Some people amaze me

6speedsd · Feb 2, 2013

So I was under the truck today looking at the home made gooseneck hitch the previous owner put under there. Tell me what you see here...

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1359846946.034103.jpg

The hitch is like 8" channel. Plenty beefy. Has a plate welded underneath it for extra strength. An the ball actually welded to it. Ok, seems like he took extra steps to make sure if was strong. BUT, this is where they stopped. The only thing holding that to the truck are little half inch globbed up welds on top of the frame rails, one at each corner. Really!! How in the hell did that not shear off? I know it's hard to see much in that pic, but I think you can see the welds in talking about. Some people just don't get it. If you don't care about your safety, so be it. But at least consider those on the road around you when you do something like this. You stomp the brakes with a full load on that hitch with those welds and it'll probably go through the back of the cab.

RedRice589 · Feb 2, 2013

All to save a few buckss... tsk tsk.

OBS F350 · Feb 2, 2013

Wow that's amazing... I got a call a few months back because a guy a friend of mine knows drives a truck for a place that hauls logs. Long story short he had a broken air line and couldn't get ahold of anyone from his work so he was going to pay me to fix it on the side of the road. Good enough, headed up there, got there and right below the 5th wheel plate over the front axle was a weld down the frame. I asked the driver and he said the frame cracked there, so their shop welded it..... And when I say a weld going down the frame, that is exactly what it was, just probably 2 beads on each side, no extra steel (would still be illegal, but I mean better then just a weld). When I told him that they can't do that he just laughed and said almost all their trucks had the frames welded around the same area due to cracking. I just took the 20 minute drive as a loss and refused to work on the truck lol, I didn't want my name anywhere near that company.

6speedsd · Feb 2, 2013

There is a reason why it broke. Welding it back up wont stop it from breaking again. Just goes to show how often the all mighty dollar goes before safety.

alradco · Feb 2, 2013

I think a lot of people don't take the time to think about why or how things like this fail. Very dangerous.

dieseltron · Feb 4, 2013

:doh: you should have seen the hitch in the bed of my superduty. 1/4inch plate and 6inch C channel just sitting on the bed with bolts to the frame. nothing to stop it from crushing down.

fordornothing · Mar 9, 2013

My pickup had a ok GN hitch in it,
It did have a piece of square tube under the bed for the bolts so it wouldn't crush down. It would have been better if they didn't miss most of the frame and only have a half a hole for the bolts...

nitrogen here 2 · Mar 29, 2013

hmmm almost no truck manufacturer wants you welding "stuff" onto their frame.
as far as the logging truck goes, they all say exactly that you are not to weld things onto the frame. However repair/stretching/shortening welding when done correctly is totally legitimate. repairing an airline will not in way make you liable for any other components on the truck. Having been both driver and HD mechanic all it did was mark you as a Do not call he just wasted our time. frame welding has to done with the proper prep, rods,gusseting etc

Zmann · Mar 29, 2013

Ford has procedures
https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/non-html/Q123R1.pdf
but like mentioned it's not for hacks to save a dime

6point0damn2004 · Mar 29, 2013

OBS F350 said:
Wow that's amazing... I got a call a few months back because a guy a friend of mine knows drives a truck for a place that hauls logs. Long story short he had a broken air line and couldn't get ahold of anyone from his work so he was going to pay me to fix it on the side of the road. Good enough, headed up there, got there and right below the 5th wheel plate over the front axle was a weld down the frame. I asked the driver and he said the frame cracked there, so their shop welded it..... And when I say a weld going down the frame, that is exactly what it was, just probably 2 beads on each side, no extra steel (would still be illegal, but I mean better then just a weld). When I told him that they can't do that he just laughed and said almost all their trucks had the frames welded around the same area due to cracking. I just took the 20 minute drive as a loss and refused to work on the truck lol, I didn't want my name anywhere near that company.

Trucks like that need double frames for sure. Blows my mind. I got in a discussion with a guy who took a road tractor and made a dump truck k out of it. Air ride 12/40 axle set up. Trucks like that that take abuse need beefier axles, lower gears and no air ride. But all for the sKe of a buck or two right

nitrogen here 2 · Mar 29, 2013

what's wrong with air ride, we run a heavy percentage of off-road as do many other oilfield haulers all using air-ride. Very few issues with either handling, airbags or any other breakage. In fa ct I can't say I have had an airbag induced handling issue in 25 years, last that comes to mind was an 80's freightliner pulling doubles at 70+mph, it got a little squirrelly in the corners, back it down to speed limit(60 mph) and it was perfect

6point0damn2004 · Mar 29, 2013

I guess I just see air ride being for road trucks. Personal preference probably. Camel back and rubber block should be on dump trucks and the like IMO

nitrogen here 2 · Mar 29, 2013

why cuz dump truck drivers are dumb animals that can't appreciate not having their back tore up? The old days where the air rides were not steady enough passed somewheres in the mid 80's. you have to pay attention to how level you are when you dump and how solid the ground is. if the load sticks in the box suspension type doesn't matter

6point0damn2004 · Mar 29, 2013

Can you use air ride off road, of course. Especially with lockers. Once again preference. Those camel backs are tough sum'bitches though

Suspension aside. Why you wouldn't put a double frame on a log truck is beyond me besides the issue of cost

nitrogen here 2 · Mar 30, 2013

weight, but certainly durability can suffer, or the truck wasn't originally specc'd for off-road, but they got a deal and figured it would be "OK", with the right driver, knowing when to take it easy it could last a long time. one pissed off employee beating on it could break it in half in a day

6point0damn2004 · Mar 30, 2013

Spec the truck for what you're doing. It'll pay in the end. If I had a logging company and was spec'ing trucks. They'd be spec'd heavy. You can't always watch how your drivers are driving. Might as well get something that'll survive a lil misuse.

But you hit the nail on the head there, with the right driver any truck will last a long while

dasboot · Mar 30, 2013

remember when you see coming towards you, a 50,000 lb motorhome pulling a dingy behind it, the guy driving it is most likely old, retired and one step away from a stroke or heart attack.