how to attach round tubing to stock frame rails on s-10??

Edited: 6/3/2007 4:36:16 PM by CrossBreed

hey, how can I safely and structurely attach round tubing to my stock frame rails on my s-10. i'm wanting to start on a backhalf, but don't really know how I should tie them together, considering the c-channel stock frame and the round tubing are oddly matched...any pics, ideas, advice would be nice.

Are you trying to build a tube rear frame section or ?

yes i am, but i don't really know the best way to attach it to my stock frame rails under the cab.

The way i have done it in the past is to take 1/4" plate and make 4 tabs (2 for each side) that are designed to slide perpendicular into the channel of the frame verticaly. In those tabs drill holes the same size as the tubing you are using and slide the tubing into the tabs. Your tubing should be about a foot inside of the frame forward of where you cut the back frame section off. Put one tab as a cap at the cut of the frame and the other at the front end of the tubing inside the frame and weld the tubing to the tabs and the tabs to the frame. After that box in the entire frame area aound the tubing and build a transition to the round tubing to look smooth. I wish I still had pictures of the job I did but I can't seem to find them. Hope that helps cause after writing that I confused myself.

The general idea that Rob is speaking of sounds about right. The only things That I would change would be to not run the tubing a foot into the frame and build my reinforcements a little differently.

By sliding the tubing into the frame, you are wasting that much material. Once inside the frame, there is mothing that you can do to strengthen the joint. If it is going to brake, it will brake where it meets the back of the frame. There are many different good ways to reinforce the joint from the frame to the tubes. The problem comes in when the joint is made so strong that it just breaks behind the reinforcement. Go get 'Engineer to Win' by Carroll Smith and read the chapter on stress risers, that should make a little more sense out of what I just said.

thanks you two, i'll research it because as i've always said, it's my life on the line when i drive the truck...and whoever's dumb enough to be driving on the road while i am O