I am a new 80 series owner and I spend way too much time reading threads on this forum. I acquired my rig in December, 2023. It has low miles (100k) and is in great shape. It spent a good part of its early life in the Midwest, but does not have a lot of rust on the frame or body, as the PO had underbody rust prevention treatments applied and did not drive it much. However, there is one concerning rust hole in the right side of the lower cross member of the Radiator Support. It's odd, because the rest of the radiator support is in good shape. Pics 1 & 2 show the rust spot. Pic 3 shows the rest of the lower cross member with no rust and clean paint.
I have no skills or equipment for a DIY welding patch. My question is whether:
1) I should try to replace the crossmember (OEM appears to still be available), which, as far as I can tell, would require an lot of work by a body shop to remove the old one and attach the new one.
2) I should replace the entire radiator support with a salvaged radiator support (I've seen some on-line that appear to be in decent shape). It appears the the entire support is bolted on, so I could most likely do this swap on my own. (I'd want to dig deeper for OEM bolts, nuts, and radiator bracket part numbers for this option).
3) I should try to have this spot repaired? I don't know whether its repairable and I don't have a camera scope, so I know how much rust there is on the inside of the rest of the Cross Member;
4) I should ignore it. I am in Colorado, so no salt on the roads here and we have a pretty arid climate. However, I plan on keeping the truck for many years and have already done a number of upgrades with Slee (6 inch lift, lockers, diff re-gear, etc.). I'm planning more upgrades in the future. I don't really like this option.
Any suggestions or advice would be most appreciated.
I have no skills or equipment for a DIY welding patch. My question is whether:
1) I should try to replace the crossmember (OEM appears to still be available), which, as far as I can tell, would require an lot of work by a body shop to remove the old one and attach the new one.
2) I should replace the entire radiator support with a salvaged radiator support (I've seen some on-line that appear to be in decent shape). It appears the the entire support is bolted on, so I could most likely do this swap on my own. (I'd want to dig deeper for OEM bolts, nuts, and radiator bracket part numbers for this option).
3) I should try to have this spot repaired? I don't know whether its repairable and I don't have a camera scope, so I know how much rust there is on the inside of the rest of the Cross Member;
4) I should ignore it. I am in Colorado, so no salt on the roads here and we have a pretty arid climate. However, I plan on keeping the truck for many years and have already done a number of upgrades with Slee (6 inch lift, lockers, diff re-gear, etc.). I'm planning more upgrades in the future. I don't really like this option.
Any suggestions or advice would be most appreciated.