Frame repair

[wileec]

Does anyone have a good recommendation on the north end for frame repair. I went and did this a week or so ago.

[phyler]

Where up north? Atomic Forge in Erie might be willing to fix that.

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[wileec]

Erie is perfect. I will reach out to them.

[wileec]

Well crap. Iron Forge sounded like the right place. But they have not been very accepting of getting me in. I am beginning to think that I would be better off with a skilled welder/Bronco owner who can help a guy out. Either here with my welder of somewhere else? Any offers?

[Kinder]

IΓÇÖm not north, but I recently repaired the same problem on TFB just weeks ago, itΓÇÖs a fairly straight forward fix. What is your plan for shock mounts once the frame repair is complete? Without additional gussets the F150 towers will rip out again, on TFB we put in aftermarket hoops to spread the load across the multiple frame points.

[wileec]

I am going to use the same f250 towers. I am planning on putting a plate behind the frame 3/16 or 1/4 about the same size as the contact area of the tower. For the repair I am thinking sandwiching the frame with 1/8 on the outside and 3/16 on the inside welded around the edges and around the frame cutouts? I am also thinking the inside plate will be welded to the cracks in the frame when I weld those together. This is where I am at in flattening things up

Perhaps some spot welds on the corners of the towers?

ANY advise would be much appreciated.

[Kinder]

Anything you can do to reinforce the area & spread the load out will help. Most failures on the front of the frames are from leverage forces, think steering box, track bar mounts & now the shock towers. Boxing metal around or in the frame and increasing the surface area will reduce single point stress.

[wileec]

Ok I have put a bunch of stuff together. I have a single piece of 1/8 for the outside.

A pair of 3/16 plates for the inside

and cleaned up the area

I have drilled the large hole on the left on both the inside and outside plates as this is where the brake line passes through.

I am trying to figure out if I should weld a continuous bead around or sections of an inch or so with equal spaces? I know the inside at the bottom is going to be hard to get to.

I have set a 3/16 plate on the inside of the other frame rail that is a little larger than the footprint of the shock tower. I hope that will provide enough to prevent this in the future. I will add this on the broken side as well as the plate already there. With those plates do you think adding welds on the corners of the shock tower footprint would be worthwhile?

[phyler]

Drill some holes in the plate and rosette weld it to the frame in addition to stich welding it around the edges. At least, that is what I would do for strength.

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[Jesus_man]

Looks like you are on the right path there. I'd grind a bevel in all the cracks and weld those up first. Grind smooth.

When trimming your plates, keep in mind that you might want to make them a little smaller to allow for a good place to put a weld-bead.

I think I'd consider replacing the 1/8" with thicker material tho. 3/16" +/- would resist the tearing out again, whereas the 1/8" won't under that load.

The other thing that could be done is cut horizontal or vertical slots in the new plates that are about 1/4" wide to run a weld bead in. Less slots you'd need for thicker plate. Maybe even just one on 3/16". Similar to the plug weld phyler recommends, but perhaps even more adhesion to existing frame.

Are you planning to weld the shock towers on or bolt? If it were me, I would weld them on. And perhaps gusset on the backside off the top of the frame.

And lastly, no more dukes of hazzard shenanigans!

[wileec]

I will have at least one 3/16 plate on the inside. I am thinking if I weld the plate in then add a second 3/16 plate about the size of the tower footprint to bolt through I should have the strength to bolt through. I am thinking bolt and weld but as you mention with a 1/8th plate on the outside the weld will not be to the frame. Unless I set up rosette weld points at the corners of the footprint? Maybe I could then weld the tower though the 1/8 to the frame?

[phyler]

If you want, I could probably swing by and look at it with you. I'm in Erie. Not sure where you are at.

The biggest force on that area is up and towards the center of the vehicle. Fix the frame properly and then brace for the areas of most force like @Jesus_man mentioned with some sort of brace/gusset from the tower to the top of the frame.

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[wileec]

@phyler that would be great. Direct advice after seeing my carnage would be invaluable. I am in Vista Ridge just north of the Kum n Go.

[phyler]

@phyler that would be great. Direct advice after seeing my carnage would be invaluable. I am in Vista Ridge just north of the Kum n Go.

I'll pm you. You're not far from me.

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