Broken frame

[SAndreasen]

Any good ideas on repairing a frame crack right where the steering box mounts the box is free to move the back bolt is broke out

 

[Road Dog]

The frames are heat treated so you can't simply weld them. Depending on the location you would drill-stop the crack (i.e. drill a small hole at the end of a crack to keep it from spreading) and then bolt on a plate. The non-structural ends of the frame can often be welded but you'd need to find the "allowed welding" locations. You could contact a commercial truck builder to discuss your options. There are welding techniques to deal with heat treated metals (e.g. preheating and controlled cooling). There may a Dodge truck builder manual for your model year that gives the details.

There are some threads on this: Frame Welding OK?

 

[2Farr]

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

 

[Wiredawg]

2 Far, words good, just work om posting technique. On a quote, hit return (left arrow at bottom right of your phone screen or return on your PC) to make post your own. Good words though.

 

[SAndreasen]

I put a steering brace on and that made the box solid again