The 1986 bent and bruised C10 SWB

Hey there from North Texas! I’m glad to meet you all! But honest I need some help! I got a bent frame and I’m looking for a way to save my 86. Looking for some wisdom here people!

Can anyone please help me with the Build information to check a frame for square for a 1986 C10. I found a frame and would like some reference points to check

Welcome from Ohio

Howdy and welcome. Local body shop with a frame machine should do the trick. Full frame trucks are easy to straighten enough to save. Unibodies not so much.
Eric

As said above. Any good frame shop can advise on what can/cannot be fixed.

Getting it to a competent frame repair place is the first step. These trucks when hit in the front transfer the energy under the cab and you can only straighten what you can get to. I have attached a couple pics of one of my trucks and didn't look at it carefully enough when I bought it. Only after I dropped a fuel tank did I realize what I got into. Note the rear cab mounts, they bent them upwards to get the cab and bed to align while sucking the bottom of the frame in.

After a year of looking I could not find a used frame worth using so this was the only choice short of aftermarket. With me handing him a rolling frame, he charged me $2k to straighten it out, this was over 2 years ago. He returned it to me like it was never bent. His work was excellent. No heat or hammer marks. Came out so good I had it powder coated .

The first thing I did to understand how bad it was, I put it up on 4 jack stands and made sure they were all at the same height. I found frame measurements on line and went under it and started measuring. Used a line level and a plumb bob to figure out what was going on.

Welcome from Missouri.

That’s hope full I did the same bought truck didn’t look hard enough and striped it down for swap and I started noticing when I pulled front clip how bad it is. Then when old motor came out I realized the frame had been cut and welded back.
So next week I will remove cab and bed and take to a frame shop!
Any suggestions for the north Texas shops! Or any advice on how to choose one.

Welcome from VA.

Doug1986C10 said:

That’s hope full I did the same bought truck didn’t look hard enough and striped it down for swap and I started noticing when I pulled front clip how bad it is. Then when old motor came out I realized the frame had been cut and welded back.
So next week I will remove cab and bed and take to a frame shop!
Any suggestions for the north Texas shops! Or any advice on how to choose one.

Click to expand...

Sorry, forgot to say, Welcome from Arizona.

In today's world, not many places want to get tied up in our projects, they want quick and easy insurance money. I would start calling around. The guy that did mine was a "frame repair" shop. He didn't do anything else, no paint or body work and only light mechanical to perform the frame work.

Doug1986C10 said:

That’s hope full I did the same bought truck didn’t look hard enough and striped it down for swap and I started noticing when I pulled front clip how bad it is. Then when old motor came out I realized the frame had been cut and welded back.
So next week I will remove cab and bed and take to a frame shop!
Any suggestions for the north Texas shops! Or any advice on how to choose one.

Click to expand...

I'd also be tempted to shorten a good and much easier to find long wheel base frame. People give them away,some one did last week and I'd make you a bargain on mine,but you are too far away.See what the frame shop says,but keep a LWB frame in your mind as an option.

I used to live in North Fort Worth and I ever so slightly bent the frame on my K5. I had it straightened at a body shop in Watauga or Keller. They did ok but not good enough that I could recommend.

Hard to find a true frame shop that only does frames, most are body shops that also do frame work. On my C10, I brought it to a place in Phoenix and he has been in business 40 years only doing frames and suspension. He truly was a master.

The good news... Plenty of straight long beds that can be cut down easily enough and the aftermarket has stepped up and there is probably 10 or more companies making frames/ suspensions if you and your wallet are so inclined.

I'd call Triple F in Alliance and see who they recommend.

Welcome from Austria. Could be easier and cheaper to get a straight frame from a junkyard and swap the rest of the truck.

Welcome from up in the Panhandle.