Caution! Frame rusted, unsafe

[chaz10]

If you have a 2009- 2013 and have had fuel tank recall done inspect bottom off frame forward of rear tire.

I have a 2009 RAM looks new only 74,000, I crawled under and found a 8 inch hole rotted in bottom of frame, took to dealer for inspection they refused to put on lift they felt unsafe to lift, spoke to mechanic who does state inspection he said he would not pass it next year and to be cautious.

Has anyone else had this problem? I called FCA told " could not offer assistance "

I checked the availability of a new frame I was told none avail in the US, I could order, poss not avail. must order to find out.

Seems bad frame design no drain holes in bottom, I did submit a complaint to NHTSA poss catastrophic failure. waiting for contact.

 

[stimpy433]

Let’s see some pictures of the rotted out frame...

 

[BWL]

Would like to see pic of frame, but a rusted hole can be repaired for far cheaper than a new frame. Companies that do stretch limos, 6 door trucks etc cut and stretch frames all the time and lowering guys cut notches. Just cut out the damaged section and weld on a new piece with some re enforcement.

 

[chaz10]

Rust Ram1

• chaz10
• Mar 27, 2019

Rust Ram 2

• chaz10
• Mar 27, 2019

 

[sbarron]

If you have a 2009- 2013 and have had fuel tank recall done inspect bottom off frame forward of rear tire.

I have a 2009 RAM looks new only 74,000, I crawled under and found a 8 inch hole rotted in bottom of frame, took to dealer for inspection they refused to put on lift they felt unsafe to lift, spoke to mechanic who does state inspection he said he would not pass it next year and to be cautious.

Has anyone else had this problem? I called FCA told " could not offer assistance "

I checked the availability of a new frame I was told none avail in the US, I could order, poss not avail. must order to find out.

Seems bad frame design no drain holes in bottom, I did submit a complaint to NHTSA poss catastrophic failure. waiting for contact.

10 years untreated and probably indifferently maintained in the NE rust belt probably sounds about right.

 

[sbarron]

Hmmm... the rest of the frame actually looks pretty good. Just this one area?

 

[chaz10]

spoke to frame shop, did not recommend patch to frame, weld will create weak spot, plus it that's what can be seen what cant be seen is worse, since I still have lifetime warranty on pwr train I think I will change frame, just not looking forward to it

 

[BWL]

The sections that tie to the cross members still looks fine so should be able to cut and repair without messing up the frame alignment. May have had a drain, but got plugged and rotted out. Nothing left there to know for sure. ****** deal, but not bad enough to warrant a new frame.

 

[BWL]

Frame is welded together so saying a weld will create a weak spot is silly. That whole area is welds by the look of it as long as you cut enough to get on good metal and your weld is staggered vs just cutting straight vertical it should hold up fine. If it was a bunch of cancer everywhere then not worth it, but 1 section with fairly easy access I'd give it a try. I had a frame split in 2 years ago and welded in a new section with a heavier plate and an overlap that held for 100000 miles over 7 years before the truck was just too wore out to keep running. Never cracked again and I'm a below average welder too be generous.

 

[CincyCuda68]

Frame is welded together so saying a weld will create a weak spot is silly. That whole area is welds by the look of it as long as you cut enough to get on good metal and your weld is staggered vs just cutting straight vertical it should hold up fine. If it was a bunch of cancer everywhere then not worth it, but 1 section with fairly easy access I'd give it a try. I had a frame split in 2 years ago and welded in a new section with a heavier plate and an overlap that held for 100000 miles over 7 years before the truck was just too wore out to keep running. Never cracked again and I'm a below average welder too be generous.

Exactly, that’s almost laughable to say a weld will weaken it when the entire frame is welded together from the factory. Have a buddy who restores cars and replaces frame sections all the time and guess what they weld them together! Hell my 68 barracudas frame is spot welded in and made of sheet metal. I would say find a different frame shop and have that patched.

 

[Quyonmob]

Looks easily repairable by good fabricator.

 

[chaz10]

I will check with a different. Welder next week, looks like fuel tank ,and attachment point rear suspension will have to be removed, along with cap, bed ,bumper, new frame $1300 plus 3 days work?

 

[Random_Walk]

Before anything: Me, I'd weld/patch it and call it good.

