Frame damage help please!

Like others have stated, this has nothing to do with frame rot or "crappy frames".... this was 100% caused by the airbags by a combination of improper install (removing bumpstop brackets) and overloading. Good job OP.

Dealer and insurance is out of the question at this point.

 

To be fair the design might not be to continuously load the bump stop - but I agree with you anyway. Clearly people run bags on these trucks a lot without cracking the frame.

Agree. Took me a bit to understand the crack. Viewed from the side it is confusing because the crack is widest at the bottom. One photo is from below the frame and there you can clearly show the bottom horizontal member of the frame is crushed and the fracture started there. The crack on vertical member propagated from there and I think the vertical member is bowing which is why the crack is big at the bottom.

Fingers crossed for you! Box your frame maybe?

 

I think now from above you know what caused it. Try first the place that installed the bags. Then your other option would be welding it pretty well and reinforce it from the inner side then put that bracket back.
Sorry that this happened to you but look at the bright side that you caught it. And a lesson to learn from; the factory won't put any part that is not necessary.

 

Welllllllllllll. That low hanging crossover exhaust is pretty lame.

 

Lol well try to rerout it your way and hopefully your truck won't catch fire.

 

I'm too lazy low hanging exhaust for me

 

Geezzzz few beer and a welder and we could of had this fixed by now ....

 

Hahahaha. So true. Weld that up and be done with it.

 

Weld it and put a plate over it or at least on the back


Hours worth of work maybe

 

Qp might have a shot at insurance if a shop did the install and did it wrong. I admit I know nothing about bags. Do some brands keep the bracket and some call for its' removal? If the bags manufacturers' instructions say to keep the bracket and the shop decided they knew better then maybe... Just hoping for an out for the op if it wasn't his fault.

 

It's just steel. It can be welded and plated to be stronger than before. I would have that done in my garage in an hour and would drive with zero worries.

 

LOL at the you guys suggesting that the air bag manufacturer is at fault. Their product obviously held up well to whatever (too) heavy load the OP put in the bed of the truck. The frame gave out before the bag failed. Shoot... I'd call that an endorsement for their product.

It's a mid size truck.... if you're putting air bags on it to haul heavier loads, you bought the wrong truck. The rated load capacity is there for a reason. Bags are a band-aid.

 

I don't think anyone was blaming the air bag manufacturer. They were questioning the installer who removed the OEM bracket that reinforces this area and likely would have prevented the fractures that appeared.

 

Any update

 

Ride rites? Judging by the mounting bracket, that model doesn't look like the correct one for your truck. Good luck!