I went out today to clean some of the mud and ice off my frame to get a better look at it, because originally i thought it was just a small crack. Boy was i wrong. Here is what i found after i got some of the garbage off it.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...E/IMG_0036.jpg

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...E/IMG_0035.jpg

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...E/IMG_0038.jpg

What i am wondering is if i can weld a piece of 3\8th's or even thicker if i have to, angle iron on the inside of the frame, and then fill in around the hanger with weld or would that be a bad idea. I was also thinking of drilling out the two bottom rivets on the hanger and putting bolts through it to help support the hanger better, but im not sure what kind of bolts to use, and if that would be a smart idea or not. Any help you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated.

 

It would be better to completly cut out the damaged area and replace it directly like where factory would. If you weld on top of it your just asking for trubble. That is bad dammage you got. And get the rust coating like. http://www.rustbullet.com/

 

That would work best, except that i wouldnt know where to find a piece to replace that section with. I have asked around, and noone seems to know where i could get a replacement piece, and since this truck doesnt see much if any street use, i was just looking for something for now. I mostly use this truck to plow my driveway in the winter, and occasionally take my wife to work when it is really bad out until her subaru is back together.

 

i would cut the rust out and make a piece to fit back in the cut section, and like crazy said, be sure to use a good rust coating, i have used por15 and it works great.

 

Someone on one of the other Dakota forums said the back half of the frame from 87-04 were all the same, so what i might do is look into getting the back half from a local salvage yard and have it welded onto my frame, but it depends on what the local yards say about doing that, and how good the frame i find is. Now i just have to find someone to do the weld work for me, since the guy i was gonna originally have do it is coming up with all kinds of excuses, and i couldnt weld if someone held a gun to my head. The wierd part is my father in law got under it today, and looked it over and said the front half is in really good shape, but that might be because it had a tranny leak at the pan for the last 5 years and all my dad did was put fluid in it when it got low, and just kept letting it leak. Good question though. If i do find a decent rear frame section, how would i go about welding it to my existing front frame half? I have seen online where they weld braces to the old frame, and then weld the new section over the braces, but that was only for a small section of the front of the frame on a jeep.

 

I'd get some 3/16" - 1/4" plate and cut out ALL of that rusted section, Then rebuild with the plate - it'll require quite a bit of cutting (cutoff wheel or sawzall) but it will get you going better than just trying to attach to what's left.

 

I went and talked to a local body shop today, and he said they could just remove the rusted sections, and weld in new steel, and as a bonus it will pas inspection, as long as he does it and certifies it, so im gonna take the bed off today and drive it up to him tommorrow to have him get a better look at it. He said that without seeing it it would be somewhere between 150 and 300 to do, and will last probably longer than the truck.

 

for 150 to 300 i would let them do it! that can be a PITA.

 

Ok now the bad news. He looked it over at my house, and said it wasnt worth fixing, because after i got the bed off and cleaned the frame, from the cab back, there are a bunch of spots on both sides and cutting them out and welding in new metal wouldnt be worth it. He actually said it would be easier to just build a whole new frame. Now the good news, he has a frame, that he had in his barn and forgot about, that is in excellent shape that was sandblasted and painted black for a guy 3 years ago that never came and got it, so he said since the frame was originally purchased by him for this guy i could have it for the 200 he has in it, and the frame he has is pretty much complete except for the front diff and axle shafts and driveshaft. As a bonus he found rockers and cab corners for my truck for about 100 bucks total for both sides. He is also going to weld in a new floor under the drivers side of my truck, and as long as i do all the prep work, like removing the seats and carpet, he is only going to charge me 100, so the total to completely rebuild my truck so far is only 400. I know that it is going to be a lot of work getting it apart and back together, but like i told him today, where else would i find a pretty much new truck for that price, and if he can guarantee me it wont cost any more than that, ill have the entire truck stripped by tommorrow night and ill bring it to him friday to do the cab work. He is also going to let me use the barn out back of his shop to do all the work. The only reason he gave me such a good deal is because him and my father in law do alot of business together. My father in law owns a repair shop, but they dont do bodywork, so he sends all his body work to steve, and steve sends all his mechanical to my father in law.

 

I have seen the work he does, so i know when he is done i wont have to worry about it for a few years, so now i guess i wont be looking for another truck.