What to do about frame

[DMiller]

I passed on a late 80's Straight Clean no rust cab A-car dump truck some time back(Old mixer Chassis) that was going to need rails before could make road legal. Will have to keep this in mind next round. Oddly a buddy of mine called within a hour of these posts last night, has LTL Ford wants to stretch the WB on, does NOT want to sew extensions on the rails with fish plates, wants to fully replace them as is a 90's truck and does have corrosion issues. Working on that currently.

 

[Truck Shop]

Around 2000 manufactures started using single heavy gauge rail. Because trucks were being spec'ed with drop axles installed at the factory.

 

[Tugger2]

My 86 Kenworth is suffering some jacking at the back end to. I only put about 1100 k on its last 6mo. inspection ,it passed again but i know the day of re-conning is coming. No cracking yet .

 

[Tugger2]

Its a shame youve joined the food industry Truckshop my Kenworth needs you haha.

 

[Willie B]

We have a company in VT, I bet you have where you are. Cut your frame, send the corroded mess to them. They will reproduce your frame. Reinstall takes two or four welds. Everything else is bolted.

My C65 is ten years from needing it. That is where the notion of putting a low mileage fire truck chassis with a diesel under the dump body began to sound good. Still not there, but there is a very dim light at the end of the tunnel. It seemed easier.

If I had a truck I loved, I'd fix the frame. $3000 spent on frame is cheap compared to refitting a truck. I know that.

 

[Truck Shop]

Your taking about Adams I believe.

 

[Truck Shop]

Its a shame youve joined the food industry Truckshop my Kenworth needs you haha.

The food industry stay's busy in hard times while everything else can hit the skids. But for the most part a truck is a truck-open the hood in the morning and dump a sack full of money under there
and drive for that day, next morning another sack of money and start the process over again. I started working OTR trucks years ago and everything in-between. What model of KW ? what rail dimension/
I have two new 3/8" rails 7' long for KW frame, $275.00 for both.

 

[Tugger2]

Its a W900. I know exactly what your saying about dumping money into them. Im not sure at this point if im up the task of repairing the old truck,i have too many crane repair projects on the go now. Not being a truck mechanic that mass of old cloth coverd hoses and rusty bolts scares the crap out of me. This is what it does most of its life ,sits on site holding things for us. I apreciate your offer on the rails,if we wernt in this covid mess id go for drive and pick them up off you.

 

[Truck Shop]

Cut the bolts and install brass and plastic/nylon air lines. The air line isn't expensive but the brass dot fittings can cost depending on where you buy them. Actually that truck above is a
fairly easy job.

 

[Tugger2]

Your baiting me into another project ! Its a good old truck ,but theres also a brakesaver lurking inside it waiting for a reseal job , probably a tranny rebuild from my painful shifting practicing when i got it .

 

[Willie B]

Your taking about Adams I believe.

I am talking about Adams

 

[Don.S]

Pictures of the cracks please.

 

[DMiller]

Problem with frame welds, are harder than the frame steel, tend to be brittle, frames WILL Flex and the brittle will not. Can take a Gas Axe Rose bud anneal the weld when completed out onto rail itself but that also weakens the rail treatment. Catch 22.

 

[Tenwheeler]

View attachment 220389 View attachment 220390 View attachment 220391 View attachment 220392

Thanks for the pics. Cracks look numerous and some already worked on. Would thank cutting the welds between the two rails would be best ( no torch ).
I have seen some certified pipe welder hands install some patch plates as in one the drive shaft came out of. Did not give it a week but it ran for years. If you can find someone like that maybe able to get by a while. If it is cracked at the same place on both sides maybe add a cross member there.
You know the fix is as Truck Shop outlined.

 

[Truck Shop]

One other way to buy some time. Have the cracks repaired clean the outside of frame off grind it smooth. Have two pieces formed with a 90* lip on one side and lay that over the top of
existing rail, drill it up and bolt the hell out of it. International used that trick at the factory to raise GVW. It will keep her going for a while yet. It will need a radius using a 3/4 die in the press
break to match the existing rail. It should cover outside of rail top to bottom.

 

[Welder Dave]

If you weld the frame use a suitable electrode for the type of steel. I would think something like 8018-C3 which has 1% nickel for extra toughness. This is a common rod for repairing crane booms. A truck or frame shop may be able to help with what electrodes to use. Probably requires some preheat as well.

 

[DMiller]

One other way to buy some time. Have the cracks repaired clean the outside of frame off grind it smooth. Have two pieces formed with a 90* lip on one side and lay that over the top of
existing rail, drill it up and bolt the hell out of it. International used that trick at the factory to raise GVW. It will keep her going for a while yet. It will need a radius using a 3/4 die in the press
break to match the existing rail. It should cover outside of rail top to bottom.

Stirred a old memory of the 4070Bs and 4370's that had the bolted frame reinforcements late 70s early 80s before the 9670s came out.

 

[Tenwheeler]

One other way to buy some time. Have the cracks repaired clean the outside of frame off grind it smooth. Have two pieces formed with a 90* lip on one side and lay that over the top of
existing rail, drill it up and bolt the hell out of it. International used that trick at the factory to raise GVW. It will keep her going for a while yet. It will need a radius using a 3/4 die in the press
break to match the existing rail. It should cover outside of rail top to bottom.

I would love to see a sketch or picture of that one as I do not quite understand.

 

[DMiller]

I would love to see a sketch or picture of that one as I do not quite understand.

Wish was a late 80s 4070B close to take a pic of

 

[Tenwheeler]

Wish was a late 80s 4070B close to take a pic of

Worked on a fleet of those but don't recall that. After rereading TS's post I recall seeing some fertilizer spreader trucks like that. Assumed the company that made the spreader boxes put them on but maybe they were factory.