Frame swap?

[Fishbone333]

We got a 2015 Chevy 3500 dump that has 38k miles on it. Frame is completely ****ed from salt. Truck is used to salt our lots in winter.
Was thinking about buying a frame and swapping it. Tell me why that's a bad idea.

 

[total newb]

Does it get dot inspection by certified angencies?

 

[Eric]

Sounds like a great idea. And when you finish; rinse the fawking undercarriage after spreading salt.

 

[arse_sidewards]

Does it get dot inspection by certified angencies?

Why the **** would that matter?

If he buys a frame it'll look like the OEM frame. They're not checking frame VINs anywhere that road salt is a thing.

 

[Gdogg]

I've dealt with a few salt trucks in my days. I think it's just going to be just a frame swap, it'll probably need all new brake lines, fuel lines, fuel tank/sending unit, suspension rebuild with a lot of new hardware, body mounts, basically everything mounted to the frame and after you're done you'll say "I'll never do that again"

 

[Leadfoot21]

You’d be money ahead to drivetrain swap a high mileage truck . We do a lot of frame swaps in our shop . You’re looking at 60 hours minimum then add time for anything that doesn’t go according to plan or needs replaced . At 135 an hour most shops are charging these days that’s 8,100 in labor without complications . Realistically being your first frame swap on this particular vehicle you’re probably looking at 80-100 hours . Having worked on a lot of plow trucks I’ve seen many 30-40k mile trucks sold for scrap because they were rotted inside and out that weren’t maintained during using or salt spreaders were left full year round on . You’d pull one in for service and blow three brake lines stopping in your bay . Find a rust free 250k mile truck down south and swap your engine and trans .

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

Yeah it’s ****ed every body bolt line cable is ****ed if the frame is ****ed. Pull your **** off it and take it to a auction .

 

[Etyler2]

Jesus that sucks. My ‘02 still has a barcode sticker on the frame. I don’t know how you guys do it. Or why the manufacturers can’t figure this out.

 

[total newb]

Why the **** would that matter?

If he buys a frame it'll look like the OEM frame. They're not checking frame VINs anywhere that road salt is a thing.

Because asshole inspectors create problems that arent really problems.

 

[Winchested]

Jesus that sucks. My ‘02 still has a barcode sticker on the frame. I don’t know how you guys do it. Or why the manufacturers can’t figure this out.

Its not a manufacture problem is a government problem that thinks salt solves all of their insurance claims.

 

[arse_sidewards]

Or why the manufacturers can’t figure this out.

Why would they solve it when 99.999% of new buyers have bought something else by the time it's a problem?

 

[Wuz-A-zuk]

I'd find a good southern vehicle to swap your drivetrain into as some stated earlier. That's crazy that a 2015 is completely gone, I work at a shop 30 min from you and we're doing 2-3 vehicle frame for repairs a week and we've quoted up to 2017-2018 lately (welcome to the rust belt). Anyhow, is the frame repairable? I'd say the 2012 and newer vehicles have been savable, we do send 1 out of 3 vehicles packing because they're just unrepairable.

 

[Winchested]

Warm weather, warm water, parking in a garage all activates the salt. I wash my undercarriages only after the salt has stopped being put on roads. This way you don't keep reactivating it every time your rinse it.

Oil spray oil spray oil spray yearly for a truck that is doing the salting and bi annually for a normal vehicle is the only help against salt corrosion.

Its not ****ing magic. But it's insane how many cheap ****s won't spend another $100/year to oil spray their $50-80k trucks.