frame rust.....

[1990CTD]

Well, my buddy just bought a 96 Ford f250 7.3 4x4 5spd and we was looking it over and seen right behind the rear leaf spring shackles where the hitch and bumper bolts on is rusted out bad!! Like big holes where the bumper bolts on. He pulls mowers all summer and occasionally a 853 bobcat. How can he fix it? Our buddy is a welder at a trailer repair shop and said he could help. Could we cut out the bad and weld on new or weld new on for support? Can we just use welded box steel or more frame? He is just trying to figure out how to do it. I know its not a dodge or first gen but just looking for help.

[DodgeFreak]

cut off the bad and get a good section from a junkyard and weld it back in then fish plate it. and it should be fine, you could box it in for added protection.

[1990CTD]

Okay thanks. I'll let him know. I guess well go hunt for another f250.

[Mark Nixon]

Get someone who welds and knows DOT's rules for frame repairs to look at it.
That's a pretty critical area, at least from the standpoint of towing a tagger trailer, anyway.
A bobcat of any size is none too light.

Better look at the front hangars, too, 'cause if the rear is that bad, chances are if you get to digging around the front ones and the frame rails, they won't look none to cherry, either.

Mark.

[1990CTD]

The leaf spring shackles are good. Only about 5 inches of the frame at the very back is rusted through. Its right where the bumper bolts on and the front bolt of the hitch. The rest of the frame is decent. No holes besides that. Couple spots where there is heavy surface rust. But me and him got some spray cans of paint and painted the whole frame to help keep it from rusting more. It came from Ohio. If I could post pics I would but can't. It has a goose neck and 5th wheel rails so if he ever pulls anything heavy he would probably use that. When we pull the bed we are going to rhino line the frame. Our buddy works at a trailer specialty shop, like big rig trailers. He is a certified welder, so I guess he'll know how to do it. We were just going to plate it and weld to the solid part of the frame and weld some support arms.

[1990CTD]

Actually its not really horrible, its just rusted out where the bumper bolts on but it is brittle looking where the hitch bolts on.

[dazedandconfused]

Why cant you post pics?

[1990CTD]

I've tried to post em before but never could.

[dazedandconfused]

Did you follow the instructions in my signature?

[1990CTD]

Well we let my buddy look at it. He suggested we just put a flatbed on it. So were gonna take the bed off and paint the frame and put a flatbed on it. Anybody made their own? We were gonna make our own with a hitch welded to the flatbed and a goose neck. Any input on a home made flatbed would be appreciated. We are gonna go the cheapest rout but good and sturdy.