How about double frames where needed?

On my 30,200 lb GVW Water Tender it has a double frame on it because it was so long once. I shortend it 10 ft but kept the double frame and it is very strong. Any one just bolt on Fish Plates or L-Shaped sections to the frames to beef it up and not cause a problem with welding? You could still flex but the frame would be a lot stronger being doubled up? I can have steel custom formed/bent to fit the same curve at the steel place I buy from. Using frame bolts with locking nuts should stop the coming loose problem I would think. Mark

 

Another point; On my 48 Power Wagon and 53 M37 it had some springs on the body mounting points so the body could pull away from the bed some what if it flexed alot. The Power Wagon used a bolt with small holes in it for keys so you could adjust the tention on the springs. The springs are like valve springs. The water tank on my tender I used large springs for flex off road on the fires. Even with a short bed, double frame the springs would compress 1.5 inches when the frame flexed. I could see where the paint rubed off the bolts. I used 3/4 inch grade #8 bolts to hold it on the bed and a hinge point at the rear where now flex happens due to the rigid axle mounts and extra steel in the frame there. Mark

 

I plan to do some mid off road fun with mine but no rock crawing. Like to keep the frame un/molested but was thinking of beefing up the bumper attachment points for more strenght. They look like they may give you some problems if you had to be pulled out of a bad spot or a winch shifting the frame. The winch/bumper on my M37 is held on with 58 -1/2 inch bolts and 6 frame gussets (6-bolts per gusset)to keep it from shifting. That is the stock set up the military did. So I was thinking of bolting a little bit more strength to the front end bumper. Mark

 

This picture shows what I mean with the gussets on the bumper. Any one point of hooking to the shackles could lift the truck off the ground and not damage the frame. Mark
http://photos.imageevent.com/willy/m37may2005/websize/M37 F.JPG

 

To be truthfully honest, I kinda believe at about 2500-2700 lbs that much more than stock is a case of overkill. My front bumper is held on with (6) 1/2" grade 8 bolts, that would pick your M-37 off the ground and I would be very comfortable working under it hanging from the air. That said, I work on stuff daily at work that weighs 10,000 lbs and is lifted with a single 3/4" eye bolt, we also have several of our molds that are lifted 15 feet in the air that weigh 40,000 lbs per half and the 2 halfs are held together with (4) 3/4" bolts. if you put to much gusseting on it only moves the weak point to somewhere different. At Tellico there have been several of the stock vehicles pulled with a winch that were nothing but stock and it didn't look like it twisted ot torquedthe frame or bumper. If mild offroading is what your aiming at I really wouldn't mess with gussetting to much, unless it is already cracked or twisted somewhere.

 

That makes sense to me. I know in the heavy iron range the military PTO LU4 Winch can pull a true 14,000+ lb pull w/snatch block on the cable which is a lot of pull on a frame to get it to lift up and out of a hole. Your anchor points better be good when you double hook. Rolling one is one thing but the first pull causing the truck to lift up with out forward movement is the hardest on the rigs. I braced my truck against a trailer once to pull my tractor free and it folded the frame on the trailer. I am looking forward to driving a lighter rig off road now for those reasons. Mark