Hole in Frame

[Shran]

I agree that your welder coulda been a little hotter but it should be fine.

FWIW trucks from that era...basically all of the 80-86 F150's, and the Rangers up to 88 or so are also known for frame cracks around the steering box on the driver's side. I had one that was so bad that it would only turn right - turning the steering wheel left would just force the frame to bend instead of turning the wheels and had enough force to blow the high pressure power steering hose several times before I found the crack. Super weird. Anyway, something to check, lots of dirt, salt, and crap gets stuck between the frame and steering box in these.

 

[rangerenthiusiast]

Nice job - way to save that truck!

 

[bilbo]

Here it is all put back together. I still need to finish the brake line I broke while taking out the old bracket. The parts for that have taken a long time to arrive. The ATS bracket appears to be identical to the original one. It bolted right up except for the holes on the bottom side of the frame (due to the offset from my reinforcing plate.