Boxing The Frame, 1/8 or 3/16?

[87wildside]

I found out our frames are made of hot rolled (HR) steel and are 11ga (0.125" or 1/8"). When I box it I was planning on using 0.187 (3/16) HR but is that a waste of time? I could save a few bucks if I do 0.125 instead and I can't see any benefits of going thicker. Anybody have some input?

[T Man]

I would go with the 3 16th to box. The frames are 1/8th, but remember, they are c channeled that adds to strength. You are putting a piece of flat metal in there...my .02

[Mikz86TA]

IMO the same gague is fine. Unless theres going to be stressed items bolted to those sides. Then maybe bigger just in case.

[87wildside]

It is going to be fully welded and nothing stressed will be bolted to them. I'm on the fence with this one.

[Tuteuk]

It is going to be fully welded and nothing stressed will be bolted to them. I'm on the fence with this one.


Like mama said...Boy go big or go home.....Safety First...Bigger is stronger...and stronger is safer...

Us Bovines are skerrrrred of skinny steel....:shake_125
Just my ...02...Mooo

[Hammer Head]

..bigger isn't always stronger. i.e. Chrome moly is 2 to 3 times stronger than standard steel, same size, same thickness. I'd just do .125" on it & be done. It's the same thickness which may make welding a little easier.. not really. haha.

[neo71665]

I used 1/8 on mine but I added a few more x-members to it and redid some of the few that were there. Mine came from metal we had laying around or we "borrowed" from where my dad works. We also known for going over kill. I had dad make me a set of shackles for my blazer and he made them outta 1/2 inch plates. I really need to post pics, they weigh a ton, lol.

[87wildside]

The truck is getting a crossmember right where the frame kicks up for the rear suspension and the trans crossmember is getting reworked to add stiffness.

neo71665, any pics?

Hammer Head, it will make it a little easier to weld staying with the same gauge. Apparently I over looked that.

[87wildside]

I ordered the steel today, 0.125" A36 hot rolled. Apparently our frames are hot rolled and I think it would be better to use the same type of steel.

I bought it from thi place (http://www.onlinemetals.com/). After shipping from Seatle it was still cheaper then buying it locally

[1993blazerlt]

one thing that you might want to research is if the frames had any sort of heat treat from the factory to harden them or normalize them after welding, and you might want to research if your weld affected zone is going to hurt you at all

[TreasonAgainstCaesar]

So Hammer Head wants you to use chromoly to box your frame..:rolleyes: Just kidding. I had to throw that one out there.

[Hammer Head]

If he was pullin in a roll cage I'd say 'hell yea, use chrome moly & save weight'.. way too much money to do the frame, haha, & still really expensive to do a cage.

[87wildside]

one thing that you might want to research is if the frames had any sort of heat treat from the factory to harden them or normalize them after welding, and you might want to research if your weld affected zone is going to hurt you at allYou had me all nervous with that. I browse a board with alot of high end builders so I posted a quote and they said it's not heat treated and I have nothing to worry about.

[Hammer Head]

Yea, it's not like big rig frames

[neo71665]

Most all car frames I've seen are not heat treated, only big rig frames.

Sorry no pics of the truck frame or my new shackles as they still at my dads house. With the baby on the way I aint had much time to do any work on anything around here.