Anyone tried boxing their frame? My truck is getting up there in the miles and I'm not too happy with the strength of the front of the frame. I assume that eventually the frame will crack in other high stress areas....

 

I'm curious about this as well. The only problem I forsee is relocating the electrical, fuel and brake lines to the outside of the frame.

 

The experienced guys I asked told me not to box the frame when I repaired a lot of frame cracks in my 74 International. They said the frame would crack even more if I did because the frame has to flex; boxing would stiffen it too much.
I bolted a second channel inside the original channels, welding the inner sections to each other but not to the original frame. The frame at the steering box bracket took a third outside reinforcing plate; it was cracked pretty bad. The truck would find a rut in the road and lunge for the ditch or oncoming traffic. Kinda scary!
Its working. Truck stays in my lane now.

Jim

 

I as well have been thinking about this lately. One thing to be concerned about is, if you make the frame too vigid it will be even more prone to crack because it needs to have give in it somewhere

 

Not sure what we need reinforced but... my project truck has some cracks around the steering box. I found that there is a factory brace that fits on the inside of the frame and connects to the front crossmember. Found this info on moparts.com, went to the junkyard and found two. I took the better one I found. Cracked frames are common on these trucks, 2wd or 4wd because of the crossover steering.

 

After building a few hard core off-road, rock crawlers I can tell you this, if you are going to box a frame do it all, one end to the other, if you only box a section it will probably crack the frame at the ends of the boxed section. I am not sure how much of an issue this would be on a less abused, twisted up vehicle, I don't know if this cracking is caused by the rigidity of the boxed sections, if it has something to do with the heat from welding or a little of both. Just my experience any way.

X

 

Sounds like the Ford commercials do really work..... The frame is C channel for a reason, high torque and flex will really crack a boxed frame. Ever see any 18 wheelers with a boxed frame??? No, because they would break it in 5 seconds.

 

This sounds like bull to me. I am guessing that the frames are C channel cause they are cheaper to make that way. And I don't think that frames need to flex. That is what suspension is for.

 

I think the new hydroformed frames are fully boxed, stronger, stiffer, and lighter in many cases than the c-channel it replaces. My '41 Dodge military frame does not flex at all by the way.

I know flexing frames are bad in every motorsport I know of, from drag racing to trans-am.

I'm going to box my frame.

 

I'm going to box mine with 'Windowed' plates only in the back where the hitch bolts on. was tweaked when i bought the truck and amazed how easy i was able to bend it back.
using windowed plates is just as strong as long as the windows use rounded holes. I bought a 3" holesaw I plan to use. You could draw up the sizes and take then to OCC choppers and just let them flowjet them out for you, **** those things are cool! it will be some serious work to create all that you need at home though though.windowing will allow access to original clamps and connections as long as you pre-plan the window location.crossy

 

Box your frame and let us know how it works! What are you doinmg reading this!!! Getting boxing the frame!! I want results!!!!
Don't worry guys just joking around but seriously I wanna see how it will be

 

The holed frames on big semi-trailers are not cut, or drilled, but rather punched, with a protruding ring of extruded metal around each hole.

These are very strong.

Holes simply cut, with no re-inforcing edges, will not be nearly so strong.

Before I would go to the trouble of boxing a C-channel frame, along with the stress-relief problems associated with the necessary welds, I would either PLATE the exterior of the frame, or sandwich a second C-channel, inside the existing frame, using bolts, no welds.

 

i gotta agree with bearkiller on this one. if you look at spliced frames on trucks it is always another C channel inside the original frame. and don't stop from bumper to bumper.

 

[QUOTE=BearKiller;1490523][COLOR=DarkRed]


Holes simply cut, with no re-inforcing edges, will not be nearly so strong.

your right those type holes are stronger, but my point was that round holes or any other carefully sculpted holes(ovals) etc that have no angular cuts are as strong as solid plating and yet still allows some access to what is already there.

 

Actually most trucks that have a double frame only have them doubled at the back near the rear ends and up front by the engine. Its pretty rare now to see a truck with a double frame all the way through