Frame service is minimized or eliminated by minimizing
the concentration of stress in small areas of the frame.
Use the vehicles only for the purposes for which they were designed.
| • | Do not overload the vehicle. |
| • | Load the vehicle evenly. Avoid localized loads. |
| • | Do not operate the vehicle on extremely rough terrain. |
| • | Take into account the forces that you place on the frame from
the operation of equipment (such as snow plows) when you pick a frame for
a new vehicle or when reinforcing a frame. |
Follow the recommended practices when you repair a frame or mount a
body or equipment on a frame.
| • | Avoid sudden changes in the section modulus. |
| • | Do not drill holes in the frame rail flanges. |
| • | Space holes in the web sections of a rail at least 13 mm
(1/2 in) from one another. |
| • | Use existing holes whenever possible. |
| • | Do not cut holes with a torch. |
| • | Do not overheat the frame rails. |
| • | Avoid welding on the flanges. |
| • | Do not allow four or more holes to exist on the same vertical
line of the web. |
