Customs 56 F100 Frame - Opinions needed

I don’t know if it’s been discussed already but you should really make sure the frame is true before investing time to clean it up. If it is, as other have said it’s steel so it’s just down to time to fix it.


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I see a few things that scream out at me.

First, the frame horns were replaced with garbage.
Second, hammer marks all over the sides of the front frame rails.
Third, extra holes around the motor mount setup that aren't used.
Torch work on the frame rails.

I think it's been wrecked and poorly repaired. I wouldn't use that frame.

Before doing anything I would check it for square and straight. If it's bent or diamonded, I would be looking for a new frame. '53-56 F100 frames shouldn't be hard to find. I see them on CL or FB Marketplace all the time for anywhere from free to a few hundred bucks for a bare frame. Why spend a dime on a junk frame when you can have a good frame to build on.

You don't build a house on a ****py foundation, same for a car.

SPark

 

Here is what I came up with. On the driver side I cut out that piece of flat bar that was welded to the top of the frame rail and extended the cut up into the area where all the holes were drilled. I spliced in a piece of 2" angle so I could get a bead on the outside edge of the rail and weld on the inside too.

I bent a flange on this end so it could be welded inside and out

Inside will be welded too. Can I just run a bead every few inches? Or should the whole length be welded?

I blended the top and side. I used a miller tig machine to do this


Unfortunately, the frame is not original to the truck so I would have entertained just getting another frame, but the one I found had a home made trailer hitch and the rear crossmember was broken in half so I p***ed on it.

 

And for those that asked, the frame is 1/8" low at the front driver side corner. What kind of tolerance should I expect?

 

I'm mildly surprised that no-one has commented on this. I don't know what the Ford tolerance is but this might help you decide what you would accept for your own satisfaction.
At one extreme, some of the late factory unibody MGB GT shells came out with 1/4" difference across the bolt in front crossmember - the driver's side (LHD) is higher than the p***enger side. For a race car you can't get the corner weights balanced and camber angles equal at the same time. I put a 1/4" shim in between the LH ch***is leg and the crossmember which sorts it out.
At the other end of the scale, I did this '50s Bentley ch***is which had been cut up and left in a garden for a decade. I shortened it 10", folded up a new central X member, put it back together and got it true to better than 1/16".
Hope this helps.

 

My question is how did you measure the frame? If you used the cement floor in your garage..... it is probably out 1/4 or more in the 17 feet it takes to measure your frame.
Just run some water in your garage and look at the puddles.......most floors any way.
But my opinion..... 1/8 inch in a truck frame would be closer than I would have guessed.






Bones

 

Lasers off a levelled steel frame.

It's up to DaveAndDave but 1/8" probably isn't worth worrying about in this case.

 

I built a ch***is table for mine to establish square and level.
The 56 frame has a large flat center section in-between the front and back suspension points. I used a 6 foot level in this area to establish level front to back and side to side. then measured down to the table to see any variation.
I also used Factory holes in the top of the frame and cross measured between the farthest points.
In your case your front horns are cut off so you might have to use the front shock mount holes.
I also made bushing and bolts that had a center mark to fit in the holes I was measuring. I wanted to measure the center of a hole instead of guessing the center of the hole. This also allowed me to in effect raise the center of the hole up enough to measure over the hump without bending the measuring tape.
I would start by getting your frame level on jack stands using some type of shim and measure from your back bumper holes to your front shock to see if your frame is out of tolerance. You need to establish a point to measure from when your installing the front end anyway. The frame has many holes you can use to measure from as well as cross members.

 

I think you guys missed my point. I didn’t ask “ how “ to measure a frame. I know how and about frame machines and huge level steel tables , etc. What I asked was how did OP measure his frame. Just from his post I gathered he doesn’t have this stuff.
Most guys use their cement floor. I was just stating most floors are somewhat unlevel.






Bones

 

I did search around on here a little and found that most of you agree that 1/8" is in the ballpark and I should be happy with that. Closer would be better of course but how much time would I spend chasing that 1/8" or even 1/16" when it wouldnt make a bit of difference as far as drive-ability is concerned?

I measured across the frame with a 4' level. I put jack stands under the frame just below the firewall and shimmed it until it was level across that point. I ran the level across the frame at the rear and it was right on. Then I put the level across the frame at the front and found the front right corner to be 1/8" low. I didnt measure from the garage floor and I didnt use the frame horns to check anything.

Since the trans crossmember is gone and I have to fix the bowed frame rail where the body mount is, once that is straightened out couldnt the whole frame shift in either direction, up or down, depending on where the stresses were?

 

Good point Bones, Dave and Dave you might check to make sure your measuring accurately. You might want to take several measurements and write them down. Go away for a few minutes and remeasure the same holes the same way compare your measurements. Did any measurement values change? This would be variation induced by the measuring process. If you measurement results allow for 1/16 error you could have 1/16 drop or a 3/16 drop in reality while your measuring 1/8 as an example. Hope this helps.