After taking my 96 ram 1500 club cab 4x4 in for an alignment, I was notified that there was a hole in the frame in front of the steering box.

Thankfully my friend is a welder and a boiler maker at work. So after tracing out the frame and then prepping it for repair.

He made the replacement pieces out of 3/16th plate and welded them in place.



There is still one more small patch to make, but the truck is safe to drive now. Probably will need to make a sway bar spacer for the other side, but that will be for another day.

 

Terrible lighting but awesome!

 

Lighting in my buddies shop is pretty bad and I think I have the flash off on the phone. Thanks. It was all him. I was there to learn.

 

I work on a 2000 that spent a bit of its life in PA and is similar but not as bad. The bigger concern is the inboard wall of the frame under passenger door.

 

I’ll take a look in that area. I did a quick scan when I was told about the front, but did not see anything.

 

When the factory made these frames they made a "cup" by the steering box. There is a hole near it and water splashes in and the "cup" holds it. What where they thinking? Could have at least put a drain hole there.

 

I checked the passenger side frame rail and it is solid. Just some surface rust. I thought the passenger side was going to need to be done, but after some cleaning it appeared to have a mouse nest in the frame.

 

OK, that's different......

I once inherited a kitten that found it's way into a chevy truck fender.....