Body flex breaking radiators?

[BRAAP]

Is there enough body/chassis flex to tear apart our radiators?

01 Burb 1500 4wd, 3” level/lift, 250,000 mi, sees mild off-road, couple times experienced enough off-camber articulation to lift a tire.

Original radiator has been leaking for a little while finally diagnosed it, cracked tank driver side, crack started approx 2” below the rad inlet neck and ran 4”+ down. Installed brand new radiator last week, it’s leaking from at least one core tube where it enters the cast part that the tank clamps on to.

I’m hoping my original rad was just brittle from age and let go on its own, and the new rad is just poor quality control from manufacturer, or is chassis flex great enough that I’m tearing radiators apart?
I would expect due to the radiators mounting system it compensates for chassis body flex about the core support and shouldn’t affect the radiator. Bottom sits loosely in 2 rubber nipples, upper mount the rad is slotted and held somewhat loosely in a rubber grommet that lightly squeezes the mount yet should allow some movement in the event the body/chassis flexes?

Input and experience from others that wheel their half ton Burb/Hoe?

 

[Doubeleive]

sounds like you just got a bad a radiator, I have had them both crack on the tank and leak at the seal, I would recommend a oem radiator or make sure it is a good brand name, 1800radiator sells them with a lifetime warranty, there are some cheap junk radiators out there just beware. I beat the crap out of mine they don't crack or leak from any kind of flexing.

 

[drakon543]

250k on the original radiator is probably all that did it in. they weren't made to last forever and yours got more life out of its radiator than some.

 

[BRAAP]

Update....
Picked up another radiator from the same supplier, this one is also no good. Shop I’m using is a very reputable shop I’ve been using for 20 years for various cooling fittings and AC work on various LSx conversions and race car projects, brand of radiator is “Performance Radiator”, shop says they have good luck with them, I am not, twice bit now so ordered factory GM radiator from stealership to be here early next week.

Both these aftermarket radiators are suffering from insufficient squish of the O-ring at the drain petcock which results in leakage past tightly closed petcock with as little as 2psi. And the first rad is also leaking at the tube to flange interface, tubes not sufficiently soldered?.

Any how, these are going back, new GM Rad going in this coming week.