The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop frame straightening???

As I get more did on my old truck, some of the final fix items are coming up. Any recommendations on how to take the bends out of the back of my frame? I want to put a flat bed on it, and I'd druther not have to shim it to make it solid.

This old truck was shoved about by a D9 when tools were needed in a tough spot. I imagine that had a lot to do with the bend in the frame over the rear axle. (and why all bed mounts were bustificated)

I really think its a body shop job that has a body ram - with no bed on it - should be a cheap and easy job? Any ideas on reasonable price?

Any advice appreciated.

Click me to see the rear frame of the truck

I can't see a thing in the pictures. If you take it to a body shop they would do something like that pretty fast.

The frame needs to be tied down to a frame rack or "pot" in the floor and then jacked up at the rear while "Massaging" of the bend in the rail.

How far off is it? How much shims would be needed to make the bed fit? Are you SURE it is the frame and not the bed that is bent?

This should illuciadate the bend a bit better. I took a straight 6' 1x2" and laid it on the hump in the frame from the diff banging off it.

I think this shows that quite a bit of shimming would be needed..... :p

Frame Pix

There is about a 3/8 inch gap in the back and at the front spring mount - about an inch. And there plenty of frame between that and the cab.

Irwin,

In the original picture it looks like the bottom flange of the frame rail is puckered right over the axle. That jives with the downward bend in the rear of the rail in the second pictures.

Should be a real easy fix. Hold the rail to the floor at the pucker and jack up the back until it's straight. The body shop will have the right setup to do it.

well...got some estimates today - ranged from 380 to 550 to get the frame straigthened. The low end guys were going to heat up the frame and beat it with hammers. I wasn't so crazy about that approach since I could do that. The higher end figures were to put the truck on a frame machine and use just a bit of heat to get the wrinkles out.

That sound about right on price? If so I'll probably go to the higher end place with the frame machines.

Any comments from the body-shop-knowledgeable?

I figure its a time consuming task to get it tweaked. If I was going to heat and bang it, I do that myself.

Honestly? Most of the time heat is not even needed. In fact, with todays frames you are not to heat them much at all being they are high strength steel.

If you tie the thing down to the rack, and strategically push or pull where needed, heat is hardly ever needed. Unless there are some serious kinks of course that is.

Your typical frame repair like this would be 1.5 hours "set up" then four or five in repair. That would total let's say seven for fun. Multiply the seven by the shop rate. Here at the shop I work, 62 bucks by seven is $434.00

But I am not there to really see what is needed so to be off a few hours is understandable.

Thanks, your advice is much appreciated. I would have thought no heat myself, don't mind the odd wrinkle. I will ask that the avoid it if they can. Pity u ain't in Garland!

found a good shop with frame rig - do it for $400 - no heat. The guy said, well, to do it right, I have to have the bed. I sez, sorry, ain't no bed, went to the scraper. Will build new one on frame when frame straight. Him say, OK, no problemo.

As today was my birfday - I lavishly spent $36 for 36 new shiney chromed up lug nuts fer my truck. Seeing how we are the same age....

and final result. They did it last night! Frame is as straight as an arrow. Nice to find a good shop. $400.