Plating a frame Q's

[Fishnbeer]

I have an S10 I am balls deep in a solid axle swap. Shackle hangers and front spring hanger all welded up and it sits on its own weight now. Its pretty clear I am going to have to beef up the frame in a few spots around the steering box and the area for the shock hoops, and maybe more later on. The frame is all funky on these things, it goes up and in, and there are weird divits and bumps and flat spots and curves, so thats where I got questions.

I am going to plate the front section of the frame from the end of the frame rails to just past the steering box mount holes. The steering box holes and already sleeved, but around the holes it is flared/bubbles out so I dont have a flat surface to plate. Aside from that, it is pretty flat.

So how do I address this? Do I cut out the part that is flared out or grind it down? Do I try and hammer it flat? Do I make a large hole in the plate to go around the flared part?

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

Cut the frame at firewall and rebuild out of 2x4 tubing?


Why are you plating the frame? As you already know, its boxed and not a C channel.

 

[Fishnbeer]

I want to beef up the steering box area mostly, but also building a stinger and winch mount off the front (exo cage eventually - so the tube exo cage will need a plate to weld onto) so I want to make the outside of the frame rails as solid as I can. And then I need to plate the frame to have a flat surface to mount the shock hoops. Yes, it is boxed but that material is pretty thin, looks like less than 1/8"

 

[RobC]

Pictures?

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

I want to beef up the steering box area mostly, but also building a stinger and winch mount off the front (exo cage eventually - so the tube exo cage will need a plate to weld onto) so I want to make the outside of the frame rails as solid as I can. And then I need to plate the frame to have a flat surface to mount the shock hoops. Yes, it is boxed but that material is pretty thin, looks like less than 1/8"

What year S-10 is this? All the ones I've ever messed with have hydro formed C channels welded together to make up the boxed section of the frame. The material is also decently thick. I highly doubt its less than 1/8". I'd measure the thickness with a set of calipers before just assuming its thin.

Plating around the steering box mounting bolt tubes is a good idea. Putting plates where your shock mounts land is a good idea. The rest is still a total waste of time IMO.

 

[Fishnbeer]

I can get a better picture later, this is just what I had on my phone. Where the ifs control arms were is where the shock hoop will mount now (shock hoop is not welded, just magnets holding in place for reference) I already plated over that area as it was mostly flat. The area where the rear of the shock hoop will sit needs to be plated as it is not a flat surface, and it is recessed slightly back in so I want to plate it to bring it out more flush with the rest of the frame.

If you look at the steering box bolt holes to the left you can see the lowest bolt hole is kind of recessed in there. This is not a recent picture, I have already cut that crossmember out. I still need to remove that one remaining section of the crossmember that is around the right bolt hole, but it looks like with the peice removed the frame will be flat enough to work with. The left bolt hole has a divit below it but I dont think that matters too much as it will be plated over.

So I guess the main concern is that lowest bolt hole has that flared out part. What to do about that...

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

Looks like you could use a Ford shock tower, or something similar in there instead of that hoop and eliminate the need for plating all together. Your running leaves, so your shock mounts will see alot less stress than something with coilovers. Your overthinking it.

As far as the steering box area. Cut that crossmember off, make a plate that covers that entire area, put oversize holes around the steering box holes like the crossmember has, drill plug weld holes in it where it touches the frame and weld it up including around the mounting bolt holes.