Is it OK to weld Tie Downs to Frame

[Mike3]

Due to the after market bed and air bags on my truck Torklift does not have Tie down tubes to fit my truck. I found someone who can fabricate them and then weld them to the frame. Is this safe to do?

I've read where some people say it can weaken the integrity of the frame rails and others saying they have done it many times. Also, it sounds like shorting out the electronics could be an issue.

If anyone has experience with this I could use some help.

Thanks

[billyg]

Hi We had custom made tiedowns made for my truck. Using the orignal factory holes in the frame. We made a U shaped flat bottom metal cup that could be bolted through the frame. The arms are welded to the cup. In the back a plate and arm was made to bolt up to my factory trailor hitch. You sometimes need to be creative. Bill

[Ski_Pro_3]

I sure would not weld to the frame or drill holes in the frame for that manner. But, of the two, drilling is better as long as you use a hole sized for the fastener. In fact, drilling and tapping the hole for the bolt would be the best way to do this. By filling the hole with the bolt, most of the strength is restored from the drilling.

Many new trucks use a hydro formed frame. It's a hollow tube, formed with pressurized water, not an I-beam or U-channel. Drilling and through-bolting is bad too; big risk of over tightening and crushing/collapsing the frame member.

[JSSEC]

I have cut and welded many truck frame rails to lengthen or shorten wheel base from 1 ton trucks to semi triple frame rails. Personally I would not weld any thing to frame rails but drill and bolt to side of frame only don't drill additional holes in top or bottom flange.

If you do decide to weld to frame rail read this first from
Ford Truck Body Builder Advisory .

F250-550 Instrument Cluster failures have been report
ed following plasma cutting or electric welding
operations. The F250-550 Instrument Cluster circuitry has proven to be more sensitive to induced voltage. This includes service
trucks intended as mobile arc welding platforms.
Recommendations:
Perform the following operations prior to any
plasma cutting/welding operations on new vehicles.
Following completion of the plasma cutting/electric welding operations, reconnect all disconnected
units in reverse order.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position
and remove the key from the ignition switch.
2. Disconnect all battery cables from all batteries.
3. Disconnect all three connectors from
the Powertrain Control Module.
4. Disconnect the ABS Module connector.
5. Disconnect the fuel tank connector or connecto
rs (dual tanks) from the fuel sender on the
fuel tank.
6. Disconnect both Instrument
Cluster connectors.
Do not download information from the Instrument Cluster for welding protection disconnection only.

[bikerdib]

I'm not sure about your truck but there has been a movement from the heavy weight steel C-channel frames of the past to lighter weight steel box section frames on newer trucks. The light weight steel wouldn't be the best place to weld a tie down IMO unless a backplate is first welded to the frame section. (I've done more steel fabrication than I can remember over the last 40 years or so). Any fabricator worth dealing with should easily be able to fab up a bolt on tiedown.

[bedrocker]

Boogie has it right on
disconnect the battery's first
before welding 🙂

[boogie_4wheel]

If 'they' can fabricate and weld to the frame, then they can fabricate and bolt to the frame. Welding to the frame is faster than drilling holes and bolting; that is why they want to do it. And welding to the frame means they are there forever until you or the next owner cuts them off, and what it you damage one...

As for the electronics, I've welded on a few different vehicles (frame/body/stuff bolted to the frame, trailer hitched to the truck). Make sure you have a good clean ground for the welder on or near what you are welding on, and I've always pulled a battery cable on the vehicle.

[NRALIFR]

The great and powerful OZ predicts that you will get the following answers to your question:

"some people say it can weaken the integrity of the frame rails and others saying they have done it many times. Also, it sounds like shorting out the electronics could be an issue." :W

On a previous truck of mine (three trucks back), I had a fabricated tie-down fixture for the front tie-downs welded to the frame. No problems with the frame of that truck. I eventually had it removed and transferred to the truck that replaced it, but had it modified so it could be bolted to the frame (drilled holes in the frame). No problems with that truck's frame either........from the tie-down fixture that is. I also put air-bags on that truck, the kind that you had to drill holes for, and those holes developed cracks around them.

So of the two options, drilling or welding (assuming using existing holes is not an option) I'd choose welding.

:):)

[travelnutz]

There isn't a canned blamket answer to your question. It depends on if any welding is done in a stress area or in an area not subject to high stresses. Also on how the welding is done and as some welders will burn literally thru and/or leave thinned areas or even a large area while others will lay layered beads of weld and allow to cool down between layers. Some welders welds look like bird droppings and others have fine fillet beads of structural welds.

Is there a reason a tie down made to fit bracket that can't be bolted to holes drilled thru the frame in a non-stressed area or by using some holes already in the frame? I don't have a problem welding to the frame as I know where the non-stressed areas are and I know how to weld correctly to a frame. All welding could be done on the brackets and then securely bolted to the frame.

[jimh406]

I wouldn't weld to the frame. Bolting to the frame is ok, and since it is fairly easy as well that would be my first option. Worse case add a backing plate on the other side of the frame and weld a plate to the receiver.

[kerry4951]

I had the rear torklift tie downs that slipped into the factory hitch. After I upgraded to a Reese Titan hitch I used the same tie downs, but had them shortened and a steel plate welded on the end. I then bolted them to the side of the Titan hitch. Maybe you can use your rear hitch as a mounting point and not the frame. Now you just have to come up with something for the fronts.