Front passenger side frame rail crack

[cornchip]

This must be a typical thing for GMT360's. Anybody else ever notice? The only web search came back from a Trailvoy post, but the guy never uploaded a picture. My take on this is that it is nothing too major. I can't see any frame rot other than surface rust at the crack. Should be an easy fix. The drivers side shows no sign of this cracking.

 

[Mooseman]

Not usually in that spot. Have seen posts where the area around the rear suspension arm brackets rust through. However, yours should be relatively easy to have welded.

I'm thinking you accumulated mud or crap on the inside that retained water which made it rust from the inside.

 

[coolride]

I have rust through in the same location, but it's not so severe. I think maybe the heat from the exhaust accelerates the corrosion.

 

[Sparky]

You sure it is a crack? I had a spot that looked kinda like that but after closer inspection (and prodding woth a big screwdriver) I found it was just a highly expanded outer rusty layer that when knocked loose revealed nothing worrying at all.

Do check the frame behind the passenger front tire - that's where mine was rotting out horribly (behind the cat).

 

[cornchip]

Definitely a stress crack. The steel is clean and jagged down it's entire length. The frame is very solid as well....not swollen. My guess is this is a tubing seam and becomes a weak point when the frame was hydro formed. Also, this one spot carries the entire load from the front end to the front body mount. It would have the most leverage applied to it through it's cross section. That's just my opinion. Also as Sparky has said, you can't speak to the rust that might exist on the inside where you can't see it. Plenty of ways for water to get in. I should take a hand drill and find the lowest spot on the frame to see if I'm filling with water as a precaution.