So I was installing a rollpan and noticed movement of the passenger side bedside and found where it looks like it should be spot welded I have total separation in the rear where tailgate is.
I have had a squeak back there for years and have done the adjustments to the tailgate striker several times never noticing this until now. Anyone else had this happen? I backed into a few things over the years with the stock bumper and one time made a very small dent in the bumper but that was it no rear end collisions. Im thinking this should be welded?
The rollpan mounted now with bolts is making all kinds of noises now when I hit even small bumps so fixing it is a priority. I have a flux core welder i am thinking of using.
Yeah, the metal is torn. You'd have to weld it. I've never done that type of repair before. There may also be some type of adhesive in there that would muck up a weld without cleaning first. Maybe
someone else has some experience with it.
So I think I know how this happen now after thinking about it.
My neighbor at my old house about 13 years ago ran into that rear part of the bed when he was probably making a u turn. I know it was him cause he had damage on the front side of his truck with my black paint on it of course he denied it. It looked like it was just a small dent in that bedside so I was able to pop it out with my fist and have forgot about it till now. I had a camper shell on it for about 10 years after so it went unnoticed.
I see what your saying about the seam sealer in the seams will make welding hard. I wonder if epoxy like PC7 would work? Ive used that stuff for many things and it always held up.
Unless the tear is prevented from moving, it will tear further. You may be able to clean as much paint...and sealer with a wire wheel and solvent, and then have an experienced MIG welder build a weld bridge from one piece of metal to the other, that will probably be stronger than an epoxy.
This is a 1978 Mustang project I was working on about 35 years ago before cell phones and computers. Lol I widened the wheel wells for wider wheels, as this was a road car, and a wider stance was preferred. In order to prevent warpage of the sheet metal, I made individual tack welds using a MIG welder, until it was fully welded. I even used damp rags to help draw heat away as quickly as possible. You could probably do the same thing with your tear to complete the weld.
yea I saw someone using that technique to weld 22 gauge sheet with the same cheap flux core welder I have on youtube. That is how I would do it.
No welders will weld on the bed of my truck, they claim liability issues so looks like I'm either taking it to a body shop or doing it myself!