I just started working on my 51' F2's frame this week, any tips, for restoring it or straightening sections? whats the best way to strip the frame to bare metal? Do I need metal prep? What is the best frame coating at a reasonable price?
Looks like it's had a few bumps there. What are your plans: restore or otherwise? If it were me I would probably get it straight then sand blast. Hope this helps bump you up for the morning shift.
I would replace the bent section, then get down with the wire cup on a drill. Blow it off, etch prime, then hose it with black appliance enamel. Sent from my LGLS992 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Straighten whats bent then sandblast and go to the hardware store and get some Rustoleum red primer and later use a Industrial enamel for a finish coat. HRP As removed from the car and stripped of all components. Sandblasted. Red primer. and finally S.G. Black industrial enamel. HRP
Firstly i planned to bring it back stock, how would wire wheeling the frame compare to sandblasting it?
what means do you have at your disposal? hydraulic ram? frame machine? torch with a rosebud tip? BFH? Heating the bent section and pushing at the point of maximum leverage is your best bet. if you try to straighten it cold, it will likely crack. you could even tack weld on the longest pipe/tube/fencepost/whatever you have to the end of the frame rail and someone apply pressure while heating BOTH flanges.
Ok i was planning on heating it and welding the steel rod to get leverage, with the frame coating i have been looking and i will try por15, my father cleaned up a 45 cj2 frame and used that as a coating with a solid top coat and it turned out pretty solid. Now with the crossmember, is there somewhere that makes repros or do i need to fabricate something, i can weld fairly decent, not pretty but damn strong.
Which cross member are you talking about? Rear? Straighten it too. If you mean a replacement trans xmemb for a newer drivetrain, most of the rod suppliers have one. Speedway, classic trucks, etc
I have mixed emotions about heating it. To get it hot enough to do any good means frying the shackle. Removing the shackle means loss of mobility and loss of support. I have some ideas about using heat with no damage to the shackle spring bushing. So right or wrong I'll tell what I would if it were mine..... This is not a simple repair. You have to use Braun and Brains. I would try to work it cold. First let's think of a flat piece of sheet metal. Flat it's weak and flimsy. Stamp or pound some ridges and troughs in it it becomes a rigid floor board. Those indentations create structure. This structure resists bending and flex. If you try to bend this floorboard it will bend in a unpredictable way. To bend the floorboard you'll have to flatten out those indentations to get it to a workable state. Now let's look at this frame rail. Notice that the C channel is pinched at the bend. This has created structure. This new structure will resist being bent back to the original state. If you try a straight pull like it is, likely it will Z as the bend as the pinch is strong. Likely it's stronger at the pinch than at the unbent areas. Solution... With hammers drifts or pry bars....mainly hammers and drifts. You need to pound on those pinches while it's under some tension as you pull the rail. Flattening those pinches weakens that area and is reversing the damage. It's going to be slow. The set up. Frame shops had eyes in the floor for attaching chains. This allows the shop to secure the chassis and also purchase points for pulling. You may have to do this out side. I would feel better about having the frame secured....chained around the spring mount on the undamaged side. There may be enough weight since you still have the engine and transmission mounted, that you may not need to secure the opposite side. You need a pull point for the damaged side. A tree, a heavy fence post or even a vehicle. If you use another vehicle as a pull point....make sure you are pulling at a 90 against the vehicles wheels. Make sure you pull nearly perpendicular to the F2 frame. I would make my pull with heavy chains and a "come along" or " power pull". Securing the damaged frame rail..... I notice that F2 frame has some holes through the top of the frame rail. The second hole from the rear would be my attachment. I would drill through that hole down through the bottom of the frame rail. I would then run my chain along the inside of the rail. I would use a long bolt and run this bolt through the top hole, through a chain link through the new bottom hole and secure it with a washer and nut. I might use a piece of wood inside the channel at the end preventing damage by the chain. The chain is going to run down the inside of the rail for a bit. Then you need to secure it to the come along and the come along to the anchor. If you use a vehicle as a anchor attach around a frame rail or tow hook. Be care that no damage results from this pull. As said you want to pull perpendicular to the wheels as best you can. Of course have all wheels chocked. Once you have the angles set up right for the pull attach and take up the slack. Doing the pull.... As you pull at first after taking up slack put the rail under some tension. Now.....work on those pinches in the rail....pull a little more.....work on these pinches a little more. It it starts going a way you do not want.....consider another anchor point or another angle. Using heat..... The only place I would really use heat would be those pinches in the rail. You can use something as a heat dam on the spring mount....a wet rag....a big clod of Missouri mud something to keep the spring bushing cool. Heat those pinches try to flatten them out pull repeat. The pinch on the bottom you can work with a hammer from the top. The top pinch ...you should have enough room to work from the bottom. Work on the pinch, pull. Work pull.....go slow and be careful. Be safe with pulling and be safe with heat.
I have been thinking about this the last couple days and am considering using a mechanical jack with a 4x4 post to spread the two frame sides, which would allow me a lot of control over how far it goes and keep it straight. Should I use heat? is this too improvised?
Keep in mind, if you spread against the undamaged rail, this may push it out instead of straightening the damaged rail. Since it's a roller, I would consider finding a body shop to straighten that rail. Some of the older shops may still have the frame equipment. Another thing.... It is very possible that the frame may be tweaked a little from that damage or slightly out of square if so, they can straighten it. The catch 22 with this is, you need to find someone that really knows how to do this type work.
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