Frame concerns

[pbritchie]

So in Afghanistan I read that these trucks have a problem of the frame cracking where the steering box is...Have any of you had this problem? Im worried that Mine may be now cause of the lift and bigger tires...either way I guess ill just have to block it out, but id rather not have to do that.

 

[towman]

several companies make kits to reinforce the frame around the steering box, and yes they are known to crack

 

[burbdood]

They can crack with stock tires too. The frame flexes way too much for the steering with bigger tires and it can cause the truck to wander, it can make the steering box come loose from the frame and maybe cause the steering box to fall off if it's bad enough.

There is a frame patch kit that a lot of companies sell for around $80 or so. It consists of 2, 1/8" steel plates that go on the front and back of the frame right where the steering box goes. To install it, you need to take off the steering box and stitch weld the patches in place on either side. Then you can re-install the steering box and call it good.

There's also a kit that Off Road Design sells that ties into the frame behind the steering box and goes up to the front cross member. It just triangulates the frame to the cross member. It's around $140 IIRC.

 

[pbritchie]

Alright sounds good to me thanks guys

 

[bigchevytruckdriver]

Yes they crack regularly check out off road designs frame repair and brace kit its not too outta the ball park as far as funds go and should solve your problems.

 

[Blackdog3]

I have the ORD brace. After i knocked my steering box off plowing i got one and put it on. Hardest part is the steering box, its damn heavy.

Chris

 

[pbritchie]

Lol Ill have to remember that when Im putting the 2wd box in for the crossover. So after I tac that ord bracket in I should be good right?

 

[crazy4offroad]

Yep, and I can vouch for the heavy ass steering box. Get someone to help with that bastage, don't be a hard head like I was.

 

[pbritchie]

Yea I got a buddy that is pretty mechanically inclined and is willing to accept beer as payment. About 10 more days till Ill be home working on this thing, anxiousness is an understatement.

 

[hirschdalechevy]

I have ran the frame kits before and still cracked thr welds on them , so now I box the frame at the steering box and have sleeves on all the bolts , (between the box ) No problems , even if you beat your truck with 40" tires , way better than the kits , (IMO)



Ask wagonman on this site , Jim foley did my first frame repair and it is going strong still today (18yrs later with a ton of beatings on it)

 

[HotRodPC]

Looks like all that needs to be said has been said. I have not had the problem, and I am not even going to say yet. I do intend to add a support kit to prevent it and hope it works. If not, I know there are people out there that make the repair like hirsch said, and make it better than new.
Point is, yes what you read is correct, but not anything worth panicing about.

 

[GreaseDog]

i'm a firm believer in putting the profits in the hands of the guys that actually do the work, in this case, AutoFab. ORD does very little of their own fabrication, but they're very good at putting their sticker on someone else's handywork.

http://www.autofab.com/sbgk 100.htm

 

[crazy4offroad]

i'm a firm believer in putting the profits in the hands of the guys that actually do the work, in this case, AutoFab. ORD does very little of their own fabrication, but they're very good at putting their sticker on someone else's handywork.

http://www.autofab.com/sbgk 100.htm

Nice, I didn't know that. But their website sucks. I thought ORD's site was bad.

 

[GreaseDog]

Nice, I didn't know that. But their website sucks. I thought ORD's site was bad.

yeah, their site sucks, but ORD has done a bait and switch on me a couple times (to the tune of $80+ on a pair of springs one time), so i try to advise people to steer clear of them. their reasoning for not being able to honor their website advertised price was "we're too big to worry about updating the prices on our website."... if you can't keep it updated take it off the website! and if you can't keep it updated so your sales reps know what the price is, STOP SELLING IT ALTOGETHER!

 

[HotRodPC]

yeah, their site sucks, but ORD has done a bait and switch on me a couple times (to the tune of $80+ on a pair of springs one time), so i try to advise people to steer clear of them. their reasoning for not being able to honor their website advertised price was "we're too big to worry about updating the prices on our website."... if you can't keep it updated take it off the website! and if you can't keep it updated so your sales reps know what the price is, STOP SELLING IT ALTOGETHER!

Thanks for the heads up on that ordeal. I damn sure won't do business do with asses like that. If they are that damn big, then they can afford a full time webmaster to work their site 8 hrs a day 5 days a week. Especially considering the amount of sales their site could potentially make to not only pay his wages but made a good profit. ORD. Good enough for me, they won't get any of my money.