that can’t be factory ??

[Hipster]

Not an uncommon problem. That small area of frame takes all the load from the steering at whatever pressure the pump and box provide, weight of the wheels, road impacts transferred through the steering linkage etc. Drive that washboard road at 50 and all those little impacts are hammering that frame rail. Flex metal enough it cracks, Chevy is not the only ones where this is an Issue. On older trucks with single wall frames the steering box would just shred a hole in the frame rail because the frame would crack from bolt hole to bolt hole.

The brace triangulates the lower crossmember to the frame rails. It's there to stiffen it up.

 

[Trenton]

Holy crap, mines the same way on my K3500, I thought it was just mine.

 

[Adam snapp]

Is that sarcasm or is this really factory ?

No, it's factory. Crooked and all, same as mine.

 

[Adam snapp]

Adam, why is it there?
P*laughing*

Not sure didn’t reply to anyone’s posts

 

[Supercharged111]

Is that sarcasm or is this really factory ?

Serious as a heart attack.

 

[evilunclegrimace]

I was just under my '98 K1500 Suburban and that brace is there, only mine is straight across. Maybe the welder at the factory thought it should be installed flat instead of at an angle

 

[Adam snapp]

Serious as a heart attack.

Wow definitely seems like PO slapped it in there on the weekend after tearing it up. Any idea on what they specifically call it?

 

[Supercharged111]

It ties the frame rails in with the lower member, specifically it adds bracing for the steering box but doesn't do all that good of a job seeing how my frame cracked where it ties in up there. I'm not sure why the added the bigass gusset down there and had so little surface area up on the main frame rails. It really is a recipe for cracking a frame.

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[Adam snapp]

It ties the frame rails in with the lower member, specifically it adds bracing for the steering box but doesn't do all that good of a job seeing how my frame cracked where it ties in up there. I'm not sure why the added the bigass gusset down there and had so little surface area up on the main frame rails. It really is a recipe for cracking a frame.

You must be registered for see images attach

Wonder if removing it would do harm ?

 

[MIHELA]

It would be a noodle without it I suspect.