Freightliner stepping away from cracked frame rail.

Looks interesting...... I might have to give some a try...

 

Leave the poor guy alone. He has had it rough enough. He had pro at a frame shop repair it. They know what they are doing. And if every repair they make is illegal , the government would have shut them down. Me and MN disagreed on what I think I saw in his pictures, but I m not there to see first hand.

 

I'm not taking any sides on this, but to clarify what the manufactures recommendations are (the legal way), the official word is copied below right from accessfreightliner.com service lit. "There are no approved repair methods." There is another section that explains frame welding procedures, but they are only allowed to be done when pre-approved by a DTNA District Service Manager.


Frame and Mounting System 31.01
Frame Service


Drilling Precautions
CAUTION
Do not drill holes in the frame rails or crossmembers.
The frame rails and crossmembers are tempered
steel. Drilling tends to reduce the frame rail
or crossmember strength, which can result in
structural failure of the frame rails or crossmembers.


Welding Precautions
CAUTION
Except for pre-approved procedures listed in this
service manual, or approved by Engineering
through the DTNA District Service Manager, do
not apply heat to, nor weld the frame rails or
crossmembers. Heating or welding the frame in
localized areas will reduce the strength of the
frame in localized areas, which can result in
structural failure of the frame.
Welding of the frame rails or crossmembers is not
permitted. This reduces the temper of the steel,
causing reduction of frame strength.
Frame Strength Identification
A code symbol is punched in the side rails near the
front spring rear hangers.
The code symbol shown in Fig. 1 identifies a frame
rated at 50,000 psi.


Frame Straightening
To prevent internal stresses in the metal, limit frame
straightening to parts that are not severely bent. Do
not apply heat to the frames.
Correct any frame misalignment by straightening the
out-of-line parts, or by replacing the crossmembers,
braces, or brackets if they are badly damaged.
Straightening should be attempted on frames that fail
to meet specifications of the diagonal checking
method, or where damage is visually apparent.


Frame Reinforcing
No repair method is approved. Frame reinforcements
are not permitted.
After straightening a bent frame member, inspect the
member closely for cracks. If any cracks show, the
frame member must be replaced.
IMPORTANT: If a damaged frame member is
replaced, use new Grade 8 fasteners for all replacement
frame parts.
02/16/98 f310666
Fig. 1, Frame Strength Identification Symbol
Frame and Mounting System 31.01
Frame Service
L-

 

Yet they stretch frames in their own shops . And have frame drills in every one of their shops. CMA is not the country music awards. Over the years our local freightliner has lengthened and shortened frames for different jobs. Can not find the right truck for the job , make one.

 

Yes, many dealerships modify frames. If they follow the rules, engineering approves the mods. At my last job, we had 2004-2006 Sterlings that had the frame rails stick out past the rear cross member too far. This caused problems in sharp turns when pulling a dolly. I took a long time for them to approve and send out very specific instructions on shortening the frames 6".

Like I said, I'm not taking sides. I'm sure that many things can safely be done that the factory says cannot be done. It's all about liability. You wont get anyone at Freightliner to say that repairing a frame is OK.

 

The manufacturers just want to control the process in order to limit their liability if something happens.

 

So ultimately, performing a non-approved repair shifts the liability away from the manufacturer and onto the carrier, truck owner, and shop that performed the repair.

 

And subject to a violation of the regs if caught by an inspector that knows what the manufacturer recommends and does not recommend.

 

How many DOT inspectors do you know that are 'reasonable'? And that only works in court. Good luck getting an OOS violation into court without a citation attached.