LBZ: Frame restoration

[Low366Dmax]

Well since the trucks been down for 9 months and the motor being built I figured I'd restore the frame. After 10 years in the New England winters she was looking a little rough. Started off with scraping that god awful factory coating. Soaked it down in diesel and used a paint scraper to get the majority of it off then hit it with a wire wheel. Then lots of break clean and a scrub pad to get her down to bare steel. Then the spots that were pitted and heavily rusted hit it with a flap disk to make it smooth. Ended up using SEM rust trap for paint. Pretty much no prep and has an awesome gloss to it. Also ended up cutting out the spare tire crossmember and getting rid of the fuel tank. Here's some pictures of the progress over the last month or so have easily 40 hours into it

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[AJH]

Looks good what are you gonna do to tie the frame rails back together?

 

[lutzjk913]

Looks great man.

Hoping to be able to do his to mine within the next year or so. Going to try and find a good bed first when money allows.

 

[c20elephant]

Are the front leaf spring hangers lowered with CALTRACS.?

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[Low366Dmax]

Are the front leaf spring hangers lowered with CALTRACS.?

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Yes sir trucks has a full 3/5 drop


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[c20elephant]

Yes sir trucks has a full 3/5 drop


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Did you fabricate the brackets and/or modify the stock ones, that's one of drawbacks I have read about not being able to use CALTRACS with lowered aftermarket brackets.?

 

[Bigbluelb7]

Rear Spare Tire Crossmember

New to the Forum, Got a 2003 LB7, and the rear crossmember is rotted out.
Just wondering what you ended up doing to tie the frame back together?

 

[Blackmax123]

I'm guessing he used square tube as he said he was removing his fuel tank and adding a fuel cell. So he probably used square tubing to build the cage to mount his fuel cell.

 

[Bigbluelb7]

Steel or Aluminum?

So once i cut out my rear spare tire crossmemeber.. Can i just use Square Tube and Weld it to my frame? Or should i Make an Aluminum Square Stock and Bolt it?
Thanks for your help.

 

[Low366Dmax]

You can do either or even use round tube welded in.


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[Bigbluelb7]

thanks

Okay. Took my bed off to paint my frame and shock mount is pretty much rotted out aswell as the whole cross member, So gonna make some new ones up and a new shock mount this weekend. Thanks Again for the advice

 

[Low366Dmax]

Okay. Took my bed off to paint my frame and shock mount is pretty much rotted out aswell as the whole cross member, So gonna make some new ones up and a new shock mount this weekend. Thanks Again for the advice

No prob of you grid the rivets out you'll need to replace the ones in the rear hangers with blots


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