What is the proper way to weld truck bed seams?

[Randle]

How you fill the seams is a matter of prefferance filled seams if prepped properly will hold just fine. I had a 67 back in the early 70's that I repainted and smoothed the seams with regular bondo and all of them held fine for the next 5 years that I had the truck, except for the one above the back window. I found out that seam will move on you.

[Big D's 69]

How you fill the seams is a matter of prefferance filled seams if prepped properly will hold just fine. I had a 67 back in the early 70's that I repainted and smoothed the seams with regular bondo and all of them held fine for the next 5 years that I had the truck, except for the one above the back window. I found out that seam will move on you.

Yeah the back glass one would seem to be a flexing point in the cab. That one might be better to weld after thinking on that one. But personnal preference is the key here, but welding to me is just not an option for me after thinking on it.

[averagef250]

If you plan to drive and use the truck, don't use bondo. It will crack as the panels move. Seam sealer is made for the sole purpose of filling seams and it looks good too. Why are you guys so opposed to using it?

[Big D's 69]

That is why if your not going to weld it then use the all metal product.

[averagef250]

All metal is bondo with aluminum in it, it doesn't flex like seam sealer does.

[Big D's 69]

All metal is bondo with aluminum in it, it doesn't flex like seam sealer does.

Seam sealer will flex, split, and crack.

[Randle]

That seam should not flex if the spot welds are in good shape. The factory had seam sealer in these joints and it was painted on top of the sealer. If this seam flexed it would have cracked the paint over the sealer.

[mljjones67]

Will this work on the hood seam also. I want to fill in my seams also and this seems the easiest. What kind of prep do you do???
Mike

[Randle]

The roof seam will flex and move, if you smooth it you will have to weld it or it will crack the filler.

[mljjones67]

I am sorry I meant, fill the lines in with the all metal.



http://autobodystore.net/Merchant2/merc ... ry_Code=FM
http://www.evercoat.com/productDetail.aspx?pID=37
for powder coating
http://thermobond3.com/

[mljjones67]

How hard was it to get the end of the bed of? And how hard will it be to put back on? I want to fill those gaps too.

I'm not sure what you mean by sealing the back not just the front?

The upper and lower bedside panels are overlapped and spotwelded...so there are two sides that need to be sealed. Here's a diagram I just whipped up to illustrate that point.

This picture was taken as looking at the left bedside, after I removed the endcap (which holds the taillight).



The two panels are spot-welded together (green arrow). If you weld up the outside seam (yellow arrow), the opposite side of that seam (orange arrow) is still exposed. In fact, this is exposed between the two panels and immediately above the rear tire, where the tire can throw mud, salt, etc. up there to get in between the two panels, in between the spotwelds. To properly seal off the bed seam to prevent rust, you need to seal the back side as well as the front.

[FORDification]

Removing it was easy, with an air chisel...just cut out the factory spotwelds. Reinstalling it would be kind of a PIA. You'd basically have to weld it in from the outside, since you won't have access to the areas where the factory spotwelded them. All your welds would basically be visible, but if it's just a driver then it's not an issue.

[kid]

The upper and lower bedside panels are overlapped and spotwelded...so there are two sides that need to be sealed. Here's a diagram I just whipped up to illustrate that point.

This picture was taken as looking at the left bedside, after I removed the endcap (which holds the taillight).

We rolled a friends truck down into a sand canyon from the ridge above. When I welded the bed seams I tipped the bottom of the bed in and brazed the edge inside the gap with real small rod and then we pulled the bed out straight and welded the outside with the tiniest little gas tip.