RiDinLoWRanGeR
Jan 21 2003, 12:54am
ok this is just a pectoral of how to do the body work part of shaving ur truck,
Anyone doing this should have some knowledge of welding and some body working experience, but if u don’t, get a friend who does, lol. this is my first tec article, so bare with me, if all goes well ill make more, if u dont understand something or need help pm me or post and ill see if i can help u.
First Take off door panels and remove ur door handles and lock, im not gonna do into detail on how to do this u can figure it out!!
After uve removed ur handles it should look something like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/paf8000836224517b917957a98dd50c97/fcbff6c5.jpg
U need to prepare the metal surface but just grinding it down to the metal, so u can get a nice grip between the tack weld and the body should look something like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/p2e7ed969a05d64381d5feb4c8e11a9ba/fcbff6c3.jpg
I went to pep boys and found a piece of sheet metal with was about 1/8 think or so and used cardboard to get a ruff idea of the size of sheet metal i would need to cut, I also grinded mine to make the ruff cuts of the tin shears smooth like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/p1ec3fa96aa2baa60109af73c406e8550/fcbfee3d.jpg
(note the more time u spend on making or template correct the less time ull have to spend later messing with the size of the metal) U want the piece of metal to fit inside the opening just barely, just about flush,
and i used tape to hold it in place a make a few small tack welds to hold it in place, like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/p98b8a0217674a192ba02c7bd24fc9a72/fcbff6c1.jpg
now stitch weld the rest of the plate u cut to the door, make sure not to weld to much cause if the door panel gets to hot the metal will warp and u DONT want that.
now u should have something with looks like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/pfd80eccee81b135c805777369799552d/fcbff16c.jpg
I used a dime to get the shape of the lock hole, it was the same size and worked well, after tracing and cutting it out i used tape and did a few small tack welds to hold it in place and then, sticth welding around it as well,
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/pe9cb525e723a76b1ec6e47d17a984b47/fcbfe4fd.jpg
After u get that done, u need to grind the lil bumps uve made sooth, and square off an area u would like to work, like if u have dints in the area now is a good time u get rid of them, this is what ur area should look like with ur done grinding:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/p1c7e63dcdc091e32e2d9ecb77c5e2300/fcbff166.jpg
OK now the fun, bondo can be ur best friend or ur worst enemy, its all about practice, and the best part about it u can always sand it all off and start again, u need to now mix up enough bondo to cover the area of the door u have grinded down to metal, my pic is after some sanding with 100 grit sand paper on an air file, like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/p256b7a2952d1bf251c6f365b5ac980aa/fcbfee3b.jpg
After the bondo dries, shouldn’t take long, u need to sand, sand, sand, and u want to feather the edges of the bondo and paint so that when u rub ur finger across it u CANT feel and differences in the surfaces, the initial sanding is done with 100 to 80 grit sand paper, after the get the majority of the sanding done u need to use a 240 to 300 grit paper "IF U CAN FEEL IT ULL SEE IT" (quote from my dad)
And after all that sanding u may look like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/ped568f4c4d1c45186ec47c5ddc80abb9/fcbfee3a.jpg
after u get the bondo and edge of the paint smooth u need to primer it and it should look something like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid46/pc5cadb793373365932ad5491fc92ee58/fccb1a9f.jpg
if u do the painting and primering ur self then u should know what to do, other wise take it to a shop and have them finish it for u, b/c uve done all the hard work,
good luck, i hope this helps
Stewart
Anyone doing this should have some knowledge of welding and some body working experience, but if u don’t, get a friend who does, lol. this is my first tec article, so bare with me, if all goes well ill make more, if u dont understand something or need help pm me or post and ill see if i can help u.
First Take off door panels and remove ur door handles and lock, im not gonna do into detail on how to do this u can figure it out!!
After uve removed ur handles it should look something like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/paf8000836224517b917957a98dd50c97/fcbff6c5.jpg
U need to prepare the metal surface but just grinding it down to the metal, so u can get a nice grip between the tack weld and the body should look something like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/p2e7ed969a05d64381d5feb4c8e11a9ba/fcbff6c3.jpg
I went to pep boys and found a piece of sheet metal with was about 1/8 think or so and used cardboard to get a ruff idea of the size of sheet metal i would need to cut, I also grinded mine to make the ruff cuts of the tin shears smooth like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/p1ec3fa96aa2baa60109af73c406e8550/fcbfee3d.jpg
(note the more time u spend on making or template correct the less time ull have to spend later messing with the size of the metal) U want the piece of metal to fit inside the opening just barely, just about flush,
and i used tape to hold it in place a make a few small tack welds to hold it in place, like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/p98b8a0217674a192ba02c7bd24fc9a72/fcbff6c1.jpg
now stitch weld the rest of the plate u cut to the door, make sure not to weld to much cause if the door panel gets to hot the metal will warp and u DONT want that.
now u should have something with looks like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/pfd80eccee81b135c805777369799552d/fcbff16c.jpg
I used a dime to get the shape of the lock hole, it was the same size and worked well, after tracing and cutting it out i used tape and did a few small tack welds to hold it in place and then, sticth welding around it as well,
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/pe9cb525e723a76b1ec6e47d17a984b47/fcbfe4fd.jpg
After u get that done, u need to grind the lil bumps uve made sooth, and square off an area u would like to work, like if u have dints in the area now is a good time u get rid of them, this is what ur area should look like with ur done grinding:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/p1c7e63dcdc091e32e2d9ecb77c5e2300/fcbff166.jpg
OK now the fun, bondo can be ur best friend or ur worst enemy, its all about practice, and the best part about it u can always sand it all off and start again, u need to now mix up enough bondo to cover the area of the door u have grinded down to metal, my pic is after some sanding with 100 grit sand paper on an air file, like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/p256b7a2952d1bf251c6f365b5ac980aa/fcbfee3b.jpg
After the bondo dries, shouldn’t take long, u need to sand, sand, sand, and u want to feather the edges of the bondo and paint so that when u rub ur finger across it u CANT feel and differences in the surfaces, the initial sanding is done with 100 to 80 grit sand paper, after the get the majority of the sanding done u need to use a 240 to 300 grit paper "IF U CAN FEEL IT ULL SEE IT" (quote from my dad)
And after all that sanding u may look like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/ped568f4c4d1c45186ec47c5ddc80abb9/fcbfee3a.jpg
after u get the bondo and edge of the paint smooth u need to primer it and it should look something like this:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid46/pc5cadb793373365932ad5491fc92ee58/fccb1a9f.jpg
if u do the painting and primering ur self then u should know what to do, other wise take it to a shop and have them finish it for u, b/c uve done all the hard work,
good luck, i hope this helps
Stewart