Frame patch/reinforcement

[skx762]

I need some help with some pictures. I have been through this section of the site page buy page and remember seeing a frame patch and can’t find it now.

The prior owner of my truck notched the passenger side of the frame and I want to reinforce it while I have the engine out.

I would like to box it or put a plate on the outside, either way will work for me I’m just looking for piece of mind.

 

[bobbywalter]

maybe wrap it with 10-16 gauge, 12-14 works easy with a torch.. go all the way around

 

[skx762]

Thanks, You were on my "list".

How is the bottom of your box patch done? Is it welded to the outer edge of the bottom lip or is it "T"ed?

There are a couple of others on here that have notched their frames and as soon as I am done re-researching and find that darn picture I will probably hit them up with a post.

"Wade" and "The Weasel" both have mentioned having notched frames as well.

I am also looking on line at a popular way to patch Toyota frames. They weld a plate to the outside of the frame.

 

[bobbywalter]

Thanks, You were on my "list".

How is the bottom of your box patch done? Is it welded to the outer edge of the bottom lip or is it "T"ed?

There are a couple of others on here that have notched their frames and as soon as I am done re-researching and find that darn picture I will probably hit them up with a post.

"Wade" and "The Weasel" both have mentioned having notched frames as well.

I am also looking on line at a popular way to patch Toyota frames. They weld a plate to the outside of the frame.

nice patch on the yoder frame, those guys were not jackin around...

my frame actually was broke almost to the bottom rail at one point, back then we cared enough to weld and grind and polish so it was invisible....there are heavy bars that were battery welded on the inside of the rails right in the middle to get it out of the woods and to the shop to fix it proper. the bars were never removed....the result was from serious air time with limited suspension.....if i had airbumps back then who knows if it would have ever broke....@ 1996 when it was cracked to that point iirc. i slowed down air time with the v8 after that...i was used to jumping it with the 2.9, and the 2.9 was much more gentle all the way around for some reason...the first year of v8 was really destructive. but the retarded aa headers dictated the frame mods.....dumb idea to cut frame for shitty flat gasket headers....never do that

what you see in that pic is a later needed repair in which the wrap was made and some drill stop-weld work done. the wrap goes to the roll on the inside of the rail.....

it took years of radical thrashing to get back to that point, with full throttle 300 hp v8 assults on climbs and way way too many transmission/transfercase axle explosions..... that repair was made @ 2001 iirc. seems the bars made the difference but time proved i needed a bit more. and so it got a bit more.


i am closing down some serious miles since i put the v8 diesel in there, and i have not been overly gentle with that either. i removed the oem k member and installed a custom unit. so far its doing great, and i am surprised because i never tied it up for the steering box.

these fawkers are tough. theres over a million miles on those rails....errr...or rather whats left of them

 

[skx762]

I am still digging around on for information on the reinforcement and found some stuff I would post here in case somebody else runs in to this.

The correct name for the plate is fish plate so if you search the web for "fish plate welding" you will come up with tons of information,

You don't want vertical welds, you want to radius all corners as much as possible (to prevent stress points),

You may not want to weld all the way around it depending on the type of stress you are putting on the frame (jumping like bobbywalter was talking about or maybe a big block engine with lots of torque).

Note that the Toyota plate is not welded all the way around. I don't know if there was a reason for that in that particular plate. According to what I read not welding on the points or a certain distance from the points has something to do with allowing the frame to flex without cracking on the welds.

Bobbywalter's repair is more of a "box" reinforcement, you would look up "frame boxing", a little harder to do in my situation with what I am given to work with.

Thank God I am reinforcing and not repairing.