WARNING: Hard to see frame crack on GMs

[Alan]

I chose to put this here, rather than in the Chevy forum, as I feel it poses a potentially dangerous situation and will get more exposure here.

Yesterday I found a frame crack on my 88 K3500 SRW. This one was on the drivers' side but the same construction is on the passenger side of the frame as well and could occur there.

Just to the rear of the rear upper control arm bracket there are holes punched in the frame about halfway up the side of the frame rails. These holes are on both inner and outer rails (frame is a tube section there).

I was under the hood and just happened to look down and saw this nasty crack across the top of the frame rail. This is directly below the master cylinder and in a spot you don't normally look at. The crack extended down both sides of the frame to the previously mentioned , punched, holes. With the plow up the top of the frame had displaced inward 1/4+". You cannot see that area from the wheelwell as the rubber flap on the bottom of the inner fender covers that area.

As far as I know this frame is used under all the K3500 and 2500 models with 8600 and 9200 lb GVW from 88 to the late 90s. The potential is here for a very nasty failure which would sideline the truck at best and cause a major loss of control and possible crash at worst.

Please take a minute and check your trucks. Again, this is just behind the rear upper control arm mounting point where there is a punched hole through the frame rails.

Please

[Pelican]

Alan is correct, I've had this crack occur on my '92 3500, it was repaired by plating. It's a very common find, so take a look and repair it before failure.

[Mark Oomkes]

One of our local dealers had gotten it down to 24 hours to replace the frames on these trucks that were under warranty. There is a contractor with about 25 Chevy's that was having these repaired constantly. That's how the dealer got so good at it. A few years ago, I believe they had 5 in 1 year. Makes me want to run out and get a Chevy. But to be fair we've had 2 out of 3 Dodge frames crack as well. Which is a big part of the reason we are switching to Fords. So far so good.

[Joey D]

Did GM ever update the frame in the area before the end of the run of the line in 00? I'm sure they didn't so if I see a crack there on mine it's by by GM...

[Crimedog]

I thought the cracks were supposed to be on the 80's and older models, right at the steering box. Back when they still had solid front axles?

[Joey D]

Yes that was a common place but an easy fix with a plate kit.

[DT366]

i have a 95 ram3500 dump. the dumba@! who put the dump on drilled holes in the top of the frame where the hoist mounts right behind the cab . over time the bolts loosened a little and the the frame started to crack on each side of the holes on both sides of the frame. well nothing my welder cant fix.

[snowjoker]

Thanks for the post Alan!! I will be passing the news to anyone i know with them model trucks to check it out. Including myself

[Tileman]

Alan thanks for the heads up on the frame crack. Will have to check out all the boys trucks in the next few days. And mine.


Tanks again


Tileman

[Joey D]

Alan, Can you post a picture of the crack? It would be helpfull for another site I am on that has tons of GM's of those years.

[Joey D]

I checked mine today and it's fine. I did notice the frame is double in the area of the holes mentioned that go throught the frame. Is this updated? Time will tell..

[Western22288]

my uncle has a 1988 chevy 1500 short box. does the 1500 also have problems with the frame cracking? thanks for the warning i will make sure we check the entire frame on his truck

[PROMOWER]

Had my 85 with a 7.5 Meyers crack in the place described straight down from master cylinder on drivers side. You could watch the frame open and close by lifting and lowering the plow!!!

[BWhite]

I wonder if the new hydroformed frames used by GM and Dodge ( I dont know if ford has this technology) will eliminate this problem

[Mark Oomkes]

Wonder if that's why they had to come up with new frames?

Our Dodge 1 ton was just broken in just about the exact same spot as the GM's.

Like a rock--sandstone, that is. lol

[Joey D]

Any pictures of the crack or what. Is the frame beefed up on the later trucks compared to the older ones? Mine seems to be doubled up if you put your finger in the hole Alan mentioned, was yours Alan?

[BRL]

"You could watch the frame open and close by lifting and lowering the plow!!!"

I always assumed that was just part of the "Plow Prep"?? No?
:D

[snowjoker]

Well guys bad news. I found a small crack on the underdside of the frame. the truck was on a lift and i noticed it thinking about this thread. I have picks i will post soon. This is on the bottom of the frame. going upward. Starting in one of the frame holes. about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long not wide yet but it will need attention ASAP. Any suggestions on how to repair it?

[Bob Van]

Hey Walt,

That's what ya get for poking around instead of going to Erie. I hear Duct Tape works wonders!:D

Just kiddin, take it over to Papp's Welding. I hear he is good with frame work. Get an estimate first and have him explain what he will do.

P.S. Cindy says you better take it easy, 4"- 6" snow coming on Sunday and Monday.

