Thread: Bad stretch job
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Old 03-19-2017, 07:23 AM   #9
ChiefMechanicMark
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Redmond
Posts: 54
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Having done heavy truck work for over 30 years... The best way to cut a frame is at a 45 degree angles and to use a "Fish Plate". This is a square (Or rectangle) piece of metal of at least the same thickness as the frame material. The frame after cut should have an exact same size and bend piece installed cut at the opposite angle to allow the two halves be "Butt Welded" together.(I agree his welding looks good.) Then take one of the "Fish Plates" after grinding smooth the "Butt Weld" apply it to the inside of the frame and weld it to the frame using the angles. Try not to ever weld perpendicular to the frame as this makes a weak flex point. Apply a second Fish Plate on the outside of the frame as well. If this process is followed you can do the same on the rear section to lengthen the frame. This allows for transfer of the weight to the "Butt Welded" area and since it is a 45 degree angle it is not trying to "tear" it apart it is trying to bend it. I did this on a KW COE flat bed to allow adding a drop axle in front of the drive axles as well as stretched it to allow hanging a heavy forklift off the rear to unload the cinder block the truck was hauling. The truck was in service for 10 years after the conversion and had over 1.2 million miles on it before it was scrapped when the driver retired. New kids didn't like cabovers.
The sleeve he used is a great idea however it has to be a proper fit and from what I see in the picture it is not curved properly.
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