As some of you know I've been plowing through some issues with my '98. It's gettin up there on miles (almost 200k) and it has seen its fair share of getting beat around. It's also a northern truck, and sees salt every winter. I have been trying my best to keep it held together, but last month when I got my clutch replaced, the shop noticed quite a large hole in my frame. So I took the bed off to get a better look, and that was pretty disastrous. Broke a couple bolts off trying to get the bed off, and what I saw once I got it off wasn't pretty. Blew a brake line out last night, and the starter fried. So had to get the truck towed an hour home. So I called a welder I know over to take a look at things, to get an estimate of prices. The rust hole is right where the 2 pieces of the bed connect, behind the gas tank, and right next to the front leaf hanger. He couldn't get me a direct estimate, because he would have to do quite a bit of work. Does anyone have any experiences getting frames fixed and what price range I could be looking at? Sadly it looks like I'll be riding my bike to work for the rest of the summer / fall, and riding the bus on crummy days since it sounds like its gonna be quite a bit of money to fix.
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If it wasn't a structural point of the frame I wouldnt worry about it, but as it sits right now I shouldnt even have the bed on it. I am gonna slowly get it fixed and get it back up and running again. Who knows what kind of bed I'll throw on it, if I decide not to go back to the steppie. & if I do I might do a stained wood floor in it
If I was you I would go to my local welding shop, get 2x4 square metal tubbing and do a custom back half. That's what my friend did with his bagged hardbody. Then after that i would leave it bedless it's not as cool but I had more fun with my truck then ever when I had the bed off whenever you come up to a turn its sideways fun
Go to a jy and find you a totaled ranger that's been hit in the front and get the back half of the frame. The frame is riveted together just past the back of the cab no welding and bolt it together with grade 8 hardware and you should be good to to go. Unless you want to have the two pieces welded together.
I would swap that out but it would be the front end of the frame that would need swapped, the back end doesnt have the rust. I am working with one of my coworkers right now, he has welding equipment at his house and welds stuff regularly, so I know he won't screw me over lol. We are gonna grind the rivets out of both sides of the frame and weld a C plate on the inside. That way the "weak" part of the frame now becomes the strongest part. Plus I'll swap the front leaf hangers so I won't have to worry about the rear suspension anymore. Who knows...while I"m at it...maybe a 8.8 is in the cards since I have to redo the brake lines anyways...who knows Not sure what I'm gonna do about a bed, I will need some weight on the back of it for winter, but I"m leaving my options open! So stay tuned!
