Topic: need some help deciding what to do on my rig

[shad]

I have been building my truck slowly but surely now I hit a kinda snag.
Well I found a rather larger frame hole on the front of my truck right in the inner part of the frame near the front of the shackle hanger.
It was about a golf ball sized hole but as I hammered at it it got kinda large it's about the size of a hard ball now.
I hit the rest of the frame and it seems solid execpt this spot I dug out alot of dirt and crap from the inside of the frame  so that's probably why it rotted there.
My friend has a welder and seems to think he can fix it. I am kinda sketched because it will see the trail and it is also a semi daily driver.
So do you think I should look for another frame or should I just repair it and keep on trucking?

[Rocksurfer]

Fix it then wheel the hell out of it.

[MiniSimp]

Weld it!

[Uncle Jesse]

if done right, a repair can be stronger than the stock frame.  I mean, how thick is the steel used on the stock frame.  Thinner than even 1/4" I would guess.  In theory it would be the same as adding the frame brace for IFS boxes.  You know, except for the fact your frame has already failed.

[shad [OP]]

Yup I guess I will be using some 3/16" steel that's all I have for now. It should hold up I think the frame is thinner than 3/16".

I would hate to have to transfer all this stuff to another frame talk about a PITA.

[Plowking]

Make sure your friend knows how to weld, a tig welder works the best. My old toyota has had the bed off 3 times in 6 years, mainly passenger side rail by gas tank 90% plated from shock tower to back cab mount. It is strong. If you fix make sure you cut all the soft metal out go to town and clean it out, shortended up zaw zaw blade worked good for me.Plate it, run it,and beat it. Get to know your local inspection mechanic, some states dont allow plating or repairing, but most reasonable mechancs dont mind hanging that paper.

[shad [OP]]

Well we started doing stuff to my truck today. We actually decided to tackle doing the hyteer conversion on my truck.
It took all damn day we are about 3/4 done. Man putting a IFS box on on a solid axle truck is a PITA.
I burn't myself so much today while trying to grind off that damn torque arm bracket. I also added a peice of 3/16" plate to the back side of the frame to renforce it for the IFS box..
Anyways I will start on the frame repair tomorrow 

 

[Uncle Jesse]

reinforcing the outside of the frame for the ifs box isn't a bad idea, and now is a good time to do it.