highboy frames - where do they crack

[1971ford]

Where does a highboy frame crack when it's been wheeled repeatedly?
I don't wheel my truck hard, but I do go on mild trails. I probably don't need to worry about frame cracks at all, but i'd like to keep an eye on any area that "might" ever crack.

One of my buddies has a '71 highboy lifted 4" with 37's and a few drivetrain mods, that has been wheeled hard, and been airborn a few feet in the air (lost brakes down big hill off-road), resulting in splitting the D44 in half. Anyways, he said the frame has cracked once or twice. I need to ask again where they were. I know one of them was right near the engine crossmember

Anyone seen a crack on a highboy frame?

[forrestbump]

Ryan, Chebbys, Jeeps an even a few Power Wagons is where you'll see frame breakage. Fords, I've never seen one crack yet. I belonged to a 4WD club from the mid 60's to late 90's and saw everything I mentioned with cracked frames from minor (Power Wagons) to MAJOR...CHEBBYS!!! I've even seen Chebbys steering gear fall off a BROKEN, not cracked, frame.

In 1973 I bought a Brand New Chebby 4WD SWB with 350 and Granny Box (CH675 Muncie) and within two months of light Off Road usage, the frame had cracks in the under engine cross member, front leaf spring perches and around the steering gear...what a piece of crap that truck was.

One thing you'll probably NOT have to worry about is cracking or breaking your frame. Is it possible? Sure, but I doubt you'll see that happening to your highboy. On thing I have seen is "Red Death" (rust radiating out from around rivet heads) on Ford frame cross members. If you see it, drill out the rivets and replace with bolts, that worked for me.

Crawl under a Ford, Chebby, Dodge and Jeep and compare their frames...there is NO comparison, the Ford WINS! Take it from an EX Chebby guy.

[fordman]

on 2wd trucks it cracks near the steering box mount. if it cracks at all.

[averagef250]

on 2wd trucks it cracks near the steering box mount. if it cracks at all.

Seen quite a few 67-79 2wds break here, right under the steering box.

I've seen two highboy frames crack. One was a 74 that hit an immovable object with the driver's front frame horn at 40 or so and broke the frame right between the leaf spring mount and steering box. Wasn't a bad fix. The other one was on my '70 where the front passenger side frame rail came into the portion of the frame built by Willock. I would blame that on poor welds moreso than the gross overloading/ offroad.

There really is no comparison between GM and dodge 4x4 frames and Ford 4x4 frames from the 70's.

[basketcase0302]

There really is no comparison between GM and dodge 4x4 frames and Ford 4x4 frames from the 70's.

Chebbys have made cracked frame repair plates since the day they rolled out their 4 X 4's in the 70's.
I saw my 1st Ford cracked frame about 3 weeks ago! And I've been wheelin' off road in Fords since around 78'.
My Brother's old style Bronco frame cracked right at the steering box! I was driving it back down the mountain after a brutal day (6-8 hours of rock crawling) on one of the baddest known mountains around here. The truck started "wandering" from side to side on the trail, I knew something wasn't right.
Found it the next morning, but it's still repairable with a small plate (not the huge repair plates chebby owners have to deal with)!

[foghorn]

My truck has a box frame and its tough as nails. but its not a usa made truck. its a toyota only problem ya have to worry about with them is they tend to rust out just in front of where the frame goes up for the rear end. Mine wasnt doing this as of yet but i did plate it to make sure i never have this problem araise.




Foggy

[1971ford]

Sweet, guess i have nothing to worry about !