I am planning to install a larger radiator in my truck but it is a little taller and to make it fit I will have to remove the angle braces between core support and frame. How important are these for strength?
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I am planning to install a larger radiator in my truck but it is a little taller and to make it fit I will have to remove the angle braces between core support and frame. How important are these for strength?
If you have the room, I'd recommend to weld them back in in front of the cross member. It won't be as an effective triangulation...but it can't hurt. My guess would be that they aid in keeping the front straight with small bumper jolts or angled winch pulls.
If I were you I would get a differant radiator. I worked on a M715 one time that the frame was diamond . These angle braces had been removed to do an engine swap at one time. I took the rolling frame to my friend frame shop to get it straightened. He said that he couldn't believe how easy it pulled back into place. He said that he was only pulling with about 1500 lbs of force. When I got the frame back home I then welded a set of braces back in where they should be. M1028
Maybe I will do something different. I am going to add a pto winch and I would hate to screw up the frame.
Decide on a heavy bumper and weld that on too. I've to 6" channel as the base of my front winch bumper.
Seems like the frame would be fine without em if you're sticking to regular street driving. Remember, the civilian frames had no angle bracing. My braces are cut (civilian header panel andradiator installed) and nothing seems out of place. I don't have a winch, however.
Ethan