boat taco

My son bought a Alumacraft 1648 Jon boat this summer. We were taking the floor out and found the ribs have cracked.
the previous owner had tried to repair it by welding 1/8 flats on the side of the ribs but they have also cracked.
I was thinking about fitting 90 degree angle aluminum 1/4. that would be raped a round each rib and stitch weld it.
Now I’m thinking that might not stop the flexing.
looking for someone that knows more about aluminum I think it’going to crack again.

thanks for any in put

Dan

Can you post some pics?

this is there fix

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It doesn’t show up but the added aluminum strip they added has a crack in the same spot the rib is craked

I’m not a great aluminum mind but I would think your idea of adding angle iron and then tieing it all together with the floor would work.

Any idea why it flexed that much in the first place?

Has this hull been modified in any way? (seats added/removed)

Many folks have removed center seats from flat bottom boats in order to achieve an open floor plan. The risk in doing so, is once the seat has been removed, the hull is not as structurally sound and the ribs are usually the weak point.

You are probably right about the very real possibility of continued cracking.

Did some looking online and found this is common with this wide and age(1988)of boat. nothing has been modified on the boat.

Looks like they used the crap 6061/6063 flatstock from Menards, HD, etc. If it were me I may try and find some structural aluminum like 7075. If you can find some 3/16 C-channel that would fit over the rib and fully span side to side. Cutting a slight taper on each end to get it to more closely seat to the bottom then stitch weld every 6-9 inches.

Agree with munchy on higher grade channel over the top.

that is what I was try to do with the angle iron. Having angle iron on both sides and a gap in the middle and weld all three pieces down the middle and down on the floor

Talking to my other son ( he is a very knowledgeable auto body man) he said aluminum does not give like like steel will. He thinks my fix will crack again.
I didn’t ask him about the channel.
How would 1/4x1x1 steel riveted to the rib every 4″ all the way across the bottom of the boat. he was thinking I need it to stop flexing.

FW is Mexican so I’ve had a few. ..

Deuces wrote:

FW is Mexican so I’ve had a few. ..

I see what you did there.

Mmmm musky cheek tacos on the boat, what could be better?