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Old 03-30-2014, 11:37 AM   #5
Tx Firefighter
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Azle, Texas
Posts: 14,162
Re: My daily driver/beater : How I turned lemons in lemonade

Now to tackle the frame. This was before I owned a plasma cutter, so I used a circular "Skill" saw with a metal cutting blade. Worked fantastic. Laser straight cuts.

Please, let's not debate my method of shortening. I've done it this way for a long time. I was taught by some damn saavy old men who had done it even longer. It works for me. There are several dump trucks running around here that I did it this way on and they've been carrying the weight for over 20 years without cracks. I cut it straight, welded it straight, and added a diamond fish plate to the insides.





I cut the doubler plates out of the frame section I took out.





And, since I was working outside where it's breezy, I used old faithful rather than my Millermatic 250. God I love my old tombstone welder. It's 20 years older than I am, and I'm middle aged.





Welding the doubler plates to the inside visible through the burned paint on the outside of the rails.



Plug welded up all of the holes.



Not shown is a pair of small doubler plates I welded inside the bottom flange of the frame too.

Relax, it's not gonna break. Bolting the bed on even further strengthens the joint since it acts as a truss above the frame. My truck isn't going to break in half and cause me to veer into a bus full of nuns.
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