Frame Perch for core support

[BrianG]

Just wondering if anyone makes the frame perches that support the core support for a 67-72 four wheel drive. They are different than the 2wd version. For some reason both of them on my frame have been opened up in one direction. At first I thought maybe to accommodate a different core support, but that wouldn't really make sense because they are both cut out towards the drivers side. I was beginning the process to try to fix them when I noticed that the drivers side one has a crack in it from one of the rivets where it is attached to the frame going outward. I think the frame had been wrecked at one point, so maybe that would explain it. I'm sure it would be a pain to remove these, but I'm thinking replacement might be a better option than trying to fix. So, if anyone knows of a place making these parts, please let me know where so I can get some on order. Thanks

[BrianG]

Here are some pics:

[Ol Blue K20]

The one in the first pic appears to be bent

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

The one in the first pic appears to be bent

. I see what you mean, but its not. Its just the angle of the pic. Here is another pic of that same piece. You can see where someone scabbed in a piece of metal where it had been opened up on top. I was going to try to clean that up some until I found the crack.

[LockDoc]

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I'm betting the frame is bent and someone did that to get the front sheet metal to line up.....

LockDoc

[hugger6933]

That frame has been hit more times than Hulk Hogan! Look at the first pic behind the and to the right of the core support mount, by where the steering box bolts on. Do you see those little circles and half circles and semi's? Those are from a air hammer beating on the frame while it had been heated trying to place some of the metal back into shape. In the last few days I have in this very section of this site laid out in pretty good detail how to measure a truck[or car for that matter] frame to check it for being square or not. the post was by Gasalley 71 and he has a 71 GMC he ran into a ditch. I will go find the name of the post and post it back in here so you can go to it and read up on it. Jim

[hugger6933]

The guys name is GASoline71 and check his thread history it was something about dragging his truck out of the ditch= the rebuild begins. I did a big write up on tape measure method to a "X" way to find out if your bent or not. Jim

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by hugger6933

That frame has been hit more times than Hulk Hogan! Look at the first pic behind the and to the right of the core support mount, by where the steering box bolts on. Do you see those little circles and half circles and semi's? Those are from a air hammer beating on the frame while it had been heated trying to place some of the metal back into shape. In the last few days I have in this very section of this site laid out in pretty good detail how to measure a truck[or car for that matter] frame to check it for being square or not. the post was by Gasalley 71 and he has a 71 GMC he ran into a ditch. I will go find the name of the post and post it back in here so you can go to it and read up on it. Jim

I saw them and suspected something like that. So, my question is... Is that necessarily a bad thing? I mean if the frame measures out square, do you feel it might still be okay. I'm starting to wonder if the frame is/was so far out of square that someone slotted those mounts so that everything would line up.

[Motoxrrar]

I don't have a 4wd but I did remove mine to powder coat them and they were easy to remove. I used a flatter wheel and a punch bit on my air hammer. Torch and an air hammer will work great too

[hugger6933]

Having a bent frame is not a bad thing as long a it has been fixed right. The key words in that last sentence is IF IT IS FIXED RIGHT. Now for the sake of hope lets assume the the past someone that made all of those marks and wollowed out some of the bumper bracket holes, maybe that was done before the frame had been fixed. Also having the frame out up there while not the best you could hope for it is not the end of the world. If you do some "X" measuring like I had suggested and it is found to be out of square in the front but you also take an "X" again to find out how far back it goes and see that it is only limited to the tip of the front frame horns AND you can get the front sheet metal regapped once back on, Let the little wrinkle ride. What I'm saying is out that far the only thing that will be effected is the front sheet metal and the front bumper. The steering box may too but that is in question being that is is so much farther back than the others.
Now to remove the "ears "for the mounts I would grind a X into the rivet with a die grinder then pop off the head with the air chisel. Good luck, Jim

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by hugger6933

Having a bent frame is not a bad thing as long a it has been fixed right. The key words in that last sentence is IF IT IS FIXED RIGHT. Now for the sake of hope lets assume the the past someone that made all of those marks and wollowed out some of the bumper bracket holes, maybe that was done before the frame had been fixed. Also having the frame out up there while not the best you could hope for it is not the end of the world. If you do some "X" measuring like I had suggested and it is found to be out of square in the front but you also take an "X" again to find out how far back it goes and see that it is only limited to the tip of the front frame horns AND you can get the front sheet metal regapped once back on, Let the little wrinkle ride. What I'm saying is out that far the only thing that will be effected is the front sheet metal and the front bumper. The steering box may too but that is in question being that is is so much farther back than the others.
Now to remove the "ears "for the mounts I would grind a X into the rivet with a die grinder then pop off the head with the air chisel. Good luck, Jim

I took some quick measurements with a tape and it looks pretty close. It could be about a quarter inch off in the direction that I would suspect based on the slots on top of that perch, but I don't think it would be much more than that.

I have yet to find any company making a replacement to this piece. I was hoping that someone would because it also supports the end of the leaf spring. Cutting an X on top of the rivets would be less than easy for some of them. There are six rivets for the leaf spring setups. Some are easier to get at than others. If I'm not able to find replacements, what would be the consensus as far as trying to repair these? Thoughts about whether I should take these off and fix them, then reattach them, or try to fix them on the frame. Only the one side seems to be cracked, but both have been slotted on top.

[hugger6933]

I would most def try to fix them on the truck. Take a die grinder and grind a little grove into the crack and go just beyond the edge of it and then weld that up. You my need to go to the hardware store for some big flat washers to place in the center to help you out or pieces of the washers welded in place of the missing frame parts? Jim