Welding Frame?

[M54A1]

I've be working on my B model for a few months now, working on the barre frame. The truck was originally a Mobile Oil tank truck with a tag axle, it was then sold to a wrecker company where 15" of the frame was cut and the truck was converted to a single axle wrecker, the wrecker body was then removed and the truck was used to pull trailers for the towing company. With all the different uses of the truck I now have many extra mounting holes in the frame rails. I would like to weld up the holes using a high tensile rod but am concerned with the heat actually weakening the frame. I have heard some say never to weld on a frame, while some have welded on frames for years. If the trucks used a mild steel frame I should be alright to weld on it ,but if the frame was heat treated the frame could be weakened by welding right? Any advice. Thanks

[Ironman]

Jase

Welding the frame is possible, but you should NOT weld the flanges or weld too close to the flanges.

Here is a bit of reading on the topic.

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=welding+truck+frame+rails&page=1&qsrc=0&dm=all&ab=3&title=Tips+on+truck+frames&u=http%3A%2F%2Ftrailer-bodybuilders.com%2Fmag%2Ftrucks_tips_truck_frames%2F&sg=dAgvdObWCGJQNEJtgbTNeZGk9qEkyXy9%2FrTy1lBlGm0%3D&tsp=1257049589097

[FRANKIE]

I've be working on my B model for a few months now, working on the barre frame. The truck was originally a Mobile Oil tank truck with a tag axle, it was then sold to a wrecker company where 15" of the frame was cut and the truck was converted to a single axle wrecker, the wrecker body was then removed and the truck was used to pull trailers for the towing company. With all the different uses of the truck I now have many extra mounting holes in the frame rails. I would like to weld up the holes using a high tensile rod but am concerned with the heat actually weakening the frame. I have heard some say never to weld on a frame, while some have welded on frames for years. If the trucks used a mild steel frame I should be alright to weld on it ,but if the frame was heat treated the frame could be weakened by welding right? Any advice. Thanks

WE CHANGE WHEELBASE SPECS ALL THE TIME AND WE NEVER WELD HOLES, WE FILL VACANT HOLES WITH CORRECT SIZE BOLT. BOLT TIME 2 MINUTES, WELD AND GRIND TIME ABOUT 15 MINUTES PER HOLE. YOU WILL WEAKEN THE FRAME DUE TO HEAT, WELDING AFTER FRAME AND SPLICE IS OKAY BY NTEA, BUT MUST BE DONE CORRECTLY.

FRANKIE

[Mike]

You can put short bolts in the holes or bolt plates over the holes. Rob has spoken about this if you will go back into this forum....I believe it was posted last year on this same subject. It is not too hard to find on this forum...I do know it's here sometime back.

mike

[M54A1]

Well I got the frame cleaned up the best I could since it was pitted so bad under the double frame. I was going to try to run a double frame rail up to the rear spring hanger of the front axle to cover some of the pitting. will the double frame from an older R model work or are the frames drastically different? Behind the cab the B model frame is 32" wide and starts to widen up at the cross member behind the cab at a 2.5 degree angle up to 36" wide to the front of the frame. Thanks.

[jeffbyrne]

Well I got the frame cleaned up the best I could since it was pitted so bad under the double frame. I was going to try to run a double frame rail up to the rear spring hanger of the front axle to cover some of the pitting. will the double frame from an older R model work or are the frames drastically different? Behind the cab the B model frame is 32" wide and starts to widen up at the cross member behind the cab at a 2.5 degree angle up to 36" wide to the front of the frame. Thanks.

Hi, R model rail wont go with B model. Totally different. Regards Jeffro