That said, I know where the body shop guy got his (in this case probably false) info on welding and creating weak spots. Normally, yes, frames are welded to within an inch of their lives. However, oftentimes the completed frames are heated up in a stress furnace to remove/relax all the stressed (weak) points in the frame, since welds that aren't tempered can and do create weak spots in a given item.

BUT... Not all frames require this**, and like I said up top - I'd do it anyway, since the welding job isn't going to create a spot that becomes too weak for safety.

I'd be more worried about maintaining frame alignment (if you're careful it won't be affected) than I would about creating a spot that would be considered too weak for structural integrity.

Oh, and FCA has a ton of literature on welding frames, yo - starting with this one (for the 2016MY, pretty sure 2017-2019 is similar):
https://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/bbg/pdf/2016/docs/cc/dddpfar.pdf

In fact, here's the TL;DR for frame welding:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct.../dddpfar.pdf&usg=AOvVaw20bJOsCotXc9p1r97HEDHU

1. Avoid welding near the fuel tank, fuel lines, brake lines or other components that
may be damaged.
2. Components near the welding area which could be damaged by excessive heat
must be removed or adequately shielded.
3. Disconnect the battery(ies), negative terminal posts, and the main ground to the
PDC / Battery (See Figure A)
4. Precautionary measures should be used to prevent electrical system component or
wiring damage.
5. The frame e-coating must be removed from the weld and surrounding area.
6. Use proper welding techniques to avoid stress risers that may adversely affect
frame performance.
After welding:
1. Carefully inspect electrical components and wiring for shorts or other damage.
2. Apply protective coating to the areas where the coating was removed

** usually frames that have this kind of over-caution are not otherwise thick enough for the loads they're built for, and are stress-tempered and built near the tippy-top of the material's performance envelopes. These kind of frames are very prominently labeled as no-drill/no-weld, and are usually strictly Semi-tractor frames, which are subject to USDOT regs in that department.

PS: Here's a generic how-to for that ****:

 

[RHeller]

If done correctly, the repair would be stronger than the original frame. But...you need to find someone to do it correctly

 

[Moparfanatic21]

Before anything: Me, I'd weld/patch it and call it good.

That said, I know where the body shop guy got his (in this case probably false) info on welding and creating weak spots. Normally, yes, frames are welded to within an inch of their lives. However, oftentimes the completed frames are heated up in a stress furnace to remove/relax all the stressed (weak) points in the frame, since welds that aren't tempered can and do create weak spots in a given item.

BUT... Not all frames require this**, and like I said up top - I'd do it anyway, since the welding job isn't going to create a spot that becomes too weak for safety.

I'd be more worried about maintaining frame alignment (if you're careful it won't be affected) than I would about creating a spot that would be considered too weak for structural integrity.

Oh, and FCA has a ton of literature on welding frames, yo - starting with this one (for the 2016MY, pretty sure 2017-2019 is similar):
https://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/bbg/pdf/2016/docs/cc/dddpfar.pdf

In fact, here's the TL;DR for frame welding:


** usually frames that have this kind of over-caution are not otherwise thick enough for the loads they're built for, and are stress-tempered and built near the tippy-top of the material's performance envelopes. These kind of frames are very prominently labeled as no-drill/no-weld, and are usually strictly Semi-tractor frames, which are subject to USDOT regs in that department.

PS: Here's a generic how-to for that ****:

I agree with most of what that guy is saying but damn he can't weld

 

[Random_Walk]

I agree with most of what that guy is saying but damn he can't weld

ROTFLMAO! I was thinking the same thing, though it's not as bad as some of the bird**** that I've seen...

 

[Moparfanatic21]

ROTFLMAO! I was thinking the same thing, though it's not as bad as some of the bird**** that I've seen...

I get it some people can get penetration bur can't make it look pretty and that's fine. But grind it down, he left it there like he was proud lol

 

[DodgeDude99]

PS: Here's a generic how-to for that ****:

That is not even close on how you want to make a frame patch.
It isn’t just about putting the biggest piece of steel you can find, it’s about creating as many anchor points for that steel.
Patch the rotted area, then take your plate you fitted to that area and drill or punch 3/4” holes in it.
Weld the perimeter of the patch and also in the holes. Take your time & control the heat.

 

[Lucy Girl]

Rust Ram1

• chaz10
• Mar 27, 2019

Rust Ram 2

• chaz10
• Mar 27, 2019

Damn.

 

[chaz10]

spent most of this morning trying to find a welder or fabricator to work on truck, came home will check internet .