55 ford wagon frame

[Daves55Sedan]

Anybody with a '55 or 56 Ford wagon or Courier, please take a couple photos of the frame crossmember that has the brackets that hold up the front of the gas tank.
Not interested in the brackets, just the top plane of the crossmember, to see if it is perfectly flat or whatever, so the photo should be taken as high as possible.
My crossmember is busted right in the middle and sagging down under the weight of the gas tank with who knows how many gallons of gas in it.

 

[56sedandelivery]

This help?

 

[mercman from oz]

Frame Cross Member 55-56 Ford Wagon - Photo by 56sedandelivery

 

[KULTULZ]

Here is a MPC ILL of a 1955/56 BOX FRAME. The SW/SD differs only slightly but it may help (if you can blow it up) -

 

[Daves55Sedan]

I see, the top of the member glides up toward the frame side rails, while the bottom flanges are basically flat except for the bump up in the middle for the third member.
Thanx much guys.

 

[Daves55Sedan]

I temporarily bent the crossmember back up to it's original position, but it is pretty mangled. I was able to get the gas tank brackets to line up with the holes in the crossmember flange and get the brackets bolted in. The crossmember bottom flanges are torn right in half, so there is really no strength to the member at all.
I temporarily removed the rear shocks.
The crossmember was a good solid unit, zero rust, but I had heavy duty rear leaf springs on the wagon and they had no give, so if ever a bump was encountered on the road, the frame itself would twist, tearing up that crossmember.
Be real careful with leaf spring replacements on these wagons. Eventually, the body will need to be removed from the frame so that crossmember can be taken out, hammered straight and welded.
I am looking for a set of used 55/56 Ford wagon springs I can sandblast and re-arch and install on the wagon.

 

[KULTULZ]

Are the rear suspension axle bumpers in good shape (5783 in ILL)? They should prevent that as the shocks will collapse on their internal stops and carry the shock to the cross-member.

There was a SERVICE REPLACEMENT for the cross-member -

 

[Daves55Sedan]

The rear leaf springs were arched enough such that the rear axle never came anywhere near those bumpers mounted under the frame rails. Not to mention the leaf thickness on these is deeper than the OEM springs.
The wagon appears to sit straight from front to rear, even though the wagon has those heavy duty springs in front only carrying the load of a little 223 I-block 6, so the rear leafs are arched way more than the OEM springs.
The wagon with factory rear springs would have appeared to be tilted downward toward the rear.
I probably busted that crossmember years ago carrying a heavy load of firewood, but never noticed it. I have also busted the tabs off those front gas tank brackets a couple times, took them off and welded them.
These springs are so heavy that the wagon frame would rather give than one of these springs budge. Huge mistake on my part, but at the time, I thought I was doing a good thing getting these heavy duty springs.

 

[KULTULZ]

These springs are so heavy that the wagon frame would rather give than one of these springs budge. Huge mistake on my part, but at the time, I thought I was doing a good thing getting these heavy duty springs.

... uh ...

We weren't running moon at some point were we ... ?