73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Brakes, Frame, Steering & Suspension => Topic started by: Swampyankee74 on October 15, 2022, 03:16:07 pm
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I am stripping my truck down, I get the nose off and the frame looks slightly tweaked towards the passenger side on both front rails. Everything appears to be good from the a-arms back. I know the truck was involved in 2 small front end collisions. I drove the truck for a couple months. Seemed to drive fine.
I wanted to see how out of square it was so I took a dot box laser and marked both front cab mount bolts on the floor and then marked both radiator core support mounts on the floor and cross measured them. One cross measurement was an inch bigger then the other supporting my theory on the direction I beleave the frame to be bent. It's 1 inch with tells me it should be brought back a half inch. Would it be overboard to have it straightened or is it fine how it is? Am I going to have a major issue getting the front body back on correctly?I'm not building a show truck. Looking for some ideas or guidance. I'll try to post some pics
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Build or buy a tram gauge to measure it. You need a little movement to get your body lines right. These frames settle and twist so make sure it's on its wheels, tire pressures are good, spring height is right, everything is perfect before you do. You'll need shims regardless
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Yeah it looks like it got smacked but not hard.
I wouldn't sweat it unless you feel compelled.
You can heat the horns where they converge to the main part of the frame and tweak them. Is it both of them? Passenger is visible, other not so much.
Reminds me: a guy came in that had drove his new Corvette into a bank. We had to get that girl red hot with the biggest rosebud we could find, hydraulics, chains and sweat.
She left square, slight dent that no one would care about.
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Could find a straight frame from a salvage yard!
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I got to look into the tram guage. I believe both are bent I had a bumper on the front so that must have kept the frame spread.
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The frame is straight! My cousin and I have about 8 hours into setup and tweaking. But she is nice and true.
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Straight and true
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So are these after pics?
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Yes they are after pics
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Congratulations! What is your measurement at the blue line?
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I beleave it was 28. I can check when I get home
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28 was outside edges of frame rail.
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25-7/8 between the 2 dog bones on the skinny part
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Sounds like you did it perfect!
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Both front dog bones were out about 2" to the right. We had the frame anchored down solid to the floor. A channel iron bracket anchored to the floor with a chain and binder holding back where the bend was. Another I-beam bracket mounted with a 2 ton chainfall pulling from the side. Tacked a piece of angle between the dog bones to maintain spread. Pulled from a couple different spots in the frame, it took a lot of force, I was waiting for something to explode. But we kept gaining little by little. I'm really happy with how it came out. It is dead nuts where it belongs, you wouldnt know it was ever bent. I didn't expect that outcome.