Need to notch my frame ....

I think the Ranchero needs to be lowered 2"-3" more in the rear. I am going to have to notch the frame but have never done it before. This is what I came up with...


Think I would run into any problems with this? I'll probably use the stick welder for most of it 'cause I don't trust my mig welding.

Pretty routine, I know, but it's my first time. It's got to be safe.

 

Seems sturdier than a lot of crap I've seen people do! I don't see any reason it wouldn't work.

 

Looks good. Go for it.

 

hey anthony, remember me from the meet up? if you need a hand give me a ring. i am always down to help someone out.

diego

 

Remove your gas tank. One of the stray sparks could light it off. Your idea will work fine. TP

 

Anthony,
"Strength comes with depth" If you make the gusset plates a little deeper, so they reach the top of the beam and a little longer, so they fit neatly to all of the angle part, it will be even stronger. Can you roll a little plate and fill the cut out into a nice curve? or use a piece of cut steel pipe?

 

This is what I did on my '64 Chevy P/U.
This is using 5" pipe cut in half And then welded in to the frame where I cut out the actuall shape of the half pipe. Since the frame has it's "C" shape, I left a ledge on the bottom part for the half pipe to rest on for positioning. After I welded it in I cut out some plates for final boxing of the frame.

 

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I have made similair notches but didn't add the gussets just made the side plates about a foot and a half long and like 4" pipe for the round part it worked swell

 

Hey Barn Yard Chevy great tech there. I'm getting ready to do my '59 here in a few weeks. I think I'll steal your idea...

 

If frames were "strong enough" with only that thickness (2"?) top to bottom, Ford would have made them that way, if you cut a 3" radius into that 5" high frame you need to add an 8" radius up above it and box that in on both sides to retain the 5" height and strength.
Think about a tongue depressor, the wide way you can't bend it with your hands, the flat way you can bend it between your fingers till it breaks, that's what your frame becomes when you cut it down so thin above the axle, the flat side of the tongue depressor.

 

Morris ... Thanks! That's exactly what I had planned. But I suck at photoshop. All I really wanted to get across was that there would be side plates.

Barnyard Chevy ... looks real good. That was my first thought, but I didn't think that it would be strong enough. Kinda like what Dr.J is saying. How's it working for you?

Thanks for the replies fellas... I'm a little more confident about it now. Think that gusset in the center is overkill?

 

Thanks guys, Works good so far, Put a couple thousand miles on it since.
Now my truck has an airbag suspension & all my load bearing parts (Including the airbags)of the frame are actually all infront of the C so the loss of frame material might not be a critical to me as on a car.
I do agree with you DrJ about taking away material from the frame, but I was kinda basing my theory of still maintaining good structure because of my use of an arc & by boxing in the whole thing...But I'm no structural engineer...

BYC

 

By boxing and adding the thick wall C, you are making up for removal of material. I did my Stude like Barn yard did his truck. Stiff as hell. I'd like to see DrJ bend it!