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Need direction on repairing rust hole

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bigJake

bigJake

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I have very little experience doing body work so not sure how to tackle this hole in my truck. Seems every F150 from that era has the exact same rust spot.

Once I cut out the rust, will I need to weld in a piece of metal or are there other options such as fiberglass cloth and bondo? I don't have a welder so can I rivet something in (or is this an excuse to go to Harbor Freight)? If I need a welder, what kind? I never used one before.

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You can bet that that hole is Actually about 3x as big as what you can see. Proper way is cut/weld. It's not super easy especially if you don't have a decent welder or practice.

If its not a classic, you can cut the rust out. Treat it with rust killer, fiberglass the hole.

Body work isn't easy, but if you want to learn the right way, having an old beater is nice.
 
In the automotive world... that's known as "Cancer". As above... once the bubbles open up.... the rust on the back side can be dang near the entire panel.

Also... welding on sheet metal isn't easy. As you heat it... it expands. when it cools in contracts. So... it will normally be all warped and twisted. Also... you have to cut the hole back to the point where you have good metal to weld on.


So... the question is... how good do you want it to look?

The quick repair would be cut it open a little.... neutralize the rust.... and use something like "Kitty hair" to fill it. it will hold for a couple years.

The harder, longer repair is to cut the entire lower panel off... and replace it.
 
sounds like a plan (2001 truck with 150K miles, engine runs great though). Do I pack the whole cavity with the kitty hair or put on some fiber glass cloth first? Just packing the cavity sounds a whole lot easier. When the fiberglass cloth is used, how do not get a raised edge?
 
If you do want to replace it with metal, they make direct fit panels for the F series trucks.

As Doc said, there is an art/skill to it. You'd cutout the damaged area, hold the panel in place, trace a line where it lays on the bed, dimple the metal to allow for rig welding, grind them smooth, fill and cover all seems.

Then the painting prep begins,,,,
 
That's a gravy fix. No welding required. Patch panels are able to be glued on these days with panel adhesive. No warpage from welding, minimal body fillers etc... Stop and see you local bodyshop supply house and have them get you the correct stuff. 3M makes the panel adhesive, it's stronger than a weld--not joking either. There are many places that sell patch panels for those 97-03 F150. LMC truck sells the lower patch for $100, then you're into the adhesive, body filler, etc... Before you even touch paint. They also sell your cab corners that are gonna be gone in 12 months, again glue them on. Pays to have buddies in the biz.

If you wanted to weld the panel on you can plug weld the panel on.


That being said, what if your life expectancy of the ole' girl. I'm not a huge fan of glassing a repair, that is old school to me. Reminds me of repairs I have uncovered that were packed with crushed beer cans, chicken wire and fiberglass, nothing but a moisture trap. If your looking for a cheap quick cover up, hit home depot get some aluminum flashing and some pop rivets, rattle can it then clear silicone caulk the edges. About as half-assed as you can get.

Panel adhesive video

[video=youtube;AXrGJ_D4CWg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXrGJ_D4CWg[/video]
 
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I'm thinking maybe a new truck next year but I want the repair to be good enough that I can sell the truck for a few $
 
i didn't have to go too far to hit solid metal.

what should I use to help form the corner?
 

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If you want to do the cab corner, here's a nice trick:

Prep the surface like you did for the big hole. If you can't get all the rust out you can neutralize it or encapsulate it with something like Por-15, or just seal it in there with an epoxy primer. Rough up the primer a bit. Get a can of short haired Fiberglas. I use Bondoglass on projects like this. Mix up what you'll need and spread it on a plastic bag. I use a thick garbage bag or even a piece of thick clear poly, the trick is not to have too many wrinkles in the bag, or you'll be sanding forever. Place the bag over the corners and shape it with your hand. I stretch it so it doesn't dimple into the hole. Let it harden and pull the bag off and if you've done it right it should have formed just like the cab corner. I try not to go too far between the box and corner as its hard to get a sanding disc in there. Sand as needed. Fill in imperfections with body filler if they are deep, or a few coats of high build primer if they are fairly shallow. Sand and repeat. You won't have the ledges fom fibreglass mesh this way either. Paint her up. I've had it last from 3 years to 10, but I live in the rust belt.

If you want a decent home welder, I have to recommend the Lincoln weldpac 140 HD. Has great speed and voltage adjustments, can certainly go low enough to weld body panels and is rated up to 1/4", although I've used it for larger than that. The best part is is that it runs on regular 120 v outlets! Does either Mig or gasless flux core. The 180 is better, but you'd need a 240 outlet or a long extension cord to reach your stove or dryer outlets and its a PITA.

If you want a decent sprayer but don't want to mess with water seperators and fancy regulators on your compressor, look at turbine sprayers. I use the sprayfine A301 with a gravity fed HVLP gun. Works great.

welding body panels is tricky, but if you practice on junk it can be done nicely. I "stitch" weld so not to build up too much heat and avoid warpage.

Those body panels that go on with adhesive are a wonderful invention and that adhesive is rock solid. Made a mistake once and had to cut/grind the panel out.
 
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thanks, I saw that trick on a youtube video using wax paper. It did work pretty well.

Here is a pic of where I am so far. I got the holes patched and 3 coats of primer. Not perfect, but I think ok for my first attempt and for a 13 year old truck. I need to get some of the stuff to fill small pinholes in the bondo.

Is there a place online where I can order spray cans of the topcoat? And when I apply the top coat, how do I not get a ridge line where I have it taped off?
 

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I've always driven beater trucks, so when I do jobs like the one you're doing I just go to Canadian Tire and I buy rattle cans. Not sure what the American equivalent would be. For actual spray jobs I either go to the local auto body supply store or order online from Eastwood:

http://www.eastwood.com/

I was at the dodge dealership yesterday getting a part for the Ram, and the guy in front of me was picking up exact match spray cans. Maybe your ford dealer has the same?

The two tone pattern makes it hard, cause you have to use tape and can't just feather it out. Maybe tape along the lowest green line and do the whole length of the box? The colour break may hide the ridge, or you colour sand without cutting through to the primer to smooth it down. Depending on your paint, a rubbing compound works wonders. Not sure if you're planing on doing a clear coat or not.

Looks good by the way.

Here's a good site if you're ever bored: http://www.autobody101.com/forums/
 
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