pictures of duallie beds??

[towcat]

Originally Posted by zebrabeefj40

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Way back in post #8 I said I've done what the OP wants to do. Cut about 4" outside of the flares on a dually bed. Cut both the inside skin and the outside skin and along the floor next to the inner skin. Bring those pieces home from where ever you cut them and lay them on the floor with the outer skin up. Drill all the spotwelds the mate the bracing to the inner skin. I cut the outer skin just outside where the flare hits. This is the piece you need to splice into the SRW bed to mount the OE dually flares.

I trimmed the SRW bed outer skin roughly the same place with the idea being you end up with the weld line under the edge of the flare. I'm not the best butt welding sheetmetal together so it's a little wavy but not enough that a skim of filler won't fix it. Plug weld the previously drilled spot welds on the bracing to connect the inner skin to the outer skin. Then metal finish to whatever quality you need it to be.

I'm not having much luck posting pics so 94f450sd if you wanna see what I did you'll have to PM me your email addy so I can send pics.

Nick

THANK YOU!!!!and when its done you can barely notice what was done.

f450sprdty aol

Originally Posted by 94f450sd

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for them to do any bracing they must be welded to the same lip you cut off for the conversion fenders.so again we're back to nothing supporting the side of the bed and more to end up rotting out.

hey rich-
what do you think happens to the welded area of the metal on the inside of the bed where it is butt-welded together? corrosion is accelerated where the welding work was done unless the area is sealed with wax or a paraffin-like substance equivalent to what you find in older MBZ's.

 

[zebrabeefj40]

hey rich-
what do you think happens to the welded area of the metal on the inside of the bed where it is butt-welded together? corrosion is accelerated where the welding work was done unless the area is sealed with wax or a paraffin-like substance equivalent to what you find in older MBZ's.

Since there is room to get the fasteners in to hold the flares on there is room to get the coating of your choice in there too.

Nick

 

[94f450sd]

weld through primer and a nice heavy coating of chip guard

 

[MUDKICKR]

i never said it couldnt be done, i did say use the srw bed for metal to make your own patch panels. its in my opinion that is still hacked together. also weld through primer and heavy coating of chip guard only goes so far. rust always finds a way. weld through primer will draw in moisture if it isnt sealed by a topcoat. and there is still no way to get into every little place to seal it completely, but if you used "panelbond" and rivets, you would never have to worry about rust again due to the "panelbond" will seal it as well as hold it together.

 

[Diesel_brad]

if you used "panelbond" and rivets, you would never have to worry about rust again due to the "panelbond" will seal it as well as hold it together.

I love that stuff. That is how I put the inner wheel wells back in the 79

 

[94f450sd]

I'm not having much luck posting pics so 94f450sd if you wanna see what I did you'll have to PM me your email addy so I can send pics.

Nick

you need to turn on your ***

mail f450sprdty AT aol DOT com

 

[snicklas]

What exactly is this panelbond stuff? Is it like "superglue" for metal? Wish they would have had it 20+ years ago when we were trying to fix the rust on our slantnose..... sounds much cleaner than patches weld/rivit together and fill....

No I am not trying to be a smarta$$.... it is a serious question....

 

[MUDKICKR]

panelbond is something that came out a while ago, and a lot of factory manufacturers are using it to install quarter panels onto vehicles with. also a lot of body shops are now using panelbond to install sheetmetal cause theres no heat transfer so there is no metal warpage.

some say that since your not welding the metal together then its "hacked" but since a lot of factory manufactures use it and trust it then id say its good. i have used this panelbond to do a few hoodscoops, and to install a few patch panels. stuff works great. thing is about panelbond, it dont come apart, so if you dont mean to do it, dont.


http://www.3m.com/product/information/Automix-Panel-Bonding-Adhesive.html

 

[Diesel_brad]

But if you do Need to take it apart, just heat it up with the torch, then you can separate the 2 pieces.

It is really good stuff. My 1st experience with it was back in 01. Had to do a bed side on a toyota pickup. The 3m rep at the shop was like, "here try this". I was a bit skeptical at 1st but the toyota was just a commuter truck and never got and hard use. Well a year later the truck came back with the EXACT damage. What a SOB to get the "glued" on panel off. The metal actually tore around the glue, but the glue didnt fail. That sold me on the stuff. I use it where ever I can instead of welding