DHPmike
Junior Member
Below you will find a tech article on installing a C notch. The one in this article is a "super C notch" made by us at DHP. This article can also be used for installing a step notch as the process is the same. Check back often for updates here.
When installing any kind of notch the first thing to do is to make sure the under side of the truck is clean. Start by washing the under side and allowing time to dry. You will need a good level surface to work on and the proper tools.
You will need a Jack, jack stands, hand tools for removing the bed etc. You will need some cutting device for cutting the frame such as an angle grinder, sawsall etc. I use the angle grinder with some thin cutting blades. I try to stay away from using a sawsall on something like this.
Start by jacking up the truck and putting it on stands under the frame so that its not sitting on the suspension and nothing will move later on when the weight is off the frame. Remove the bed and place it on stands or somewhere out of the way. You can do this first if the truck sits high enough. You will need to jack up the axle and remove the wheels then let the axle down as low as it will go to get it out of the way. I prefer to remove a bolt from the leaf springs to let the axle hang and not have any tension on the frame. I also prefer to add a pair of stands to the back of the frame so it does not move during cutting and welding.
As you can see here Coley has the truck on stands and the axle itself on stands as well. He has also covered the cab and fuel tank in 3M spark deflection paper. This stuff is very expensive but well worth it when working on any painted truck and also any glass. Grinding and/or welding sparks will melt into glass and paint. A little prep now saves money later not having to repaint or replace glass on your truck or a customers truck. A welding blanket is also good here but many welding blankets will have some holes here and there. Those need to be covered up.
The truck in this pics is Coley Vale's 2005 Dodge 1500 Rumblebee. The truck will be bagged eventually but for now he wanted to get more room for the axle and stop the banging while driving. The axle banging is very annoying for the driver and to anyone else riding. Coley keeps his truck pretty clean so the under side and frame were not dirty at all. If your frame is dirty or painted or is factory coated now is a good time to clean the frame and then grind the areas where the notch will go. The next step is to measure and mark where the notch will go. Measure again before making any cuts.
Keep in mind that the axle moves in an arc even on leaf springs and when the axle moves up into the frame area it does move forward. If you remove the rear bolts from the leaf springs and let the frame down onto the axle or jack the axle up into the frame you can see where the axle is going to touch. So after checking this, go ahead and remeasure and remark if necessary. We used a string tied around the front leaf spring bolt to find where the axle would touch the frame when bottomed out.
After getting the truck ready we removed the wheels checked the frame for level front to back and side to side making note of these measurements for later. We used an angle finder and a level.
We made a mark on the frame where the frame needed to be ground and Coley got after it with a 5" Dewalt angle grinder and a Kligspor 36 grit flap disc. Coley then remeasured and remarked the frame with a gray welder's pencil. A black Sharpee is also good here.
Coley then clamped the pre made DHP "super C notch" onto the frame and lined it up with the new marks. The notch was clamped down first then other clamps where used on the sides to pull the pieces in against the frame.
Now after rechecking the measurements again Coley began welding the notch onto the frame. The frame is about 1/8" thick and the notch is 3/16" thick so he set up the welder for 3/16" running .035 mild steel wire and using 75%/25% mixed welding gas. The machine used is a Miller Millermatic 251. Coley is a graduate of the Lincoln Tech welding school. He knew how to weld before going to the school but learned alot. His welds turn out very nice and his technique on uphill and overhead welds show he has had the proper training.
Coley welded the back and one side on each side of the truck and went back and forth to keep the heat warpage down. After welding all the pieces in we let it cool before starting on the cutting. The next step is to cut out the original frame rails inside the notch. Coley asked me to do the cutting so I got out the Dewalt 5" with a Klingspor 5" super thin cutting disc.
We realized at this time that we should have marked the inner cuts, then pulled the notch back off then cut the corners then put the notch back on. This would have made the cutting easier in those hard to reach areas. Instead we had to cut into the notches just a bit.
The next step was for Coley to weld in the inner pieces. We decided to use 3 pieces on each side instead of one and bending one piece. Coley welded all the pieces in and left then hanging over each side just a bit for welding purposes.
Coley then used the flap disc and did all the clean up grinding on the notch. He took off any sharp edges and made sure all the welds were solid and completely good. Coley spent alof of time grinding the notch to make it look as good as possible
Coley decided to primer the bare areas for now until he decides on what he want to do with the frame. There may be a bag setup down the road a little so primer is good for now.
As you can see Coley welded the brake line holder back on the notch about where it was before.
Heres a close up of the nice work done by Coley. He took his time and relied on a good plan and a no rush exocution of the plan. The end result is better than it may have been rushing through without a well though out plan. Even on a seemingly simple job like this a solid well though out plan is the best way to go no matter how many of these you have done.
Well everything else is putting the truck back together and we all know what to do there. Be careful installing the bed and make sure its straight. You can also opt to install some rubber stops up inside the notch if you like. Most aftermarket stops are polyurethane and have a single stud on them for easy installation. I will use Energy Suspension ones when I get a request from a customer for then to be used.
The notch turned out well on this truck and it was all done in about 4 hours. We certainly could have done it faster but it was Coley's first and he wanted to do as much of it as possible himself. He did a good job and I came in a took pics throughout the whole process to show here. Congrats Coley on a job well done. Now lets bag that yellow ***** and get it on the ground!
