No one wants to touch this. Insurance reasons. I have a hole about the size of a small salt shaker in my frame - rusted through. Have a few holes on the bottom near the same area but a little further forward. Usual suspect location - just forward of the hangar for the rear spring.

I'm thinking about just welding a plate over it but no one will touch it and I don't own any welding equipment, nor do I have the skills for this job. I do have the skills to get a plate cut, bore some holes, run a tap into the 'good meat' and BOLT a plate in place. I figure 20 or so bolts and a decently thick plate would hold it rather well, but I'm not sure.

Opinions?

The damage is NOT that bad - I've seen far, far worse. The problem is where I live - the shops are afraid of liability, and I guess I can't blame them since it's within the wheelbase. They're also not used to seeing rust of any kind and I'm kinda miffed that my tx truck has any, but there it is.

Maybe you can take the plates off of it and tell them it is a offroad vehicle only.

Won't fly. Tried it.

would they be willing if you signed a disclaimer?
even if they would im thinking youd be spinning your wheels on trying to repair it. if you were to weld a sleave around the affected area, the welds would only end up a short time later with cracks propagating out of them... chances are if you bolted a sleave around it, im thinking you would only compromise the remaining integrity of the frame. i havnt tried the latter, but i have fabed a sleave for a cancerous frame and welded it up... it worked for about a year <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />.

would they be willing if you signed a disclaimer?
even if they would im thinking youd be spinning your wheels on trying to repair it. if you were to weld a sleave around the affected area, the welds would only end up a short time later with cracks propagating out of them... chances are if you bolted a sleave around it, im thinking you would only compromise the remaining integrity of the frame. i havnt tried the latter, but i have fabed a sleave for a cancerous frame and welded it up... it worked for about a year <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />. if your content on trying to repair the damage, make a new friend... one with a tig <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />.

What did you weld with?

BTW - not to sound like a heel but.. the factory welded stuff in there, such as the spring hangar. Their welds aren't cracked....

I have heard of MIG welds failing under similar conditions.

well as a welder <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" /> if you don't get rid of the rust first it will only continue to spread, It needs to be cut out weld a new piece in, then weld a patch over that.It should last longer than any other part of your frame.The key here is to make sure you are to bare metal, if you try to weld over the rust or paint your weld will have inpurities in it and hence comes your broken weld.I can't see why people are turning you down to weld that.I would prefer a mig for it , because you will get better penetration in the metal, but a tig will work as well.Stay away from flux core wire, get someone with a argon/co2 bottle or argon with tig.good luck <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

The problem with a disclaimer is you can only waive negligence but not gross negligence. If they know it will not hold then no waiver on earth will hold up in court. The fact they will not touch it means somebody got burned in court <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />

IANAL but deal with this as a Scuba Divemaster.

I live on an island in the Pacific and we get rust around here like nothing you see there. The salt air will eat the enamel off your refrigerator.

Frame rust to the point of frame failure is common here. They just cut the rust out and weld in a new piece. Don't know the technical details (type of welder, etc.). The piece welded in is identical in shape and size to the piece removed. I had this repair done on my 87 swb about 3 years ago. I had a hard time telling where it was when they finished. Have not looked at it for a while. Maybe I ought to.

I also know that in this country at least there is only one way to waiver your life. That's to join the military.

IOW - waiver or nay, if you actually DO DIE, you can count on your family being able to drag the company into civil court. Maybe you'd win, maybe not - that really isn't the point. The point is being drug through the mud, paying for the court + lawyers costs or instead paying a settlement just to avoid it all.