Cracked frame anyone?

[bubbagonebad]

I took my radiator in for an anoying leak (91 4X4 SC) and the shop owner said he has replaced 4 of the same style in the last month. He told me to check my frame for cracks since it is a 4X4 and since the area that the radiator had cracked could have been caused by stress from the frame twisting (upper tank engine side). Has anyone had this experience.. where are the weak points? Before I put the new radiator in I would like to hear from anyone who had it happen to them.

Thanks!

Bubba

 

[JPR]

was he speaking of the truck frame or the radiator support?

The radiator support on my 91 is starting to crack at the top corners of the radiator. In this picture, the cracks are near the intercooler upper mounts.

The cracks started before the intercooler install. The cracks were one of the reasons, I chose to connect the lower IC mounts to the radiator support rather than the frame. The assumption was that mounting the bottom of the IC to the frame and the top to the radiator support would add that much more stress.

 

[tractorman86]

yea my rad support is cracked in the same spot. i know my frame does flex a lot, probably more than my front suspension. i hope it isn't a cracked frame issue, i havnt seen anything though

 

[bubbagonebad]

I am going to check with a local mechanic who first noticed the cracks on the frame on a couple of the trucks he has worked on. I don't think the radiator support would crack if the frame wasn't flexing.... I crawled under my rig and it's too dirty to get a good look at the frame rails... time to break out the pressure washer and degreaser.

 

[MUDKICKR]

id look at the body mount bushings before the frame. since they are rubber and problem stock i bet they are not only wore out but half gone. anyways the core support likes to rust around the bushings so you might have that problem as well. the only times i have seen a ford frame crack is around the steering box, and most of the time its because the frt crossmember is gone (where the sway bar mounts) usually its an easy fix but it all depends on the trk and how long its been that way.