Gen 1 Side Frame Reinforcement (Bucket to Body Mount)

[Speedhunter]

Hello,

I'm wanting some feedback from the community on reinforcing the frame between the bucket and body mount.

I have heard this can be a common point of failure where the frame can bend or crack. I've seen some aftermarket kits that offer a plate for reinforcing this area. I saw that RPG Offroad also offers a doubler plate for Gen 2 trucks in this area.

One of the pictures is from a Blitzkrieg Gen 1 kit that includes the reinforcement plate.

Some of my questions:

• Has anyone bent or cracked their frame here?
• Does anyone offer a reinforcement plate for a Gen 1 that is not in a complete kit?
• Would it be a good idea to weld on another plate below or above this area?
• Has anyone made their own version of these plates?

 

[Cody Templeton]

I wanna see pictures of anyone who has been able to break the frame. lol

 

[IDI-Charlie]

There's a factory plate there that can rustjack and cause issues, in fact I'm getting ready to cut mine out and replace with some new plates. Rustjacking on it has gotten to where I can't ignore it any longer.

I've personally only seen one case of a truck bending there from a nose dive. The couple of other cases I've heard of issues arising in that area were all due to rust.

 

[Cody Templeton]

There's a factory plate there that can rustjack and cause issues, in fact I'm getting ready to cut mine out and replace with some new plates. Rustjacking on it has gotten to where I can't ignore it any longer.

I've personally only seen one case of a truck bending there from a nose dive. The couple of other cases I've heard of issues arising in that area were all due to rust.

I'd say if you planted the nose that hard you probably got other issues going on as well. lol

 

[Speedhunter]

I imagine that would be a hard hit nosediving the truck to the point the frame bends.

I did notice the truck does have a factory plate there. It's pretty thin metal and isn't even welded all the way around. It is on the side of the frame and extends a little bit on the top of the frame as well.

I've seen photos of this rusting out too.

Are you planning on plating just the side of the frame or other parts in that area as well?

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

@Rick at FMS bent his frame on a nose dive back in 2014? 2015? was it rick? october trr back then. the jump at the end was horrible.

 

[Rick at FMS]

Mine bent underneath where the shock bucket is as seen in the pictures, reinforce it there for sure. Haven’t seen one bend further back than the bucket. I had an SVC frame cut bumper and when I nosed dived at Raptoberfest in 2015, the two front pockets that are exposed hit the ground after it slid down the skid plate and that force bent the frame. I ended up getting the frame replaced. I also went to the hospital a few days later for back pain and found that I shattered one of my discs, no surgery, the bone healed on its own over time.

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

i wish i still had the pic of his steering wheel.....

 

[Cody Templeton]

Mine bent underneath where the shock bucket is as seen in the pictures, reinforce it there for sure. Haven’t seen one bend further back than the bucket. I had an SVC frame cut bumper and when I nosed dived at Raptoberfest in 2015, the two front pockets that are exposed hit the ground after it slid down the skid plate and that force bent the frame. I ended up getting the frame replaced. I also went to the hospital a few days later for back pain and found that I shattered one of my discs, no surgery, the bone healed on its own over time.

I was gonna say, with a hit like that, I gotta imagine that there was some damage to you!

 

[IDI-Charlie]

...Are you planning on plating just the side of the frame or other parts in that area as well?

I'll just be doing that specific area for now. Eventually I'll get to others I'm sure, just too many projects already to worry with them now.