[Yukon Cornelius]

Does anyone have any pictures and/or write ups on what they did to repair cracks in the frame where the steering box bolts in on a 78-79? I've seen several discussions about it, but not a ton of pictures. The drivetrain is coming out of my truck soon so I thought that would be a good time to go ahead and address the cracking.

I just ordered some custom frame plates to reinforce the steering box and the shock tower that the track bar bolts to. It is 1/4 plate steel and has all of the holes laser cut into the plate.All the corners are radiused so there are no 90 degree edges and it has clearance holes for the two rivets going through the frame with enough room that you could drill them out and replace them if needed in the future. There was not much difference in price for them to cut one plate or multiple plates so I ordered extras and I am hoping to sell a few to offset the cost of mine. I will post pictures of the plates when I pick them up next week if you are interested.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Yeah that sounds great! I'd like to see some pictures. I may be interested in one of them for sure. You are talking about one that will fit a 78-79, correct?

Yes it is for a 78/79 Bronco. Here is basically what it will look like. The two holes towards the back are for the shock tower/track bar mount, the three smaller holes are for the steering box, and the two large holes are for clearance for the frame rivets. I rounded the front of the plate so there would not be a vertical weld, but there was nothing I could do on the back because the coil bucket sits right next to it. I rounded all of the corners to avoid square points, hopefully that will help.

They are supposed to be ready Wednesday or Thursday of next week, so I will take a few pictures of the plate itself, and how it will sit on the frame.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Yours looks a little worse than mine. Here is what i am dealing with. It is kind of hard to see in this picture, but there are also a few crack where the shock tower goes which is why I extended it to reinforce that as well.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Here are a few pictures of the plate I had made. I have several that I will sell for $60 plus shipping. 1/4" Plate steel that is laser cut. If you are interested let me know.

I know it looks like the holes don't line up, but what you are seeing through the holes is the backing plate that has the nuts welded to it and is a little bit loose. If you look at the frame pick without the plate on it you will see those as well. Also it is just sitting on there and isn't completely straight. If you have any questions, please let me know.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Hey, was there ever any luck in having the plates made, I know it's been a few years but if they weren't you wouldn't happen to have the dimessions or ability to crank out some more at all? Would really save my rear. Thanks in advance!

Sorry for the late response, I haven't signed in for a while. Yes I still have a few of the plates if you are interested. I have actually been selling them on Facebook for $100, but since I put $60 on this thread I will sell it to you for $60 plus shipping (about $20). Let me know if you are interested.