Bob

[snowjoker]

Here is the crack in the frame. You can see that this crack runs upward into the spot i ground off to.

[Joey D]

Just a FYI, before welding the crack drill a 1/4 inch hole at each end of the crack then angle gring it and weld it shut.
The drilling will keep it from spreading after the repair

[snowjoker]

I was thinking the same thing about drilling the hole in it. Then find a way to get in there to grind it. The torsion bar is in the way making it tight, but may be able to get an air tool in there.

[Roger Dodger]

I don't know if this kit applies to the specific area of the above problem, but JC Whitney offers a kit for $70 as an alternative.
Click here for info. (http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=2138&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&storeId=10101)

[Joey D]

Thats for the 73-87

[Roger Dodger]

I know, but in a part of their product description it mentions covering up to '92 model year ... ?? I think it may be for the cracks that developed nearer to the power steering pump and not like the one Alan is talking of further back under the master cylinder. Oh well, what would I know about Chevys when I my last two trucks have been Rams!!:cool: We have our own set of problems to worry about. (lol)

[urethane dino]

Roger
It covers up to a 92 because the old style suburbans and blazers ran till 92.
Dino

[Alan]

After I found the original frame crack on the left frame rail I have been keeping a pretty close eye on the right rail, just in case. When I was under there in February, swapping a tranny, I looked it over real good, all was well. Early April, when I put the summer wheels and tires on there were no signs of cracks where it had repaired the left rail or any cracks starting in the right rail.

Today I had the truck in getting the right exhaust manifold replaced and I got a call from the shop. "You should come look at this, your frame is broken!" JUST what I wanted to hear.

The crack goes up both sides and across the top. There is some sideways displacement of the two sections. I brought it home and started rigging and jigging to get it back together in preparation for welding and plating. The front section has to be lifted slightly, right at the break, then the front has to be lifted to close the crack and the two sections will need to be pulled into sideways alignment at the same time.

I can see now where I'll be spending my weekend.

[William B.]

omg omg omg omg WOW!!!!! That is a heck of a crack. Good thing they caught that. Sorry to hear about the bad luck Alan.

William

[Joey D]

Now thats a crack. I would send it to a frame shop so it could be set up on a rack and squared up before welding it back together.

[atgreene]

My '98 went in to New England Diesel last week for 2 very small cracks. Same thing though. Anyone know the longgevity once welded? Have they been holding up after repair, or will they always be troublesome?

[Pelican]

I've got a '92 that I bought already plated. I don't know when it was done, but the truck now has 190,000 miles on it. I've owned it 3 years and it shows no signs of failure and I've loaded it up pretty good!

[Pickering Snow]

Plated and welded properly it would be stronger than orginal i have done two over the years , big thing is clean up or pre weld prep to get good pentratrion on the plate to frame and also if you were to go to your local body shop Alan iam sure they would give you a copy of the measments for a normal rail to rail thats wha i did and jiged it up and welded it knowing Alan it will be just fine when its repaired.

[Alan]

I got started on the repairs today. I set a jack stand under the frame just behind the firewall and let the front hang free. That opened the crack so I could get in there with a die grinder and slender burr and cut things back to clen metal on the outside of the frame.

The frame was displaced sideways at the top of the split so I had to hold it in the correct alignment when I jacked the front to close the gap. To do that I used one of my favorite gadgets. "Beam clamps", normally used to hold plumbing and HVAC stuff to the structure of a building. They are a little C clamp with a screw to do the clamping. The latest ones I picked up also have a second threaded section that would normally take a threaded rod attached to whatever was being suspended. As it happens I can use each one of these for two of my leveling fixtures.

First pic is an intact clamp with one that has been cut in half beside it. Second shot is a couple of the clamps in place. You weld the solid end to the lower half of a plate joint and tighten the screw on the higher element of the joint. Tightening the screw jacks the low side into alignment. If you only weld them along one side you can slip an adjustable wrench over them and bend them towards the welded side and they will break right off. You just keep using them over and over until there is nothing left to weld in plce.

[Alan]

With the leveling clamps in place I tacked up the best fitting places to hold it together while I took the clamps off and welded it up solid. The big gaps are where the crack was ragged and I had to cut it back to get to solid metal.

Once I had it tacked, with the side of the break flush I peeled the clamps off and welded it solid. At this point it's welded across the top and up the outside of the frame. I still have to vee out the crack on the inside and weld it up. That may not be really viable unless I pull the engine, there's not a lot of room to work in there.

Tomorrow, before and after Indy, I'll grind the welds flush and fit and weld 3/16" plate from where the upper A-arm attaches to 6-8" to the rear of the break.

If you look at the round opening in the frame you can see a dark line in the middle of it. That's the crack in the other side of the frame. I wish it was as easy to get at as it is to see.