# Frame crack/rot/hole



## RoseMan806 (Mar 7, 2005)

Our work truck is a 1997 Chevy 3500 Dually with a 454 engine. During the summer the truck hauls boats and in the winter it is our plow truck. While the truck was down for transmission repair I noticed a crack  in the frame/weld on the passenger side. So I checked the drivers side and found a crack and a lot of rot. In each picture you can see that the plow frame pushes directly towards the damaged areas. I know there is a steering box brace that can be welded in and there is a few different models. Does anyone have suggestions on which would be better? Our should we send it to the local welding shop and let them fabricate something on their own?


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## Milwaukee (Dec 28, 2007)

Well it time junk if there alot rot.

If it was mine and there rot I would buy another exact truck to replaced. Alot chevy dually go under $5000 for here.


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## wizardsr (Aug 8, 2006)

Yeah... That's it... Just junk the whole truck for a couple minor frame issues... 

Seriously, if the rest of the truck is solid, reliable, etc, send it off to a frame shop and have them weld on some plates. A couple bens and you'll be back in business. 

Also think about undercoating that baby to slow the rust down... Thumbs Up


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## Milwaukee (Dec 28, 2007)

I didn't say Junk until Alot rot. But that start rot worst if not fixed.

Here exact of this one
97 F350 with only 26K miles it went to scrap


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## sweetk30 (Sep 3, 2006)

well for the ifs 4x4 trucks i havent seen weld on frame reapir plates. 

and those like yours rust from the inside out. so that little hole stuff you see is 5x worse on the inside. once you grind out the thin stuff and get to solid steal there will be a huge hole. 

and better check with your local vehicle inspection shop. lots of states have rules on welding/cutting/fishplating on frames with a spec area of suspension/steering mounting points. you might do all that work for nothin then find out 2 months later when you go for inspection it fails. 

i have seen a lot of these box frames rusting out way to fast these days. look at toyota/nissan stuff. if you cant figure out why its easy NO DRAIN HOLES in the bottom of the frame rails. water/junk get in there. but then cant get out. 

before you dump a tone of money in that tranny better check out that frame rail sections more. and also on the 88-99/00 stuff check the frame just behind the cab were the body/box mount is welded on to the frame. lots of them rust out there to. and i have seen few rust out at the end of the boxed section just under the firewall by were the tranny tcase crossmember bolts up.


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

wizardsr;1219664 said:


> Yeah... That's it... Just junk the whole truck for a couple minor frame issues...
> 
> Seriously, if the rest of the truck is solid, reliable, etc, send it off to a frame shop and have them weld on some plates. A couple bens and you'll be back in business.
> 
> Also think about undercoating that baby to slow the rust down... Thumbs Up


Or undercoat over all the rust if u want it to rot out quicker


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## Gmgbo (Jan 18, 2005)

Mine did the same and we welded plates to the most solid metal we could find there. Also watch where the plow bolts into the bottom of the front box frame. We had 1 pull thru the frame last year and 2 this year


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## mule585 (Oct 24, 2010)

Gmgbo;1223095 said:


> Mine did the same and we welded plates to the most solid metal we could find there. Also watch where the plow bolts into the bottom of the front box frame. We had 1 pull thru the frame last year and 2 this year


Same thing happened to me last year both shops I went to for est. Said they do atleast 10-15 repairs like this every year


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