I'd check around and find a shop that does non-destructive testing (NDT).
There are various processes that can find hidden cracks and weak spots. I
think I'd check with some of the bigger machine shops and/or the yellow
pages. I dealt with NDT in naval aviation my last tour of duty. It may not
be cheap, but it might be well worth it for your peace of mind (keep
thinking of those 70 mph corners!!). Bob K in PHX, AZ.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ryan Border" <rborder@earthlink.net>
To: <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 8:12 AM
Subject: [oletrucks] Busted frame ;-(
> Long time no update.
>
> In a nutshell, I and my previous employer parted ways
> last fall, putting a pretty severe restriction on my
> project spending. So, the truck has sat idle, with only
> a little tinkering here and there since September.
>
> However, a new job was found, and I'm looking forwards to
> getting going on it again. The change necessitated a move:
> I'm now in/near Wichita, KS (any ole-truckers nearby?). The
> truck arrived here yesterday; but to my dismay it arrived with
> a break on the frame.
>
> The right-side Mustang-II spring mount decided to partially
> separate from the frame rail. It was welded to the top and
> side of the rail; the welds on the side broke. Under the force
> of the spring, it bent up, twisting inwards (still attached to
> the top of the frame) bending the top flange of the frame
> with it. At first, I thought I just had a flat air-spring.
>
> Sigh.
>
> I can't be too upset- I'm much happier to see this break happen
> while the truck is getting bounced around in a trailer than
> while I'm driving it around a corner at 70mph. And, no mater
> what he did, the trucking company should not have been able to
> break the weld; it's simply a bad weld. I haven't gotten in
> deep enough to really look at it, but I suspect a lack of
> penetration of the weld into the frame rail.
>
> My REAL worry is the rest of the welds. The mustangII mounts
> were welded in when I bought this frame- along with some other
> mods. I'm now wondering how I can check the rest of the welding
> work that was done before I owned it... or if there's some way
> to go back over them all (at least the critical ones) to ensure
> they're OK (somebody suggested a tig-torch).
>
> Cheers-
> Ryan.
> rborder@earthlink.net
> http://home.earthlink.net/~rborder/truck
> oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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