K5 frame crack

[Blazerbiker]

If you don't see cracks, just put on a brace and drive it and keep an eye on it. If you're going to wheel it hard, you need the weld in and the bolt in no matter what. Or fab in spacer/mounting tubes rather than bolting to the frame surface only. This is one purpose of our (ORD) box relocation kit. If you're not using it really hard, a bolt in brace is usually just fine.

 

[bucket]

They aren't ALL cracked yet. I've got several that have not ever been cracked. Yet.

 

[ali_c20]

This is a K-10 frame but I assume a Blazer frame would break the same

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Yes it does.

 

[ali_c20]

there are also bolt in steering box brace options but they wont really help if the frame is already cracked and not repaired

After I replaced my trashed K5 frame with a good one in 2014 I mounted in the bolt in brace from ORD. No cracks.

 

[YakkoWarner]

Since this seems to be an ongoing problem, it is probably something else I need to be worried about. I assume the Suburban frames and the truck frames are essentially the same, so I probably have cracks as well. How can one inspect for them without removing the steering box?

 

[ali_c20]

Clean the frame inside and outside around the steering box. Start the engine and have a 2nd person steer from full left to full right slowly. You have to watch the frame closely from the inside and outside while the wheels are turning. If you have cracks you can see the steering box moving ( if you have bad cracks) or the cracks themself appearing as the frame is flexing. A good flashlight helps identify cracks.

 

[bucket]

Clean the frame inside and outside around the steering box. Start the engine and have a 2nd person steer from full left to full right slowly. You have to watch the frame closely from the inside and outside while the wheels are turning. If you have cracks you can see the steering box moving ( if you have bad cracks) or the cracks themself appearing as the frame is flexing. A good flashlight helps identify cracks.

While doing that, also look for cracks in the engine crossmember, as well as loose/broken/missing frame rivets. That area can flex around a good amount too.

 

[kkgp81]

While doing that, also look for cracks in the engine crossmember, as well as loose/broken/missing frame rivets. That area can flex around a good amount too.

This! my 86 has some broken rivets and loose rivets on the engine and front crossmember that I need to fix but just keep slacking on it. It pops and creeks when turning/flexing. It also is helping the front clip come loose now and then.

 

[saltdog]

Just put my ORD brace in, cleaned up frame prior and saw no sign of cracks but she doesn't get hard use and has stock tires

 

[Bextreme04]

If you want to go a bit further than just the ORD brace, you can weld in the extra plates and then install an under bumper winch kit from engineered vintage. It mounts a massive bunch of plates that holds the entire front part of the frame together and one of the plates mounts into the same steering box bolt hole that the ORD brace does.

Beautifully well made kit:
https://engineeredvintage.com/produ...r-winch-mount-bbwm-steering-box-reinforce-kit