Frame Horn- To heat or not to heat?

[IRQVET]

I have a 1967 CJ5 with a driver side frame horn that is bent and twisted. This is my first Jeep but my cousins are Jeep people, and my next door neighbor is a welder assigned to repair commercial vehicles.

My cousin said he can fix it with tie downs with pressure. (I'm sure there is more to it) He said the process would take about 3 weeks.

My neighbor said he can heat it up, do some cutting and welding, and get it back to specs.

So my question is, which option do I go with?

To heat or not to heat?

Its not my daily driver so I'm in no rush to get it back, but I wonder if my cousin has the skills to do this.

 

[GARGOYLEJEEPER]

Most frame shops will do it without heat, and that is what I would try first.

 

[Torxhead]

A frame shop sounds like a good idea, I have had mine on a frame rack and they put things where they belong. Heat can fatigue the metal also.

 

[tarry99]

I have a 1967 CJ5 with a driver side frame horn that is bent and twisted. This is my first Jeep but my cousins are Jeep people, and my next door neighbor is a welder assigned to repair commercial vehicles.

My cousin said he can fix it with tie downs with pressure. (I'm sure there is more to it) He said the process would take about 3 weeks.

My neighbor said he can heat it up, do some cutting and welding, and get it back to specs.

So my question is, which option do I go with?

To heat or not to heat?

Its not my daily driver so I'm in no rush to get it back, but I wonder if my cousin has the skills to do this.

Looked at your pictures three times, still can't get a good view of the effected area? Some better pictures of that area would be great.

Normally frame people will try to use the opposite motion that created the impact to straighten a frame...........cold is OK but heat is normally also used to stretch the metal back in shape and will not effect the metal do to the fact it was never heat treated in the first place.........
Many front horns on Jeeps have been cut off and either replaced or fixed and then welded back on with additional gussets.........but I would really like to see some better pictures before I would comment further.

Here is a few photo's of repairs.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

I've used a 'rose-bud' to heat steel frames many times and never had an issue.
Same for welding.
Just got to know what your do'n is all.
LG

 

[IRQVET]

Went with heat, welded c-channel to the frame for leverage when bending it back to normal, and then reinforced the frame. Came out great.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Guess it took longer than 3 weeks then.
LG

 

[JeffP]

Jeep frames aren’t heat treated so heating / welding “properly” won’t hurt anything. I’ve done it many times with zero problems.
With the constant flexing & twisting they endure, hardened steel would develop stress fractures much faster. Be happy with the way they are!

 

[IRQVET]

Guess it took longer than 3 weeks then.
LG

Not really, I'm just late updating this thread by a few years, rofl.

 

[shum8]

Guess it took longer than 3 weeks then.
LG

Well, he DID say "Its not my daily driver so I'm in no rush to get it back..."

He don't lie, do he??? LOL

Glad he got her fixed...