Posted by Clint Dixon on Thursday, October 19, 2006 at 12:54PM :
In Reply to: Fishplating frames... posted by Jonas on Wednesday, October 18, 2006 at 3:43PM :
I know this does not answer your question, but drilling and welding on frame rails was not completely out of the question in the eyes of Dodge. The Good Roads "Dodge Special" snowplows, models DS-101, DS-701, and DS-501, were factory approved equipment for the Dodge Power-Wagon starting in 1947. They were available factory installed through the SEG and were detailed in the Dodge Special Equipment Catalog as well as being shown and advertised prominently in the Power-Wagon sales literature of the same time period.
The attaching subframe for the plow mounts, for these Good Roads plows (manufactured by Good Roads Machinery Corp, Minerva, Ohio) required that one mounting hole be drilled in the web of each frame rail above the front axle housing. Also, a 3/4 inch thick "shock plate" was welded directly to the same frame rail web in order to distribute the load of the plow directly to the frame instead of causing a shearing force on the mounting bolts.
Another Dodge factory approved accessory that required drilling of the frame rail web was the Batavia Pole Derrick. This required two holes to be drilled in the passenger side frame rail web near the axle housing for location of the fender support bracket. This bracket supported the pad eye require for the "third leg" of the derrick. These also were available installed by the SEG, detailed in the Special Equipment Catalog, and shown in the period sales literature.
I am sure there were more examples of factory approved frame drilling and/or welding.
Junior
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