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help cab repairs

T

twhite

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Climax Springs USA
I am in the process of repairing the cab for my 53 1-ton. Actually it's more like rebuilding, because there is not much left below the lower hinges. I have repaired the rear lower corners, and they look really nice. But now I am starting on the floor and wheel wells, and I am worried that I am going to screw something up.

The problem is that the rust damage is so severe that I don't have much of anything to line up my repair panels with. I am having to replace the floor board, toe board, lower hinge pillars, inner and outer cowl panels, the cowl, and part of the sill on both sides. I haven't done any cutting to remove bad parts yet, I need to figure out how to keep things aligned before I rip out the old. And the cab sags so badly now from rust damage that I can't be sure onything on it would make a good base line for alignment.

Anyone have any ideas on this? Experience, suggestions? This is actually a 49 5 window that I am using to replace the original cab, which is also really bad, although I still have it sitting outside the shop. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

twhite
 
you should post some pics if you can.
In which case if they are anything like your description you'd be better off waiting to find a descent cab to swap out.
 
ttcodi is right. Ive done some in the shape you discribe because it was dads or grandads truck and there was no subsitution allowed. It is tough,tough and were a resto shop. The door gap must be arbitrarily set and the patch panel must fit the curve on the lower rear corner of the hood or it looks like crapola. I'm sure the parking brake bellcrank area is gone and that is a hassle. I can think of a half dozen 47-54's within 30 miles of my place so the're not all that rare. Again--good luck
 
RE: cab repair tips

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-12-05 AT 10:00 PM (CST)]
O.K. , I am glad to see someone who's still willing to do this so here is how it is done on high dollar resorations : support the cab and install the doors , adjust to the very best fit and then tack weld them closed , this will hold the rest of the cab whilst you work on it and dolly it around as the door fit is the # 1 thing that pi$$es people off after body work .

Once the cab is structurally sound again , simply cut the tacks and finish up before painting it .


As far as the rest of it , measure and take lots of pix of the old floor with good lighting and a yardstick from the edge to any holes or mounts , bends etc. for good referance later .

Maybe make up a template out of Masonite ....

This will be the hardest part of your restoration .


-Nate
 
RE: cab repair tips

O.K. Glad to hear from someone who thinks this can be done.

So far I have cut out most of the damaged parts on the passenger side, and am adding one patch panel at a time. I haven't done any welding yet, just using welding clamps to hold things in place while I fit up the next panel. I have gotten the entire coner section all clamped in place twice so far, and have taken it all apart to change the fit, but now it looks like everything is fitting well. The patches are temporarily screwed in place, and I have been doing a lot of measuring as I go. It helps that I still have the old three window cab that originally came on the truck, and I have a 49 two ton in excellent shape, so I can check dimensions in several places before I commit to welding in place.

One question I have. The repair panel I have for the cowl (the part between the inner and outer walls of the cab near the vents) is flat where it would attach to the sill, but the portion of the sill that is still there is curved. When I make up a patch to extend the sill, should it be curved to match the existing part, or flat to match the patch panel?

I have taken lots of pictures of the work in progress on my digital camers, and if I could figure out how to shrink them enough I will try to post some of them. I tried the same thing when we were rebuilding my daughter's VW, but they were always too big.

twhite
 
RE: cab repair tips

I'm unable to picture this panel in my mind , be cautious of making sediment traps that will rust out again .

I know there are a few body guys on this list who do this typ of repair work so I'll defer to thier experiance .


-Nate
 
RE: cab repair tips

The part I am refering to is a three sided U-shaped channel that roughly follows the curve of the fender and runs from the front of the cab near the hinge to the very bottom of the cab by the hinge pillar. It is welded between the inner and outer cowl panels, where the fresh air vents are located. At the point nearest the bottom it curves around following the bottom edge of the outer cowl panel and butts against the extension of the sill.

Gee, I hope I said that right.

twhite
 
RE: cab repair tips

I had the same problem with mine. Not only was the angle wrong, the curve was too wide. I ended up carefully cutting along the sides and reset the curve and the angle to match. The first one took several attempts to get right. the second went considerably smoother.
 
Well. I have ny corner put together. It took forever (well, about a week) but it is all lined up.

What I ended up doing was putting in one piece, adjusting it as well as I could, clamping it down and then putting in the next piece. Eventually I ended up with all of the patches clamped in place, and all lining up with each other pretty well. Lots of taking things apart and adjusting, then reinstalling. Much careful grinding and cutting to make things fit.

When it loooked like it was all good I temporarily hung the door and checked the fit. Not so much looking for a perfect fit, but to see if things were close enough that minor adjustments would get it right. When I was satisfied with the fit of the door, I removed it, then took apart all the pieces, then put it all back together with screws to hold it in place, and checked all my measurements again.

Then I took it all apart again, and put it back together with welds. Now it looks pretty good, although there were a few spots where I couldn't get in for welding, so they will be done from the inside of the cab later on. And there are a few small gaps that I need to fill with seam sealer. But all in all I am very happy with the way it turned out, and I am sure the other side (which is in essentially the same shape) will go much faster.

Work will slow down now, as school just started here, so I will be off to work (High School Science teacher) most of the time. I am still hoping to get the cab finished off before winter hits, so I can spend the winter working on the drive train.

By the way, I want to paint the bottom of the cab before I mount it on the frame. Is it painted the same color as the rest of the cab, or could I do it in something like black? I don't have the cab paint yet, and I would hate to have to get it now, then have most of it sit around all winter until I am ready fo the rest of the painting.


twhite
 
 
RE: Cab Paint

Whew ! that's a whole lotta work there brother , good job !

The bottom of the cab is painted the body color , inside and out .


-Nate
 
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