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broken frame

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mikedd
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 8 north alabama
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2010-11-09          175038


i have a 4x6 and the frame is cracked under the floor board. is this typical and what would be the best way to fix it?



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broken frame

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2010-11-10          175049


Anything can be broken with enough stress, it depends on how the Gator was treated in the past. Far as being typical, some I've heard of failing because of a bad rust situation just eaing away till it broke. I've only been around a few 6 X 4's locally and haven't heard of one being broke. a new frame would bust the budget so if the metal is in somewhat good shape a welder likely could put things back together with perhaps a bit of reenforcement added.
Frank. ....


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broken frame

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jspec12
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 33 Commerce Township MI
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2010-11-10          175061


Mine is pretty rusted and looks like it might have broken. The previous owner basiclly sheeted the bottom of the narrowed frame section with 1/4 steel and they also taked on some oval tubing under the floor. It still has alot of flex in the frame so I am thinking of either skinning the side in 1/4 plate which is going to be a fun job or cutting the floor and putting some steel into the channel to stifen it. ....


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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2010-11-11          175070


I've seen older Gators that still look like new and I also have saw one that were rusted up pretty bad. I don't remember seeing one that had rusted to the point of collapse.
I often wondered if the real rusty ones were driven in the winter where salt was used and just never got washed out from under, I don't know.
From your description it seems that the former owner kinda went for an amature type rebuild where way too much iron was welded on that wasn't doing much good other than making the whole thing too heavy to haul it's self around.
If you are familliar with "Torsion Box" type frames. We used lots of them in the furniture business to support a heavy load without adding lots of un needed weight.
If you aren't familliar with a torsion box they are just a web type internal frame wood for our use or steel for your need skinned on both sides with a sheet of plywood for our needs or in your case 18 or 20 guage steel. A torsion box no more than three inches thick can support an imense amount of weight, far more than your Gator will ever require.
I guess my point is that you don't need all the weight of 1/4 in. plate, just a well designed torsion box that would weigh less, look nice, and support more.
Frank. ....


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jspec12
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 33 Commerce Township MI
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2010-11-11          175071


I totally agree it should have just been skined on all sides. The issue is the floor is structural in the center and Is rusted also. My gator was used to push show at 1 time as it still has the plow bracket for a bumper. It doesn't have a ton of hours but the frame is already rusted to hell. I really need to strip the frontend and take a better look. I feel another project coming on. ....


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