New Chassis?

[msggunny]

I am considering replacing my chassis and want some oppionions from those of you who have done it already. Mainly looking for info regarding quality, shipping, dealing with the company you bought it from. Not too worried about the tech aspect, but any PITFA's you ran into would be nice too.

Getting the old "reenlistment bonus" and trying to figure out what i want to spend it on. my current chassis isnt horrible, but i replaced the front frame horns, there is rust dammage to the crossmember with the PTO hole in it and the rear cross member was replaced by the PO (not a very good job either)

I want a Roverdrive, but a new chassis may be more of a need than a want.

Coilers? any info?

Thanks for the input.

[Momo]

New Chassis?

Gunny,

Last I heard (Friday) Roverdrives are going for $1350US right now and there's a waiting list.

Since the chassis is the backbone of your 88 & a new one will last another 35 years, and they aren't getting any cheaper... I say go for it.

[xrover]

Best thing you could ever do if your attached to your series.

If your not, Sell it and buy one thats been done already. LOL...

[yorker]

I got mine from RN in '96 or so. I've been very pleased with it, the shipping and quality were fine. I wouldn't bother with a coil chassis IF you could even get one. Last I knew ECR quit making them available to the general public.

[jp-]

Both of my Rovers have their original frames. I suppose I just like saving things, but steel isn't that hard to work with. On my 88" I cut out the entire lower half of the square tube on both sides half way down the chassis. The other three sides of the chassis tube were solid. Then I welded in a strip of 3" wide x .125" plate all the way back in to complete the tube repair. I had a tremendous amount of weld time in the chassis, but anything with a square tube design is fairly simple to repair. After galvanizing, it was as new (and a heck of a lot cheaper + it's original).

[jp-]

Oh yeah,

I had enough left over from the money I saved on the chassis to buy a Roverdrive!

[yorker]

Those I've done mostly got swept up with a broom and dustpan- there wasn't much to weld to. Plus, at least in NY, you need to have any chassis welding work done by a certified welder which means $$$ per hour.








For trucks that have spent 40 years in the salted northeast I think the $ spent on a new chassis are well worth it.

If I lived in a region where there was less damage I can see fixing what little damage there is. If your chassis is better than my pics above I'd look into repairing/maintaining what you have and spend the $ from your re-up on something else!

[msggunny]

Yorker,

That rot makes my skin crawl

Thankfully mine isnt 1/8th that bad.

[yorker]

See things could be worse! Another one I had had the chassis filled with great stuff foam and artfully trimmed and sealed to look like a solid chassis. The fellow I bought it from had been duped by that ploy.

[jp-]

Obviously, I didn't mean that everything could be saved. No, that frame is not worth repairing. Each person must make his own determination about what he is capable of.

[jp-]

Plus, at least in NY, you need to have any chassis welding work done by a certified welder which means $$$ per hour.

This is becoming an increasing phenomenon all over the place. I bet you didn't know that you can't install your own garage door now. Someone has decided that it is too "dangerous" for any old joe to work on his OWN garage door. Everything will eventually be litigated away as being too "risky."

I'm waiting for the announcement that we can't pump our own gas, as we might get hurt...

Not meaning to rant, just an observation of our "legal" top heavy society.

[Leslie]

I'm waiting for the announcement that we can't pump our own gas, as we might get hurt...

Isn't that the case in Oregon and New Jersey?


I was in Oregon once, pulled up to a pump.... I never use full-service since it costs so much more, so, I hop out and start to head for the pump... a guy comes running out screaming at me to stop.... said he had to do it, that he'd be in big trouble if I did it myself, that he'd be fined for not stopping me.


Gack.

[sven]

Not sure if I buy that Certified Welder only thing in NY. Ive lived there for 32 years, worked in a shop for 10 and never heard of such a thing.

[xrover]

Yorker....

Do you keep a dustpan in your garage or should you get an industial shopvac for your next birthday

[yorker]

Yep a dustpan... Now I wish I took more pictures of the teardown and rebuilds but when i was doing them I really didn't give much thought to it. That seres III is in the process now- I'll try to take more pics.

Man that frame was a mess, it is amazing it didn't just fold up.

The one from my 1965 was like latticework- all that was left of several portions was the welds at the corners of the box section! The welds remained but the sheet metal was gone completely.