The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Can this part be safely eliminated?

Sorry if this is a really dumb question, but is the part circled in the picture below structural or is it a piece that can be removed and discarded? It seems far too flimsy to be a frame support but I don't want to eliminate it if it's going to cause problems.

The reason I ask is that I'm planning to relocate the gas tank to the rear for safety reasons at some point and I think this piece will be in the way. But without the replacement tank here, I don't know for sure. I'm in the process of cleaning up the frame and would like to avoid having to remove this and repaint the area later if I can safely get rid of it now.

(Sorry in advance for posting a pic; it's only about 20K -- tried to make it as small a file as possible.)

Thanks,
Brent

Picture

(From Cletis: Even though it's a small picture, my instructions are "no pictures" so I had to change it.)

nice circle
that looks to be the spare tire mount support - obviously not needed if you'll have a gas tank there for folks to run into instead

Bill

That's what I thought it was but wasn't sure. Thanks!

In the unlikely event that I have problems with a gas tank catching fire, I'd rather it be in the back (protected at least somewhat by the frame) than inches from me and my passengers (my kids).

You may want to rethink the placement of the tank.

I don't have any problem with a tank in the cab as long as it does not leak and the hoses are good.

Think about it, where is the tank least likely to be damaged? In the cab, or at the rear of the truck when someone runs into you?

Perhaps inside the frame beside the driveshaft but in front of the rear axle is a good place too, but I don't think behind the rear axle is any better than in the cab.

Grigg

Are you planing on blasting the frame? If you're set on a rear mount tank, I would wait until I got the tank before removing too much back there. You may want to move that real support further back and will probably need to add one ahead of the tank. I will be doing the same thing in the next week or two or three or four. Right now 100+ degrees has put a quietus on my hobby.

I don't have the equipment to blast the frame, unfortunately. I'm going to try to find someone locally who would be interested in bringing his (her) equipment to my location to do it, as it would save me a TON of time and labor with a wire brush. But if I can't find someone, I'll be doing it with a variety of wire brushes as best I can. (It was supposed to be just a quick brake job.)

I'm not too worried about removing the spare tire support -- it's so thin I could bend it by hand, so I don't think it's doing much in the way of structural rigidity. Hopefully I'll have the tank before I need to paint the frame, but we're almost at September and I'm in Minnesota, so my days are numbered for being able to get this back together before winter. My goal right now is getting the back half rebuilt and back together before October.

I'm pretty set on getting the gas tank out of the cab. As much as it may be better protected in there, I'm not at all comfortable with the idea of nothing but fabric and springs between myself (and my kids) and a bomb. I'd rather take my chances with it outside the cab.

You may wanna clean the frame with an electric angle grinder and a wire cup brush, works pretty good, make sure you wear eye and breathing protection.

Mike

Didn't the Ford Pinto have the gas tank in the rear?

Yes.

Yeah, but it was the GM trucks that exploded when hit from the side ... or so "Dateline" would have you believe, anyway.

"Didn't the Ford Pinto have the gas tank in the rear?"

And the crown victoria. Sadly lots of highway patrolmen have been killed or burned badly in rear end accident fires. Our shops pulled the tank out of every one & put in membrane lined fuel cells after one of our guys was burned beyond recognition.

1982-1994 S10 Blazers have a rear mounted tank. I don't recall to many of those blowing up. If you protect it with a rear cross member it should be fine. The Blazer tank is what I am putting in the rear of my 50 3100 with a gravity feed for the fuel pump.

Gas tanks are located all over vehicles and have been found in the rear for years. While a rear collision is more likely than a side collision, vehicles are hit from all angles and on all sides. As a matter of fact with the gas spout sticking out on the passenger side on our bolts, a crash there might produce a fiery result.
Moral: protect your tank with real steel wherever you decide to place it.

Put your gas tank where you want.. just make sure you buy a quality tank, with the feed coming out of the top, you should also get one that is baffled.

As for cleaning your frame, hose it with oven cleaner and power wash it... hit it with a wire wheel, and use POR-15 (or something like it) right over the surface rust, it will look like new.

I've got a selection of stuff from Eastwood to take care of the paint angle -- Metal Wash, Rust Converter Kit, Rust Encapsulator, and Chassis Black. It's getting rid of the rust in the joints that will be the biggest task. That's why in another thread I was asking about replacing rivets with bolts (which it appears could be a very costly option).

Oven cleaner and power washer ... have to give that a try. Never even thought about the rarely used Karcher hiding in the basement! Out of sight, out of mind. That could help with the crevices.

ha ha ha - poof!

-W

I wouldn't call him a poof!!! Ha Ha Unless you know him well. Ha ha.
Sorry bill i couldn't resist.

Brendon