2 Body repair questions

[ArdWrknTrk]

You've read what's been written about their customer service, or lack thereof....

And how much they act on important issues like catalog parts that are mis-numbered.

The other day I linked a video of a guy cleaning the frame of his f-450
Guess what's going to happen when he goes to put that cab on and has the wrong rear cab mounts, because the number is wrong?
They've had this brought to their attention for YEARS, but they can't be bothered to fix it.  

[CDLong]

mat in tn wrote

on the door edges the hard part is accessing the whole area that you need to. I am about to do one also, the chrome rain guard needs to be removed. sometimes it's the cause of the damage. the felt/rubber glass track needs to be removed, and if its a joining area the vent window also. wire brush all rusty spots paying attention to all paint edges and clean until you are creating a clean edge. treat with rust converter. let dry before sanding and skimming with filler. wire brushing smooths over the steel with a "galling" affect where sanding cuts. sanding is needed to give a bit of mechanical bond to the filler. this is the time to order new glass track gaskets also as they likely will not be worth putting back. many are so brittle that they come out one chip at a time like pulling wallpaper. but if you dont get a 360 seal on a rust spot you are inviting it back.
the rear quarter lower edge is much more accessible. that place can be repaired easily with a small sheet of the same gauge sheet and a small wire feed welder. great place to practice. I too am old fashioned as I only repair steel with steel and fiberglass with fiberglass.

Thanks Matt, this is a big help.

[CDLong]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

We usually call that 'burnishing'..

Some oil in the pinch welds at the bottom of the door, and making sure the drains are open goes a long way.

Thanks Jim.

[CDLong]

viven44 wrote

Here’s pretty much the same deal done on a bullnose. Full disclosure In this case the truck needed to be fixed to be sold. It was in really good shape otherwise. Bought for parts but decided to make her a daily driver as she was too good to be scrapped. I tried to sell it with the rust holes but no one was able to see past these rust spots. Told them it would only cost about $150 and some labor to fix but no one believed me. A guy told me he would buy it if I fixed it so I did. I stand by this job, it will last but Welding body panels is definitely the “by the book” approach.


In this case the rust was caused by the “holes” on the bed rail getting filled with debris. For rust from salt there may be other considerations. The most important part was to plug the bed rail "holes" with some harbor freight anchor inserts (you can see them in the pics on the bed rail) after the job was done to prevent more debris from getting in which was done.

I used

- 3 layers of Bondo fiber glass cloth / resin first to form a skin. I didn't want to use "Bondo Fiber Glass" alone to cover up large hole (both inner and outer wells areas)
- cover up holes using the green “Bondo Fiber Glass”
- 60 grit sanding using flap disc to Sand above
- regular bondo just to contour. The most important part is to ensure the regular bondo never sees water ever. So the fiber glass system should completely encapsulate everything with no holes to be covered up with regular Bondo.
- sandable spray primer, sanded smooth to about 800 grit
- color matched rattle can paint, matched by a shop from gas cap. Job was too small to bring out the big guns but it would have been a cheaper overall to use a paint gun with 1 quart paint vs 2 rattle cans at $30 each :)
- just regular 1K clear coat. I normally use 2K clear coat on a larger paint job.

This is excellent, thank you!

[CDLong]

Had some time so I descided to work on the paint, Used a 6 inch palm sander wirh bonnets as I figured the paint was thin and didn't want to use a compound pad. Red dleaned up nice, silver has some shine but I may try the compound pad on it> Washed, used leaf blower, drying towel, 2 passes of compound & wax.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I wish my truck looked that good!  

I'm sure the effort was worth it.

[CDLong]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

I wish my truck looked that good!  

I'm sure the effort was worth it.

Thanks Jim!

[Gary Lewis]

Wow!  That's a huge difference!  Well done!

[CDLong]

Gary Lewis wrote

Wow!  That's a huge difference!  Well done!

Thanks Gary!

[Powerman5K]

If you are going the panel route, see this thread I posted this summer when I was doing body work. https://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/Body-Panels-tp134284.html

Long story short, I bought 2 arch panels (1 from LMC and 1 from Tabco). They both were identical and were stamped from Tabco. LMC sold them cheaper that Tabco direct.

[ArdWrknTrk]

The problem with wheel arches is that the inner metal support closes off the whole area.
Mud and salt sit in the rolled edge where the outer body attaches.
While the arch is open take a hole saw big enough for a hose to fit so you can flush it out and drill a couple of holes up into the void.
Periodically spray some oil in there to wick into the seam (and keep water out)

[viven44]

Good idea on the oil. Best inhibitor for corrosion. Have you seen south main auto's videos where "undercoating" just peels off. A bad undercoating traps moisture and is a perfect breeding ground for corrosion. Corrosion prevention (galvanic or electrolytic) in electronics was/is a big part of my job, some of the principles applied at the micro level I think can be applied at a macro level.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I see it myself every day.
I used to watch Eric until he became just an obnoxious babbling know it all.

I have to say he is a very good mechanic and diagnostician, but I don't have the patience for him dragging it out to hit that 30 minute or hour long watch time.

He already makes enough from his videos, swag and patreons

[mat in tn]

I like eric and have learned tips from watching but its seasonal for me. when I can be working, I am working. I plan to be that way till the end if I can. I am often trying to seal off these wheel arch seams. I have one needing arches now. it is possibly the most common rust repair on these trucks. I know about fluid film and oil. but it is really interesting just how much dirt and grit gets in there. I'm in the habit of flushing that area well with the hose when I wash the truck and watching the dirt come out, yet the grit just chews against the surface with flex and vibration of use.

[viven44]

I saw Gary's page on Youtube Channels and Podcasts
https://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/Auto-Repair-Restoration-YouTube-Channels-and-Podcasts-tp125683.html

I had noticed that Ol' Scotty was left out, not fans of Scotty I presume

[viven44]

Does dirt get in there via the bed rail "hole" above the wheel arch ? I always seal those off with an anchor from Harbor Freight and haven't had problems in the truck i've owned, except the one I inherited with rust that I had to fix.

[ArdWrknTrk]

My truck has the stake holes covered by my lumber rack.
It's just a mist of crap off the road

Like I said, I cut a few big holes so it can flush out.

[viven44]

Adding drain holes is a must, I agree. Have you noticed the drain holes under the cab corners ? Those have a rubber plug... I get rid of those things. I don't see why those are plugged from the factory.

Edit: I can see the value of those plugs for serious offroad rigs, but all else I don't

[ArdWrknTrk]

I drilled drains at the door pinch welds...

Gary could see them because of the blue kiddie pool underneath

[mat in tn]

strategic drains are well worth doing. an example for this can easily be the rear shock mounts. these are mounted inside the frame channels pointing up at a 45-degree angle and are cupped. they are like catchers' mitts for dirt, road salt and water. they are riveted in tight and don't drain well if at all. this creates the perfect storm for rust jacking and even a perforated frame. when replacing these I grind a drain slot at the low point then re paint the whole part before install. if I'm saving a frame that does not need new mounts, I drill a hole in the frame at basically the same spot. 3/8" seems to be big enough to be able to fully paint/seal and stay clear and that's big enough to be able to flush it out with a hose occasionally.  this same theory can help many areas on the body and frame. key point is to avoid holding water. i have seen many with rubber floor liners just hose out their cabs to clean them oblivious to all of the place's water gets and gets trapped. rust happens! odors happen!  mold happens! and even insects.