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| | | | Joined: May 2011 Posts: 99 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: May 2011 Posts: 99 | So we are cleaning up our 1955 1st series and I find that the left side frame rail has a crack that was repaired many years ago with angle iron and bolts.
I am bringing it to a frame repair place next week to see if it can be repaired properly. The crack is right at the front of the rear spring mount. Has anyone else had a crack in that location? Was it repairable? What did you do with the frame?
Any ideas are helpful.
Thanks. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2011 Posts: 1,363 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Feb 2011 Posts: 1,363 | Cracks can always be repaired in most anything.
And the how its done depends on what its to be used for,
and where the crack is?
If it was mine, and not to be used for heavy hauling and hard use. I'd just drill the end of the crack to reduce the stress, then use a die grinder and grind a weld prep and weld it all up and grind it nicely and paint it.
If it was going to be used of roading and heavy use. I'd do the same as above and then insert a frame section that would fit inside the frame extending a foot plus both sides of the cracked area, and drill through the sides not the top and bottom flanges, and use 1/2 grade 8 plus bolts maybe 6 per side of the crack staggered. The insert has to fit proper in the existing frame, and maybe difficult to find a section that will properly fit. Anyway that is the correct way to fix it. You could also plug weld the insert in. Fish plating is another approach paint the inside areas first with either way.
A full weld on the insert deal may not be a good thing as any vertical welds are a good place for more cracks to start. Better to seam seal it.
Kicking self for selling off my Taskforce trucks.
Still looking for an LCF or conventional big bolt in decent shape.
As of 10-26-2022, A 55.2 Taskforce long bed now the work begins
| | | | | Joined: May 2011 Posts: 99 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: May 2011 Posts: 99 | The crack is right in front of the spring perch. The existing repair is just an angle iron bolted in place. I will attempt a better repair. Thanks | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 |
Truckolet's advice/procedure looks good. A few years ago, I had to repair cracks in a 1954 1/2 ton frame in the same location and we followed that procedure. We put the truck on a lift, placing support under the frame rails (to "relax" the frame - I do not know if this served any purpose). You could support the frame on stands.
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