Frame Repair

 

 


The frame is completely stripped down now and is flipped over to cut off the outriggers.

A rear shot of the frame...

The outriggers are cut off using the plasma cutter.  The rest of this will be dressed up with a grinder and sanded.

This plate was welded under the front frame rail where the bump stop mounts.  The original bolts had broken off, so someone welded this plate on to mount the new bump stops to.  The original holes will be redrilled and tapped.

This plate was welded to the front frame rails to reinforce the front bumper.  I carefully use the plasma cutter to break the welds, then use a cutting blade on a grinder, then use wedges to break it free.

After cutting all the welds, the bracket finally releases it's grip on the frame rail.

The frame rails are a little rusted, but very solid.

The two large holes on top of the frame rail and the large hole directly under the grill mount (to the right of the jackstand) are not original and will be welded closed.

Here are the three holes welded closed.

This is a tear in the left rear frame rail.

Welded, polished, and good as new!

The new replacement bumper came from Walcks (see parts suppliers) and is much better than the flimsy Omix-Ada replacement bumpers most places carry.

The bumper is mounted using a technique I use to mimic the original rivets.  They are carriage bolts ground down and shaped.  The are held on the backside with a washer and nut that is welded and rounded.

Now it was time to work on the twisted rear frame crossmember.

A little heat...

...And some shaping using a chunk of perfectly sized box steel...

...some welding, and it's good as new!!!

The front bumpstop holes that had broken studs are redrilled and tapped.

Instead of welding a nut on the front side of this broken bolt, I weld it on the back side and then back it out of the hole.

This body mount was welded to those outriggers I torched off and had been damaged in the installation.  Here I cut a small replacement piece and weld it in.

The repaired outrigger and clutch spring bracket welded back in it's original place.

Here's the finished frame.  Next up is having it sandblasted and powdercoated.

Now the frame is just like it was when it left the factory, except for the rust!

 

2/3/07: The frame is back from sandblasting and powder coating and looks GREAT!!!