Topic: frame plating

[89 toy]

im doing a sas on a 89 pickup im runing 37"ssr's should i plate the frame for the steering box? it will be a daily driver with little wheeling maybe a little mud but mostly for hunting and fishing adventures what do you recomend?

[WHITE_TRASH]

I make mine from 1/4" plate.  I make a template from cardboard in the correct shape and size and trace the cardboard and start cutting/ grindiing.  Make sure you sleeve the frame for the bolts too.  I drill the outside of the frame big enough for the sleeves to fit in and leave them about 1/16" long so they stick out just enough for the plats to not rest directly to the frame and I put everything together and snug it down.  Then I put short beads on the plates and pull it back apart for final welding.  Id also plate the inside of the frame too.

[Duffil]

you only drill through the outside of the frame rail?  so the inside plate is on the frame and the outside plate is 1/16th off?  the way you described ot, sounds as though there should be no welding...what am I missing?

[WHITE_TRASH]

I drill the hole through the frame to 1/2" on both sides and the outside I drill to 7/8" and just weld the sleeve on the outside.  I leave the sleeve just a bit long (1/16"ish) so it sticks out of the outside of the frame just a bit.  Then I bolt everything up and put short stringer beads to hold it all in place and pull the box back off for finish welding.

[ntsqd]

One detail that will really help the frame live is to NOT make the ends (front and rear edges) of the plate square and straight. Give them a full height curve and possibly at an angle as well.  The frame wants to tear in a straight up and down direction, by making the edges of the plate cuvred or curved at an angle you don't put a stress riser in the direction that the frame wants to break.
Also, if you want/need 1/4" thickness you're better off laminating multiple plates (each of about the stock frame thickness) than going for it in one piece. Offset their lengths as you add each layer. So say the first layer is 14" long, then the next layer might be 12" long and so on. It's a LOT more work this way, but it results in a far stronger part.

[89 toy [OP]]

so i need to do this even tho the ifs box is in the factory mounts

[WHITE_TRASH]

Yes even with the factory mounts.  Your better off moving the box as far forward as you can right off the bat anyway.  It'll save you a headache later on down the road.  

[shad]

One detail that will really help the frame live is to NOT make the ends (front and rear edges) of the plate square and straight. Give them a full height curve and possibly at an angle as well.  The frame wants to tear in a straight up and down direction, by making the edges of the plate cuvred or curved at an angle you don't put a stress riser in the direction that the frame wants to break.
Also, if you want/need 1/4" thickness you're better off laminating multiple plates (each of about the stock frame thickness) than going for it in one piece. Offset their lengths as you add each layer. So say the first layer is 14" long, then the next layer might be 12" long and so on. It's a LOT more work this way, but it results in a far stronger part. 

Yup it's called fish scaling. I did that when I repaired some bad spots on my frame.

3/16" works fine too for plating the frame. That's what I used.
It's also far easier to use with a smaller 115 volt welder since you can get better penetration than using 1/4" but if you have a larger welder it's not really a issue.

[CTENG in KS]

Yup it's called fish scaling. I did that when I repaired some bad spots on my frame.

3/16" works fine too for plating the frame. That's what I used.
It's also far easier to use with a smaller 115 volt welder since you can get better penetration than using 1/4" but if you have a larger welder it's not really a issue.

Maybe different parts of the world are different, I've always called it a "fishmouth", but same deal...I found my 110 welder was more than enough for my 1/4 inch plating as the frame is not that thick, I was able to just concentrate mostly on the plating, and the welder was plenty hot to melt through the frame.   

[CTENG in KS]

Oh yeah, I found that if you get a peice of 1ft x1ft plate and turn it so it looks like a diamond, you can line it up on the frame so that it only takes two long cuts for a nice, long brace, and the corners of the plate become your fishmouth...

[CTENG in KS]

One more...

[CTENG in KS]

Got another...

[shad]

nice job. Hey what's the deal on your ford shock mounts? Did you have to cut the firewall at all to fit them?

[CTENG in KS]

nice job. Hey what's the deal on your ford shock mounts? Did you have to cut the firewall at all to fit them?

If you mean fenderwell then no, just a little hamer work.  The firewall is a little far away to have to worry about...

[awhotrods]

ummmm... did you reweld your plate on the frame? those welds look like spatter and won't last long under pressure. I just sold my little 110 because it liked to do things like that.

[CTENG in KS]

No worries, it was a double pass..I ground the original weld down and hit it again, unfortunately the second pass I just couldn't get a neat puddle going, it kept boogering up.  It is on there good.  Thanks for the advice though, preciate it.