it. what can you do for this crack?

[B Barber]

I would weld it up, then fishplate it, and weld the fishplate solid. My frame has chromoly tubing welded in various places to strengthen this point, but only because of my torque. That would be overkill for your situation.

[superwade57]

For the crack pictured.... v, weld, box. For steering box bolts... v, weld, grind flat, put a diamond or circle reinforcement patch weld on inside of frame and use old holes as pilots and redrill from outside. The advantage to a circle is even stress distribution on the patch from other stresses such as motor torque. Any point or angle is a stress point a circle has none
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[LynnJr]

I would weld it up and box it in as others have already said.If you have any more trouble it will be outside of the boxed in area.

[Tx Firefighter]

Big ol fat front tires pay hell on frames and cause cracks too. Back in the day, here in Texas, a whole bunch of guy ran 10 inch wheels and 295 tires on all corners. Many a frame cracked from that.

They drove like crap too but it was all the rage back then.

I was guilty of it too. This was my daily driver for a long time.


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[rs74]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

Big ol fat front tires pay hell on frames and cause cracks too. Back in the day, here in Texas, a whole bunch of guy ran 10 inch wheels and 295 tires on all corners. Many a frame cracked from that.

They drove like crap too but it was all the rage back then.

I was guilty of it too. This was my daily driver for a long time.


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Uhh yeah. I am guilty of that too. I had 10" rims with 295-50's all the way around. I didn't drive it a whole lot after putting the tires on before parking it for 7 years. Maybe that is the culprit. Before putting the 295's on it had 255's or 275-60's all the way around on the 10" rims.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

I beat the living cheap out of mine on corners. Think I'm going to go ahead and reinforce mine soon. Glad I'm getting full cert for welding at school
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[D.FENS]

My '86 cracked in almost the same place as yours has. Far as I know it was a stock truck before I got it, so the wide - tire / deep wheel thing may not be the only cause. I had a friend fix it for me, this was before I had access to a welder.

My '78 was repaired by or for a previous owner, they fixed it by welding big flat washers or maybe just flat discs over the steering box bolt holes then re-drilling them.

[rs74]

I was able to pull the frame back together today with a c-clamp. If I get time tomorrow then I will put a tack on it then v out the weld and then weld it up. I will grind it down afterward and maybe put a small fish plate over that. I hate to do the fish plate but that is probably the best thing to do.

[DREAMER1]

May not be any more help than what the other guys have already said, but in industrial steel applications we always drill a hole in front of the crack. In the direction the crack is going. Stress causes the tearing/crack. By drilling a small hole in front of it it will relieve the stress. THEN we cut a gap where the crack is. In your case a deep V would be fine.
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[xole]

Here is the brace kit OffRoadDesigns.

I was thinking of doing this on mine.

[1977cheyenne_C10]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

Big ol fat front tires pay hell on frames and cause cracks too. Back in the day, here in Texas, a whole bunch of guy ran 10 inch wheels and 295 tires on all corners. Many a frame cracked from that.

They drove like crap too but it was all the rage back then.

I was guilty of it too. This was my daily driver for a long time.


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really? i was planning to go 15x10 all around in my truck.