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Hi,I was hoping to get an experienced welder/mechanic's opinion on my cracked frame. This is a '94 1500 chev pickup: This is under the front, right wheel, and looks pretty bad to me. I've taken the truck to a few body guys, and it seems no one wants to take the liability in a repair. I've heard from a few friends that it's possible to weld a steel plate for the repair, but I'll only drive it after if it's safe to do this. Is it possible to SAVE this truck? I'd hate to scrap it, as everything else on it is in great condition for a '94. Opinions much appreciated!Cheers
Reply:Sure, it is possible. You would need to fix your frozen control arm bushing as well, as that is likely what is causing it. That also assumes that the rust is not too bad and there is actually metal there to weld.
Reply:The metal isn't bad, seems like just surface rust. Do you know how much I would expect to pay for this repair? I'm assuming some front end alignment needs to be done afterwards?
Reply:The best way to fix this would be to strip the frame and replace it.If you want to have some one try a repair, you still need to strip the frame so you can sand blast it to determine just how bad and how extensive the rust actually is. At that point you might as well simply replace the frame though... This isn't a job for someone just anyone either. Many manufacturers use high strength alloy frames and they generally don't recommend welding them because of the special procedures needed to do it right. On average the mfg's recommendation is to replace rather than repair.You can not weld to rust. All the rust needs to go in the area of the repair. You also need to weld to solid metal, so even if you get all the rust off, if the material thickness is less than say 80% of original, you need to keep going until you get to solid metal. On older vehicles with rust issues, that usually means a large extensive area that needs to be repaired. Lower box sections like that tend to collect dirt, salt and water and often rot from the inside out. Even if the outside looks "fair", chances are the inside is 10x worse.Add to all this the fact that there probably is something else that is contributing to the problem that needs to be addressed even after you do the structural repairs.It's understandable that no one wants to take on the liability on a repair like this. Last one to touch it is "it" as far as who gets the blame in court if a problem happens. Add to this fact that in general people who want to go "cheap" and cut corners on repairs like this to save money vs just replacing the frame, are usually the ones with a lawyer on speed dial as soon as something goes wrong. I'm not suggesting that's you, but in general as soon as someone wants to go "cheap" I want to get ready to walk away as they seldom want to remember they were the ones who didn't care about any issues when you brought them up at the time of the repair. They simply want to blame you that it didn't turn out right..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Thanks a lot for the helpful info. Looks like I might have to put this one to rest then, as it's really not worth all the work to replace the frame. I know there are a lot of 94 1500 parts out there, but still not worth what I'll be paying for someone qualified to do it.
Reply:Hi, give me a PM and I'll give you a few pointers as to how you can save this old bus without having to go to an expensive expert or replacement part.....as the method I'll recomend is controversial I won't post it here....rust is not a problem.... you can be the judge.Ian. |
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发表于 2021-8-31 23:41:31