When installing any kind of notch the first thing to do is to make sure the under side of the truck is clean. Start by washing the under side and allowing time to dry. You will need a good level surface to work on and the proper tools.
You will need a Jack, jack stands, hand tools for removing the bed etc. You will need some cutting device for cutting the frame such as an angle grinder, sawsall etc. I use the angle grinder with some thin cutting blades. I try to stay away from using a sawsall on something like this.
Start by jacking up the truck and putting it on stands under the frame so that its not sitting on the suspension and nothing will move later on when the weight is off the frame. Remove the bed and place it on stands or somewhere out of the way. You can do this first if the truck sits high enough. You will need to jack up the axle and remove the wheels then let the axle down as low as it will go to get it out of the way. I prefer to remove a bolt from the leaf springs to let the axle hang and not have any tension on the frame. I also prefer to add a pair of stands to the back of the frame so it does not move during cutting and welding.
As you can see here Coley has the truck on stands and the axle itself on stands as well. He has also covered the cab and fuel tank in 3M spark deflection paper. This stuff is very expensive but well worth it when working on any painted truck and also any glass. Grinding and/or welding sparks will melt into glass and paint. A little prep now saves money later not having to repaint or replace glass on your truck or a customers truck. A welding blanket is also good here but many welding blankets will have some holes here and there. Those need to be covered up.
The truck in this pics is Coley Vale's 2005 Dodge 1500 Rumblebee. The truck will be bagged eventually but for now he wanted to get more room for the axle and stop the banging while driving. The axle banging is very annoying for the driver and to anyone else riding. Coley keeps his truck pretty clean so the under side and frame were not dirty at all. If your frame is dirty or painted or is factory coated now is a good time to clean the frame and then grind the areas where the notch will go. The next step is to measure and mark where the notch will go. Measure again before making any cuts.
Keep in mind that the axle moves in an arc even on leaf springs and when the axle moves up into the frame area it does move forward. If you remove the rear bolts from the leaf springs and let the frame down onto the axle or jack the axle up into the frame you can see where the axle is going to touch. So after checking this, go ahead and remeasure and remark if necessary. We used a string tied around the front leaf spring bolt to find where the axle would touch the frame when bottomed out.
After getting the truck ready we removed the wheels checked the frame for level front to back and side to side making note of these measurements for later. We used an angle finder and a level.
We made a mark on the frame where the frame needed to be ground and Coley got after it with a 5" Dewalt angle grinder and a Kligspor 36 grit flap disc. Coley then remeasured and remarked the frame with a gray welder's pencil. A black Sharpee is also good here.
Coley then clamped the pre made DHP "super C notch" onto the frame and lined it up with the new marks. The notch was clamped down first then other clamps where used on the sides to pull the pieces in against the frame.
Now after rechecking the measurements again Coley began welding the notch onto the frame. The frame is about 1/8" thick and the notch is 3/16" thick so he set up the welder for 3/16" running .035 mild steel wire and using 75%/25% mixed welding gas. The machine used is a Miller Millermatic 251. Coley is a graduate of the Lincoln Tech welding school. He knew how to weld before going to the school but learned alot. His welds turn out very nice and his technique on uphill and overhead welds show he has had the proper training.
Coley welded the back and one side on each side of the truck and went back and forth to keep the heat warpage down. After welding all the pieces in we let it cool before starting on the cutting. The next step is to cut out the original frame rails inside the notch. Coley asked me to do the cutting so I got out the Dewalt 5" with a Klingspor 5" super thin cutting disc.
We realized at this time that we should have marked the inner cuts, then pulled the notch back off then cut the corners then put the notch back on. This would have made the cutting easier in those hard to reach areas. Instead we had to cut into the notches just a bit.
The next step was for Coley to weld in the inner pieces. We decided to use 3 pieces on each side instead of one and bending one piece. Coley welded all the pieces in and left then hanging over each side just a bit for welding purposes.
Coley then used the flap disc and did all the clean up grinding on the notch. He took off any sharp edges and made sure all the welds were solid and completely good. Coley spent alof of time grinding the notch to make it look as good as possible
Coley decided to primer the bare areas for now until he decides on what he want to do with the frame. There may be a bag setup down the road a little so primer is good for now.
As you can see Coley welded the brake line holder back on the notch about where it was before.
Heres a close up of the nice work done by Coley. He took his time and relied on a good plan and a no rush exocution of the plan. The end result is better than it may have been rushing through without a well though out plan. Even on a seemingly simple job like this a solid well though out plan is the best way to go no matter how many of these you have done.
Well everything else is putting the truck back together and we all know what to do there. Be careful installing the bed and make sure its straight. You can also opt to install some rubber stops up inside the notch if you like. Most aftermarket stops are polyurethane and have a single stud on them for easy installation. I will use Energy Suspension ones when I get a request from a customer for then to be used.
The notch turned out well on this truck and it was all done in about 4 hours. We certainly could have done it faster but it was Coley's first and he wanted to do as much of it as possible himself. He did a good job and I came in a took pics throughout the whole process to show here. Congrats Coley on a job well done. Now lets bag that yellow ***** and get it on the ground!
Last edited:
