Re: Welding, upside down....

Posted by Billy NY on April 04, 2006 at 13:05:02 from (64.12.116.74):

In Reply to: Re: Welding, upside down.... posted by ebbsspeed on April 04, 2006 at 10:51:55:

I'm well aware of that, I knew mentioning a truck frame and referring to myself as an amatuer would cause a stir here LOL !!!

I've driven many trucks with these labels on them, we have a body and chassis shop, Howe Bros. in town that made their name from Howe-Coleman 4x4 conversions in the medium to heavy truck class, my neighbor was a mechanic there, now retired. They installed bodies, did the 4x4 conversions etc. He was a truck and heavy equipment mechanic for many years, used to work with him at one outfit, he's a good source of information.

I've spent a lot of time around trucks, have a clean CDL for 18 years and held the state equivalent Class 1 prior to that, I know the importance of safety and trucks, have worked for enough companies as a driver to be concerned. I agree, a truck frame is nothing to fool with.

This truck is a 1964, I do not believe it has heat treated steel frame rails, the lengthening that was done is not your typical double frame arrangement, sleeved on the inside, but it has held for 42 years. The vertical weld shows no signs of fracture or fatigue. What I am doing is completing the weld on top, that apparently was not done on 2 of the joints, at the top flange, the other 2 were done and are in good shape. The bottom flange was plated off, the rust from those plates heaved them up, the welds were poor anyways, but the frame steel did not corrode, thickness is still there and no signs of fatigue, these plates on the bottom will be replaced.

Figuring that the existing worked for all those years and the fact that I drove this truck 800 miles with a car on the back, I think the methods ( which I don't necessarily agree with )used will be fine for my application, hay, sawdust, compost etc. It will never haul it's max. load, and not go off road with any heavy loads on, twisting and contorting, which is really stressful on a frame. It will get retired and I'll probably complete the restoration on it as a hobby,using it as a secondary truck if needed.

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