Cab corner tips

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Biggershaft96

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Looking for any tips on cutting out and welding in a new cab corner. Dont really know any body guys to get advise from, but i do know how to cut and weld so i figured whats the worst that can happen, looks like crap as it is lol. What wire size do you guys use? Is .035 wire to thick? What is the sealer for? Should i use dura glass or evercoat? Hopefully itll just need a skim coat to clean up the weld. This is what im workin with.
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Also do you guys think that bedside could be straightend out enough to skim coat over and make look decent? Or is it a lost cause? Majically the door barely got a tiny crease at the botom and i can still straighten out the rocker
 

michael hurd

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I can give you a few tips:

For best results remove the box. Yes, it's a pain if you have stubborn fasteners, but the job will go much nicer, and the results better than trying to work without taking the box off.

0.035 wire is too thick, and requires more amperage, causing excessive blow through and warpage.

0.023" wire is what you want, ER70S-6, along with a shielding gas mix.

Cut the new cab corner below the crimped body line, you never want to go that high up. Also, the replacement part does not match the profile correctly in the body line.

Sealer will help keep water intrusion into the seams at bay, and aids in reducing noise. Brands of body filler and sealer matter less than the type of product.

Urethane sealer is a much nicer product than the 'rubber based' sealer. It skims fast, through cure faster, sandable, and spreads better.

Body filler: for the first coats I like to use a body filler with milled fiberglass / short strands, it is stronger and less moisture sensitive than regular body filler. After that, you can use a regular filler over top, it spreads nicer, sands better. ( have to really pay attention to the glass filled filler, when it gets hard... you are grinding if it is ugly )

Use a 'surform' file to shape the filler once it gets hard enough before sanding. You want to remove excess, but not too much before sanding.

Sanding filler: Start with P40 grit on a block, then progress to P80 when the profile is good, then P180 before priming. If you have to add more filler, repeat at least P80 if it is spread nice and you only had to fix up a small depression. Again, P180 before primer.

Feathering the paint edge: P180 grit on orbital, held flat. When the sanding disc seems to be getting dull, change it immediately. You will do yourself no favors to use dull sandpaper. Switch to P400 for 'back sanding' the feather edge, and go from the area where there is still paint down to the bare metal.

Yes, the box side can be straightened out to look like new, slight skim coat of filler needed.
 
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michael hurd

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To cut the sheetmetal, I use a Walther Zip-cut 5" disc on a grinder. Very thin, quick cutting with no warpage. Thicker discs will cut slower and heat the metal more than you want.

Leave yourself some overlap, and keep trimming the replacement panel to obtain the best fit.

Get yourself a few good drill bits in 1/4" size at least. Drill through the spot welds at least through the top panel. You can purchase specialized spot weld cutters, but a regular HSS / TI coated, or Cobalt bit works well.
 

michael hurd

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Also, it is advisable to remove the rear seat and the rear trim panel on that side. The outer cab corner is sealed to the floor extension of the cab with a very, very flammable soft foam. It can ignite at a moment's notice. An acquaintance of mine melted his interior plastic on one side and filled the inside of his truck with black smoke, too stubborn to heed my advice.
 

Biggershaft96

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Yea i need to do that anyway to change the rear speakers. Bed is definatly coming off so i can blast and coat the frame and such. I have experience with bondo from being a paint prep ***** at a body shop so i got that down but it was on gel-coat over fiberglass. Im assuming metal is a totally different animal though. Is this foam isnside the cab corner removable? Or is it like the insulation stuff they put in the 99 and up body style?
 

michael hurd

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Sounds like you have a handle on the filler portion. The foam is applied with a two component mixing nozzle. It is not removable other than with mechanical abrasion, and sets in seconds. I know Fusor ( LORD Corporation ) makes a product that is similar to what is used from the factory.
 

Biggershaft96

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Sounds like you have a handle on the filler portion. The foam is applied with a two component mixing nozzle. It is not removable other than with mechanical abrasion, and sets in seconds. I know Fusor ( LORD Corporation ) makes a product that is similar to what is used from the factory.
You think a Dremel with a flap wheel or a spot blaster would get it out enough to weld the new corner on? I have a handle on the paint prep and i have another thread of painting tips ill refer to so ive got that covered as well as it can be.
 

Biggershaft96

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Got this today so hopefully well have some good weather this week.
 

michael hurd

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You think a Dremel with a flap wheel or a spot blaster would get it out enough to weld the new corner on? I have a handle on the paint prep and i have another thread of painting tips ill refer to so ive got that covered as well as it can be.

I would try to keep it intact, it keeps sound and dust from entering the cab. There are a few openings between the rear vertical cab corner support and the outer skin at the bottom to facilitate a drain. Without a seal above, sound and dust will enter.

Dremel is a toy, and a spot blaster will not do much. 3M scotchbrite wheel on a drill will be more effective.

When welding, do not weld continuously, you will warp it. ~ 1/4" long stitch, 1/2 to 1 second cool down, pull trigger and 1/4" long weld, cool, repeat. Keep the weld small. Practice on pieces you cut off the old and new parts before you weld on the cab.

When grinding the weld down, a sharp 36 grit resin disc will keep the warpage to a minimum.
 
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