Rear Shock Mount Xmember Cracked...

[Stepsides 4Ever]

The crossmember that the upper shock mount bolts to is cracked on both sides at the forward bolt holes. The crack runs across the bolt holes and up the side to the upper part of the crossmember. I was going to vee out the crack, stop-drill at the end of the crack, and welding it up, and then taking a 6" or 8" piece of 3/16" plate and welding it across the bottom of the crossmember to bolt the upper shock mount to.

I thought I would pass it by the people on the board to see what other people have done to repair this. I have the frame stripped down and on sawhorses so I can do whatever needs doing fairly easily...

[john]

I bought a used one and replaced mine that was the same condition. Should be easy stripped down.

[Stepsides 4Ever]

Thanks, John...nnfortunately, none of the boneyards in my area have a coil-sprung rear with the bed off, and it would be next to impossible to get one out without the bed being off. What I'm going to do is to grind off the rivets on the damaged piece (not the coil spring pad-to-frame rivets, though), take out the damaged piece and "box" it with a full-length piece of steel, then bolt it back up. If it doesn't last (it should!), I can then just unbolt it and bolt in a replacement.

Thanks for the idea!!!!

[67sss]

do you have a pic of what you need, I have a 72 frame, bed off, and might be able to help you out.Here's what I have.

[Stepsides 4Ever]

Here's your pic with the crossmember circled. I don't need the spring pad, just the cross piece. Also, I can use the upper shock mounts as well as mine are pretty much worn out.

Let me know if you're interested in selling them...I'm going to take it apart tomorrow (sure will make it easier to clean in that area!)

Slightly OT, but I see you have a cross piece behind the rear end that has the connection for the brake line. Someone in our truck's history swapped out the rear end for a 5-lug model, and I've always thought that it looked kind of funky the way my brake line connected to the flex hose with nothing to support the connection...now I know why. I don't have that cross member. Now I have to find out how they did the brake lines in 1970 and cobble something up!

Thanks for your input and picture!

[67sss]

I'll try to get it off this afternoon, providing the spring come easily and we'll go from there.

[Stepsides 4Ever]

Where your at as far as the disassembly goes, it should go pretty quickly, although it took a while for me to figure out how to get it out of the frame by leaving the spring pad riveted to the frame, because the frame narrows both in front and behind the crossmember. If you are scrapping out the frame anyway, a cutting torch would make it a lot faster...

[Stepsides 4Ever]

Oh, yeah, one other thing...I cleaned up the crossmember and discovered a couple of small cracks that were just starting in the holes that the spring pad is riveted to. You could tell that the rivets toward the front of the truck were working loose.

I made a mistake...I do have that crossmember behind the rear end like you do...

[67sss]

here you go, came off ok, took a while..2 beers or so.......pm'd you with the details.

[Stepsides 4Ever]

67sss, I sent you an email...