making a short bed crew cab

[munger]

never mind i got it tall deck

[b454rat]

The frame was shortened and welded by a pro welder, I can weld, but would rather have someone else do it. I don't even own a welder. I wish he did plate it on the inside, but that is easy to do later on. The welds have good penetration. This wasn't the first frame he shortened.

I dunno why those pics turned out so small.

It will have the 4500, right now still has no motor/tranny. I have a 400 that I'm gonna use till I get the bugs worked out, still need to get the 3 year only flywheel for the 427, and clutch and throwout bearing yet too. Biggest thing that is holding me up now besides time is the engine crossmember. Need to figure something out...

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by munger

so b454rat that pickup has a nv4500 in it? and what does 427td mean

I believe it is a tall deck truck 427

[63chevyll]

well, i dont mean it will break right away, but anytime a frame is shotrened it needs to be strengthened on bothe sides,

I guess its not bad, but if you start wheeling with it and twisting the frame it may start cracking

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 63chevyll

well, i dont mean it will break right away, but anytime a frame is shotrened it needs to be strengthened on bothe sides,

I guess its not bad, but if you start wheeling with it and twisting the frame it may start cracking

The sides are not the part you should be worried about. It is the top & bottom flanges that are the most important structurally (think I-beam). The side is just there to hold the top & bottom flanges in place for the most part. It does contribute to torsional strength but the primary forces on a truck chassis are gravity loads and suspension reaction loads, straight up & down. Off roading will twist it around a little but the loads are far smaller than a bed full of gravel.

Add a 1/4"x2"+ strip of flat bar to the top & bottom flanges in the repair area and extend it about 6" each way past the repair and the repaired area will be stronger than the unmodified areas of the frame. Cover the welded area with a welders blanket and let it cool slowly and the repair will not be as brittle as if it cooled quickly in the air. Never hose off a frame repair weld with water. The metal will be excessively hard and lose much of its elasticity.

[Devillusion]

I agree that those cuts/welds would make me nervous over time. But that is just me, I tend to overbuild everything to the point of overkill, hence the name of my SAS build..lol.

Should be sweet either way.