Hello all,

I picked up another Tracker in the Fall (2004 Chevy Tracker 4x4 No ABS) that I've been turning into an off road / overland build. I've had Trackers / Vitaras in my life for the last 15 years and am no stranger to these capable yet underrated beasts. Latest modification was putting an aftermarket Jeep JK / YK bumper on it. I made some brackets out of C Channel and notched one side so it would slide right into the Frame Rails. If anyone needs a tutorial I have a video Im willing to share.

Heres what it looked like (taken last Sunday) before my accident.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14WcJv7lNOdy4qStM3UpRp10YxTkNoALd/view?usp=sharing

Long story short I had someone spin out in front of me last week and I had to make a hard choice... Either continue going straight and hit them on their driver side door (probably killing them or doing quite a bit of damage with that steel bumper) or swerving into the wall. Obviously I chose the later and hit the wall going about 40 ish kms and impact was at about a 30ish degree angle.

Assessing the damage I can tell that the frame itself is still good (Measured it out) and the Frame Rails took all the damage just as they were designed to do. I have a couple parts trucks and plan to cut out the frame rails from one of them and do some surgery to mine. Yes i understand its easier to just keep this truck as a parts truck and to find a new tracker but I live in Canada, and the Rust here just kills everything. I just had to pull my winter beater off the road in the fall because the frame was started to cave in where the fuel / brake lines were. I was able to find this Tracker with next to ZERO rust which is the reason why I would like to try and save this one. I know I can rebuild another one to this exact specification, but finding a clean frame is the problem, and bringing one up from the states is not an option financially at the moment.

Damage


Video of Frame Rail Damage
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14M7sdLg55JiVVbZsaW2-d2tMtCYunWla/view?usp=sharing

Now like I said I plan to cut the Frame Rails from both trucks and weld the good ones to the damaged truck just like a body shop would do if it were going in for an insurance job.
https://gm.vpartsinc.com/p/chevrolet__Tracker/Frame-Rail-End-Front-rail-Rail-EXTENSION-Frame-Rail-End-Included-with-Frame-asssembly/48633014/91174819.html

Picture of Frame Rails


I have been welding for a few years and am pretty confident of my welding abilities. What I'm worried about is 2 things:

1) Is the Tracker frame Mild steel or HSSS?
2) Will my 110 Mig welder do the trick or will I need to do this at the shop with my 220 welder. I have had a really few old school guys tell me that flux core would be let more heat go into the steel and provide better penetration verses using gas. I have both types of wire and gas so it doesn't bug me.

Just wondering if theres anyone on here who has had to do a similar repair, or the exact same repair. I know there has to be someone here that works in auto collision and has done these types of repairs.

Thanks in advance for all the input and comments. Just looking to get this rig back on the road but obviously not tomorrow. I will probably wait until the summer when its a lot warmer out to do the repair and yes I plan on preheating the steel with a torch.