Notching frame

[shrekmoose]

I figured heat my weaken a little but this wont be a bolt on kit i will be building my own crossmember and brackets so i may be able to retain strength by having everything on the frame boxed and gusseted up right?

 

[WorkinMan]

I figured heat my weaken a little but this wont be a bolt on kit i will be building my own crossmember and brackets so i may be able to retain strength by having everything on the frame boxed and gusseted up right?

Well in a way yes you will add strength, but if you look at crash qualities if you were to get in a wreck where ever you applied heat it is more likely to give at that specific point. You can do it and be fine most likely. Especially since it's just a small area.

 

[shrekmoose]

10-4 im still stuck on notching out about an inch im trying to keep this thing as low as possible on the sas. really not wanting to run much over a 33 mayyyyybe a 35. This truck will be used as a truck mainly to pull my crawler back to where we camp on big events my front end is worn slap out and its not an easy treck to the back where we set up camp usually. what else am i going to run into problems with trying to keep it low. shooting for 4-5 inches over stock going to be making my own brackets also. Ive never been able to see pictures of a fairly low set up other than showing off the whole truck, I need to see some pictures of a lower sas up under it if anyone may be able to shed some light.

 

[silver98z71]

What all are you looking for as far as under the truck? Photos of brackets?

Here is some of my hangers.

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You can get it lower than mine (about 5" of lift) if you use a smaller spring pack (mine is a factory 6+1 leaf pack without the overload (the zerorate is gone now too)), a factory height spring pad (mine are taller so I wouldn't have to notch the housing so much on the driver side, after I retubed the axle (the factory spring pad on the housing is useless to me now)) and if you either ditch the tow hooks or move them to the top of the frame and move the spring eye closer to the frame accordingly.

 

[Massey]

That part of the frame you can heat and cut to your heart's content. This is outside the crumple zone, the GMT400 frames were also made with high carbon steel which can be heated without ill effects so long as you dont quench it when you cool it. GM's guidelines on this frame was no heating of the primary crossmember (the one under the engine) and no heating in the crush zones which are just before the cab (were the frame widens) and again over the rear end of the frame where it kicks back up for the rear axle. These areas are the crumple zones. I was an autobody tech when these trucks were new and we did quite a few of them, if the frame was not kinked in the crumple zones we were allowed to pull them, the frame horns and under cab area were allowed to be heated as is the rear hitch area. This is the last of the GM frames that are made from high carbon steel the 99+ use HSS and have strict heating and welding restrictions which you would need to check with ICAR or GM for what is allowed and what is not.

Massey