Frame Welding OK??

[MRiley]

Hey all. My buddy just got one of the '07 3500 6. 7's, nice truck. But my question is this: when he took it to the shop to have the 5er hitch put in they welded the brackets to the frame!!! Is this OK? The trailer shop told him it was only the earler models and only specific spots on the frame. My shop told me that you should never weld on the new frame. Did the shop just toast his frame? He is really concerned at this point.

Thanks

MIKE

 

[JHardwick]

My goose plate has been welded in for over 325,000 miles, probably 250,000 of those miles with a trailer hooked to it ... ... ..... and not all of those highway miles either.

 

[JRBurn]

Mines welded too; as long as they use safe welding practices (and know how to weld) there should be no issues at all.

 

[Jed]

Ok I will try to keep it short. I have been a welder 25 years and an inspector for 8.

You are correct that in most cases you should not weld or cut on a frame. Especially when it can bend or pull the frame or create a weak point in a high stress area. Some truck frames are made of high tensile steel, ours is not one of them. In some applications welding is just the best way to go, this is one of them. If this shop does a lot of them they will have special insurance just to do trailer setups. If it looks like they did a good job you are ok. Check it after 10,000 miles then after 100,000.

 

[MRiley]

Jed

thanks for the info. I guess the question is, does this void warranty on the 07? And am I just confused or did the manual say "No Welding" when the 3rd gens first came out?

 

[Grizzly]

Call a factory Rep on the toll free number listed on the owner's guide. I've called them on different occasions. Their friendly and easy to talk to.

 

[CUMMINZ]

Check out this photo

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/towing-hauling-rv-forum/185972-fix-07-dually-reese-frame-mount.html

 

[TX Gooseneck]

On the 3rd gen trucks the frames are heat treated. When you weld, you'll lose your heat treat to a point (If you weld a 3/4" plate for example, you may lose your heat treat for about 1. 5" - 2" down the truck frame) But with a gooseneck or a 5th wheel the pin is pushing down and relies more on the bottom of the frame for strength that it does the top side, which in this situation has been capped with more steel with will counteract the loss of heat treatment.



My advice, bolt it on or find a kit that is bolt on.

 

[JHardwick]

Don't confuse "heat treated" with "normalized" ... ... .....

 

[J&LRam]

our Dodge truck frames are not heat treated in any sense that make them un weldable. They are hydroformed tube frame that is a welded assembly itself. Our trucks hydroformed frames are AISI 1010-1019 steel which is a mild steel and does not have enough carbon content to make it harden, from welding or a heat treating process. As JHardwick says don't confuse heat treated which as in making carbonized steel hard vs heat treat as in normalizing a weld assembly.

This do not weld on our frames ranks right up there with Ford owns Cummins internet myth.

We can weld on our 3rd gen frames per TSB 13-001-03 DATED 2/7/03.

There are certain off road mining trucks and maybe our semi trucks frames that may have a "no weld" requirement but not any of our LDT class.

All the service body/feeder body/flat bed manufactors/dealers around here prefere to weld , especially if the truck is driven off road, as nuts can loosen and create elongated holes and clamp on brkts from some service bodies can chaff the frame rails.

Crawl under your 3rd gen truck and look at all the weld joints from the front to the rear.

JIM

 

[TFlewitt]

Welding/cutting frame

Jed, a question about cutting/welding the 3rd gen frames. I am considering having a long bed conversion done on an '06 Mega cab. There are a few companies around that do this, the largest one being in Texas. Have you seen these? Will lengthening/gusseting the the frame decrease the payload/pin weight of the frame? Thanks for your comments.

Ok I will try to keep it short. I have been a welder 25 years and an inspector for 8.

You are correct that in most cases you should not weld or cut on a frame. Especially when it can bend or pull the frame or create a weak point in a high stress area. Some truck frames are made of high tensile steel, ours is not one of them. In some applications welding is just the best way to go, this is one of them. If this shop does a lot of them they will have special insurance just to do trailer setups. If it looks like they did a good job you are ok. Check it after 10,000 miles then after 100,000.

 

[JHardwick]

This do not weld on our frames ranks right up there with Ford owns Cummins internet myth.

JIM

I welded in my gooseplate almost 350,000 miles ago, 70-90% of those are towing miles ... ... ... ... myths are almost impossible to debunk

 

[JHardwick]

Don't confuse "heat treated" with "normalized" ... ... .....

I actually mis spoke here, heat treatment can be many different things, including hardening and normalizing.



Normalizing a weldment such as our frames, only relieves all of the stresses induced from welding the initial assembly.

 

[steved]

If you read the "dodge body builder's guide", you can weld to the frame. The only caution is welded at the radius of the "corners"... in other words, weld to the side plates.

steved

 

[Gaylord]

Steved has it right.



No welding to the flanges, only to the web (vertical sides).



Some truck frames have stickers stating this.



HTH

 

[JHardwick]

Steved has it right.



No welding to the flanges, only to the web (vertical sides).



Some truck frames have stickers stating this.



HTH

There are no flanges on a boxed frame per say. My goose plate is welded right across the top of the frame rails.

 

[DonMartin]

Jed, a question about cutting/welding the 3rd gen frames. I am considering having a long bed conversion done on an '06 Mega cab. There are a few companies around that do this, the largest one being in Texas. Have you seen these? Will lengthening/gusseting the the frame decrease the payload/pin weight of the frame? Thanks for your comments.

hey there i have the long bed conversion from kadell in texas and its a great setup



give him a call he will send you pics of the frame splice most people think we have a one piece frame but it comes from the factory with splices in the frame



u have any questions i can try to answer but give kadell a call he is one of the most honest down to earth people i have ever met



there is other people around the country doing this and they talk all kinds of smack about they have paperwork on this and paperwork on that



but for me the only thing i need is the fact that they have been successfully customizing tractor trailer frames for 30+ years and their works speaks for itself they dont need all this mumbo jumbo paperwork crap trying to prove they know what they are doing



the conversion is awesome