Frame Crossmember Rivets Loose.....

[KEENO]

My Truck in today for Frt. Wheel Bearings at my favorite Shop.



The Mechanic commented on that the Rivets that connect the front-most Frame Cross-member (just behind the bumper) to the Frame Rails are loose & lost there retention.



Has anyone experienced this problem?



Re-Riveting would be the preferred fix..... Is it possible to have a shop re- Hot Rivet a frame cross-member.



Many discussions have occurred about welding Dodge Frames... .....



KEENO

 

[Paychk]

Keeno



The manual recommends when replacing rivets to drill out to the next larger size bolt and install no less than grade 5 bolts and associated hardware.



PS I've never heard of any company that does hot rivet repairs, not saying there isn't one.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

On an 80 crew 4x4 I replaced the crossmember at the front spring hanger for the rear axle with an 81 so I could replace the 18 gallon midships tank with the later 30 gal. I used Bowmalloy (like Supertanium) bolts that were long enough to have a smooth shank going through the crossmember and frame. I then put on a thick flat washer, nut, with red loctite, torqued to spec for that bolt.

 

[Hutchew]

I have replaced every rivet from the motor mount crossmember forward (including spring perches) with Gr-8 bolts & locknuts, mostly 1/2" and a few 9/16". Fairly easy to do with a small grinder and a good punch (and the front clip off ), plus a 1/2" drill. I have had no problems with doing this on any of the 4 trucks I've done it to. You will most likely be amazed at how much better your steering will be when you are done. If your rivets are loose, the steering box will flex the frame quite a bit it that area.



Keeno..... Sorry about not getting those pics to you months ago. I lost every pic I had of, well, everything in a hard drive crash a while back. So much for trusting automatic tape backup software. I now backup though the internet at a place called ConnectedTLM, and it seems to work great, just in case anybody is in the market.

 

[CDegner]

Had the exact same thing with my front cross member. Had the rivets taken out, bolts installed and the frame/crossmember welded. Been OK ever since.



Carl

 

[DieselBuzz]

Keep looking

KEENO,

You may want to check the steering system. I have found my frame cracked and the S-box plate cracked along with loose rivets. These seem to be common problems with the 4x4 steering.

Art

 

[KEENO]

Spring Hanger Loose.....

Thanks for the tips & suggestions.....



Further investigation has shown the Driver's Side - Spring Hanger to be extremely 'loose' at the rivets w/ excessive play. Kind of scary!



Plan to drill out the rivets tomorrow and replace w/ Grade 8 bolts & maybe a strategically placed weld or two. (Don't mean to get a frame welding discussion started here..... it's already been poorly welded by the 1st owner w/o any frame related issues)



The frame and Steering Gear Attachment Plate still look free of cracks. I've replaced the Attachment Plate once before and keep a spare around the garage.



The actual front crossmember also looks to still be securely attached to the frame.



Paychk: Do you still have a First Gen Frame in your garage for me? Don't let it run off... ... ... I sure hope the offer is still good!



Thanks again... .



KEENO