Am I toast? Serious frame damage

[don4331]

The most unusual part about this for me - it broke on the front 1/2 - no replacing the back 1/2 and calling it good.

And replacing the front 1/2 is major task. Installing some of the frame repair pieces is an option, but I'd be looking to what does the rest of the frame look like...

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Damn, surely that was not originally a Utah truck? Looks like it came from up north or out east? Wow.

I seem to remember that after a certain year, Rangers had a 2 piece frame. Yours looks like it simply came apart as opposed to rusting off and breaking.... and usually the hangers & shackles go long before the frame does- looks like those are original to your truck, still riveted on.

I'd be really tempted to remove the spring hanger, inspect everything there (and on the other side) and if it's just broke off, plate & weld it and call it a day.



My buddy down the street has one of the old 3v powered F150's, maybe an 06? that looks pretty good, there is really no rot anywhere on the body and the frame is in super shape but the box crossmembers are totally rotted off. It's like they didn't even paint them or something.

Cab mounts are another problem on Super Duties, my rust belt ones look perfect and it's been either in NE or SD its whole life but my buddy in Texas had the ones on his '14 just totally fall apart. He didn't have to pull the interior apart to get the cab bolts out like I would have but I guess the threaded mounts on his style cab are well known for ripping out or rotting off... then you're really in a pickle.

Ive actually heard of that on the SD's as well. Never seen one though.

Just strange the stuff that you never would of though to be an issue on the older trucks are issues with the newer ones.

I mean...my 97 HD is in better shape as far as solidness goes then half of the newer ones i see around here.

But....the newer ones still look pretty rolling down the road....i guess.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Within the next couple days I’ll probably have some major frame repair pictures in my build thread…

 

[scotts90ranger]

Looking at the passenger side picture it's obviously the two piece frame and it looks like it broke right at the front half as Don above me a couple pointed out...

It looks like it's mostly concentrated right in that area for the real damage... If you're handy and have a couple hundred bucks I'd be tempted to pick up one of the $125 125A flux core welders from Harbor freight, a cheap angle grinder, pack of cutoff wheels and a couple coarse flap discs and a cheap auto darkening helmet and go to a steel yard and get some 1/8" plate. After some practice pull the gas tank (or at least drop it down and move it out of the way well shielded from all the sparks). I would definitely ask for help from anyone you know that has any experience welding as you need to do a lot of cleanup and plating as that's a high stress area...

 

[don4331]

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Oh yeah, so pics are up in my build thread…

 

[ekrampitzjr]

View attachment 120999

Thanks a lot for that picture! Now I'll be cringing in a corner all day!

 

[ekrampitzjr]

The Big Three all have problems with rust on pickup frames and other areas such as rear cab corners. Never have understood why the problem continues, as it makes the manufacturer look bad. This is why we end up with government regulations that are often ill-advised.

 

[pjtoledo]

The Big Three all have problems with rust on pickup frames and other areas such as rear cab corners. Never have understood why the problem continues, as it makes the manufacturer look bad. This is why we end up with government regulations that are often ill-advised.

to make matters worse, those Big Three have their headquarters in the heart of the rust belt.
they see that damage every day.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The Big Three all have problems with rust on pickup frames and other areas such as rear cab corners. Never have understood why the problem continues, as it makes the manufacturer look bad. This is why we end up with government regulations that are often ill-advised.

Simple solution, my aluminum F-150 has plastic cab corner covers

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Simple solution, my tin foil F-150 has plastic cab corner covers

Fixed it for you.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Fixed it for you.

We use loominum foil round here.

Not sure why just that gets the name change...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

We use loominum foil round here.

Not sure why just that gets the name change...

My electronics teacher way back when used to say ah-lum-in-umm and pronounced the lum like plum. I guess some people have trouble with saying the word aluminum...

 

[sgtsandman]

The Big Three all have problems with rust on pickup frames and other areas such as rear cab corners. Never have understood why the problem continues, as it makes the manufacturer look bad. This is why we end up with government regulations that are often ill-advised.

It's a balance of cost to manufacture and what the consumer is willing to put up with. There is also the fact that manufacturer's want to keep selling vehicles. They can't do that if people don't have a reason to replace them, outside of the latest conveniences and gadgets. Not to mention, most people don't keep vehicles around as long as we do, let alone do proper maintenance in order to keep them running. Hell, most people don't even know how to work to begin with and are unwilling to learn.

 

[sgtsandman]

My electronics teacher way back when used to say ah-lum-in-umm and pronounced the lum like plum. I guess some people have trouble with saying the word aluminum...

Then there is the British Empire countries that say aloomineum...