Frame rebuild........RATS!!!!

[Jeb]

Frame rebuilding :(
Well folks I was dealt a rather painful blow......I recently bought a 95 MM, last Thursday recently.....and over the weekend got it up on to the hoist at my friends garage. And to my surprise(not the good type of surprise), I found out the frame was rusted almost all the way through. Insert choice of language on dotted line--->........................ Anyway back to the point. Has anyone rebuilt a frame for a D50 or MM? Or has anyone done a tube chassis, from cab back? I bought another MM(94) for 100 bucks due to engine being disassembled and not running and the frame is in better shape.

I am in a strong debate which one to do. Build a brand new frame out of box steel or go tube chassis back half.

Any words of wisdom is/are welcome.

[camoit]

I say if you have the skill build one. The fab section needs a build like that.

[Jeb]

I myself dont have the best welds. But I have friends that could weld paper together. Im just in a deliema on what to do. Keep with the a stock type of box steel....or do I try to go nuts with it and make it a half tube. If I do the tube Ill be paying someone for the fact I dont have a mandrel tube bender.

And yes the forum needs a frame section :)

[ggobe56]

If the bad section is not to big you could replace it and weld fishplates over it

[ggobe56]

Just google fish plate welding and check out the images, we use this approach to fix cracked frames on our heavy equipment all the time

[BradMph]

Sounds like you luv your truck too, don't feel bad about the problems you find, we all have had or have them also. They come with little warning most of the time.
Without some images to see what your up against will be a little tough to give the best answer. We all crave them pictures around here and I'm sure it can be solved to go the best route in your dilemma. As for welding, maybe this is the time to get them skills tuned up. I'm not very good either and if I had to do it, I sure wouldn't show anyone in here my welds. :grinno: Without seeing your issue, I would think patching with plates and then undercoating would be just fine. After that write a letter to your city government to tell them to stop salting the roads in the winter. ;)

[ggobe56]

Good call Brad! I grew up in ohio and the salt just eats everything up!

[Jeb]

HAHAHAHA North Midwest.....stop salting roads.....makes me giggle. I will try to get pics up here tuesday...... or so...... I might end up building a new one just for the sake of not having the front go out on me afterward. I was thinking of doing said patch welds. Might be a strong temp fix. I just need to stop the front shackle mount from pushing into the frame more....yep its that rusted. :shock:

[Jeb]

Just google fish plate welding and check out the images, we use this approach to fix cracked frames on our heavy equipment all the time

Just looked it up online(thank god for GOOGLE....its a novices savior) and that should work on some spots ggobe but other spots needs a little more love :bang:

[noahwins]

Were you going to bag it or keep it stock? Because if so, there are entire 4/5 link backhalfs you can get for bagged applications (Thor Bros. etc.)

If you have coin to spend on this project, this guy can bend up custom frame rails or you could try adapting his S10 frame to the Mighty Max (they're close to each other in design).

http://autoweldchassis.com/frames.ivnu

If you're keeping it stock, it might be worthwhile to not throw good money after bad and start over with another truck, or at least one with a salvageable frame. They're not too tough to find.

[Jeb]

Were you going to bag it or keep it stock? Because if so, there are entire 4/5 link backhalfs you can get for bagged applications (Thor Bros. etc.)

If you have coin to spend on this project, this guy can bend up custom frame rails or you could try adapting his S10 frame to the Mighty Max (they're close to each other in design).

http://autoweldchassis.com/frames.ivnu

If you're keeping it stock, it might be worthwhile to not throw good money after bad and start over with another truck, or at least one with a salvageable frame. They're not too tough to find.

Here in iowa they arent that plentiful. All have been junked due to the salt eats them alive.

[noahwins]

Maybe take a tape measure to the MM frame and see if the S10 frame could work. Those are plentiful...right?

[Jeb]

Yea there are a plethora of s10's around here. I might be about to snag one. Im thinking the only thing I would really have to do(if I just use the rear half) is narrow slightly and possibly shorten the frame. But it would be a learning experience I'm sure.

[Jeb]

Here you go folks.....you wanted pics and here they are!!!!930893099310 These are the passenger and the worst of them.

[noahwins]

Yikes. Bust out the Sawzall and bag it with a 4 link.

[bobbyk]

holy crap! depening on how bad the rest of the frame is i would just swap it out with the other one. then build what you want from there. if it got that bad the rest probably isn't too far behind.

[ggobe56]

Salt, it melts the ice and the steel, what a great idea!

[pennyman1]

these truck frame rot from the inside out - when I redid Geronimo we found what we thought was surface rust on the frame, until we sandblasted it and it was full of holesfrom the inside out. Went to weld in a plate with a MIG, and the frame opened up like a flower blooming - his frame is now from a 79 d-50 that was solid

[Jeb]

I never said it was a pretty sight......more like a flaming school bus sitting on a train tracks with a fully loaded locomotive barreling at it. Pretty bummed I got burned on the truck but that my stupidity for not checking the frame.

Has anyone ever used a s10 frame? I know I will have to move the mounts and lots of others. Or should I just start off with raw material. I measured the frame on the MM and its roughly a 2x4 frame. I might buy 2x4 raw steel and get it in 8 gauge. I know that the stock is pretty thin(10 at the most).

[camoit]

I myself dont have the best welds. But I have friends that could weld paper together. Im just in a deliema on what to do. Keep with the a stock type of box steel....or do I try to go nuts with it and make it a half tube. If I do the tube Ill be paying someone for the fact I dont have a mandrel tube bender.

And yes the forum needs a frame section :)

Well you can't really go nuts with the tube. I already did that with my D50.


9322

[Jeb]

Need more tubes

[LSR Mike]

definitely not enough tubes...:grinno:

[BradMph]

More cowbell, ooops rolled hollow steel thingys. YouTubed You sure you didn't find that truck next to the Titanic and have it retrieved.

[Jeb]

I got a sickness....and the only cure is more cowbell.

[Jeb]

So after some searching on the ole interweb I found a local company to supply the materials for the frame repair. Im just trying to figure out how thick I should go. 8 or 6 Ga, 2x4 Box steel tube. I am thinking 6 ga.

[BradMph]

What thickness is the metal that is on the truck now. You probably don't want to add more weight then it already had.

[Law Dog]

2 WD or 4WD? I have a 2WD frame (SD NO Salt) off of 1987 Reg cab D50 that's in Central SD. I need to get rid of it "cheap" or it goes for scrap! It seems to be the same as a 4WD until you get to the front suspension that's different then a 4X4 of course. It's in great shape I needed the body/rear axle off of it.

I just reframed a D50 4X4 with a nice frame out of ID that I found on car-parts.com shipping was more then the frame!

I can email you pic if you like.

Jerry

[Law Dog]

Looked the 2 frames over side by side and the only things I could off hand were the leaf spring mounts were taller on the 4X4, the 4X4 had bottom out brackets for the rear end housing and the cross member for the auto and manual trans are different. Once you get in front of the middle cab mount the real changes begin.