The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Chassis questions

Because this is a learning experience for me...
1. How do you know if the chassis is just unusable? (I have a couple of spots that have rusted completely through, on the rear though)
2. How do you re-attach the rear cab mounts that have the cushioning?

Thanks,
James. (qwertyuiop)

You will find that there is much less information about frame repair. I think that a lot of people figure it is beyond them. Anyhow, if the majority of the frame is good, I think the small areas should be repairable. If a frame is cracked, that is a lot more tricky because you are then dealing with metal fatigue.

What mounts are you referring to? If it is say a 1950 or later, there are shackles on each side at the rear of the cab. After supporting the cab, each side can then be taken apart and new rubber bushings installed.

When rebuilding my 53 1/2 ton, I discovered several nickle-sized holes in the frame rail just beind the driver's side of the cab. It looked more like acid had eaten through than rust, and in fact the rest of the frame had no bad rust. I cut and fit 1/4 steel plate...one piece to fit across the top and another to fit along the outside of the rail and welded them on. Had to be careful to allow clearance for the parking brake mechanism and bed bolts. If by "rear", you mean the tail ends of the frame or the arched brace in the rear, it would seem that anything that would take a smiliar welded patch would work, since there is less weight in the rear and torque less of a consideration than up front.

Thanks for your input. This is a 65 frame and the two rear cab mounts have a rubber bushing that is almost like dry-rotted and hanging off. The rest of the chassis is basically solid with just a couple small holes. If it is under the bed, would it be o.k. just to leave the holes? Or do you repair them to prevent any further damage?

I'd repair them. I have a couple of small spots and am planning on taking the bed off for restoration later this summer. When I do, I'm planning on driving him over th a local steel fabricator and will have them weld in some new metal before I paint the rear half of ther frame.

PJ:

The '65 rear cab mounts are a common problem. Chevy Duty, LMC Truck and a number of other aftermarket truck suppliers sell rear cab support replacements. I recommend getting the OEM/GM factory originals. They also sell a "slip-on" replacements, which I would not use since there seems to be some rust damage that is structural. Additionally, depending on the location of the holes, I would repair them. The frame on a '65 has a number of holes when it comes from the factory for mounting various assemblies, ie brake lines, wire clips, exhaust hangers etc. Drilling additional holes, may or may not diminish the structural integrity of the frame, however any holes due to rust must be repaired. I have infilled by welding some of the extra holes in the frame of my '66 just to give it a cleaner look. If you can weld and you have the equipment weld them up. If not, I would take to a local weld shop to have them infilled by welding. Best of luck.