Opinions on cracked frame

[Slinky]

Thanks for all the detailed info and pictures. That has helped a lot.

 

[crazy4offroad]

If your neighbor does it you may want to wet an old blanket and throw it over or stuff it around the gas tank, it will help put out any stray sparks before they find their way to the tank.

 

[HotRodPC]

Wow, guess I need to check all 5 of my squares frames. Never knew this was a common issue.

 

[Nomad]

Slinky, I have been trying to find my additional photos of the completed product and haven't had any luck yet.

Anyway if you take a look at your photos and compare them to the photos I posted, you will see that someone drilled a new shock mount hole on your frame. It also appears that they welded the original mounting stud in the upper hole and cut off the remaining stud.

I think you may want to look at your shock travel with your mounting stud now a few inches lower in the frame. This means you will be losing that same amount of shock travel and could potentially have an issue with the shock bottoming out and putting all that force against that already weak spot in the frame. Heavy loads or extreme off road driving could be an issue.

 

[Nomad]

A little more detail on how I finished my repair. After welding up all the cracks on both sides of the frame, I fabricated plates to fit the contour of the frame in that area and welded them in.

I really didn't want to take a chance on going thru this issue again. My thoughts were, if the original design failed, then it needed extra strength and not just repaired with a few passes with a welder. So, that is why I plated it.

 

[Slinky]

Slinky, I have been trying to find my additional photos of the completed product and haven't had any luck yet.

Anyway if you take a look at your photos and compare them to the photos I posted, you will see that someone drilled a new shock mount hole on your frame. It also appears that they welded the original mounting stud in the upper hole and cut off the remaining stud.

I think you may want to look at your shock travel with your mounting stud now a few inches lower in the frame. This means you will be losing that same amount of shock travel and could potentially have an issue with the shock bottoming out and putting all that force against that already weak spot in the frame. Heavy loads or extreme off road driving could be an issue.

I took the shock off for now because I too was worried it might bottom out and it was super loose in that new mount. I didn't want it hammering away on the already weak area.
Obviously I don't want to keep the shock in that lower location, will I be able to just put a new shock mount where the factory mount was once it's all cleaned up or is that asking for trouble??

Also, if I have my neighbor fix this I don't think he'll be able to fab plates for it. He was talking about just welding up the cracks after they are all cleaned up, stop hole drilled and v notched. Do you guys think that would be insufficient?

Thanks guys

 

[Nomad]

I took the shock off for now because I too was worried it might bottom out and it was super loose in that new mount. I didn't want it hammering away on the already weak area.
Obviously I don't want to keep the shock in that lower location, will I be able to just put a new shock mount where the factory mount was once it's all cleaned up or is that asking for trouble??

Also, if I have my neighbor fix this I don't think he'll be able to fab plates for it. He was talking about just welding up the cracks after they are all cleaned up, stop hole drilled and v notched. Do you guys think that would be insufficient?

Thanks guys

In my opinion, to put the shook mount back in the original location you are going to have to do some work to that mounting hole to beef it up. (Like weld washers on each side after welding up the cracks and grinding them down.) Or if you plate it make the plates cover this area and re-drill the hole.

As far as just welding it and not plating it! If your not going to drive it a lot and 4 wheel it, that would get you by for a while but I would not just weld it without plating it. It has already failed twice as it has had some prior repair and now it needs repaired again. So unless you plate it, chances are you are going to be right back at this again or somebody else will be!

This is a C channel frame rail with contours for the shock and this is in the kick up area. You need additional support both in the vertical and horizontal planes of the rail. . The best method is to diamond cut or fish mouth the plate at the ends. Also drill plug holes along the flat portions to plug weld in several areas as this will give added strength by spreading out the load.

I actually used a section of a Toyota frame rail to make my plates. I spent a day making the plates and an hour to weld them in, taking extra time not to overheat the frame.

It's really not that big of a job, it just takes some time and patience!

 

[Slinky]

Thanks.
Looks like I'll need to find something to plate it with. Maybe I could grab a piece of frame from the junkyard or something?

 

[89Suburban]

Gawd damn!!

 

[HotRodPC]

Gawd damn!!

I was wondering when you were you going to get in on this thread.

NOW THIS, is a good reason why NOT to use Coil Over helper shocks, or Air Helper Shocks. All you're doing is putting more strain on those shock mounts to the frame. And now you have those shock mounts to the frame supporting the weight of the whole ass end of your vehicle. JMO