How to attack a bedside repair
 

See pics below, this is the only major dent on the whole rust free truck....and its a doozy. This is a longbed bedside and I intend to ultimately section (cut) down to a shortbed.

overall view:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4824/...ed91ce68_b.jpg


angle off view:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/...d6697b22_b.jpg


close up view:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4896/...1d011b2c_b.jpg


upward view:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/...dcbd0d19_b.jpg

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

from what I can tell there is an inner wheelhouse structure that extends down to the rear lower edge of the outer wheel well but does not extend to far back, probably spot welded in. So basically in my last pic, what you can see is the outer metal skin damage but there is an inner structure to it as well, albeit not terribly substantial.

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

A stud gun and puller will help...but you really need access to the backside...or I know I would...

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

I'd be inclined to search CL or the local bone yards for a donor bed or at least one I could steal the whole side off of. Or, you could buy a trailer made from a truck bed, swap your damaged side out then re-sell the trailer at or near the same price.

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

So if your going to at some time make it a short bed, how about Now? Would it be cost effective to buy a set of short bedsides and cut down on labor and time to cut down the long ones? Or buy a short bed and repair it if needed?

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

I can remove the wheel well and that might give me some more room

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

Been searching like a mofo! Not much out there lately. I did find some shortbed bedsides, they are rusted on the lower bedside panels before and after the wheel well/both sides; would require patch panels.

The longbed I have is in superb shape besides whatever chewed at this side of it:banghead::banghead:

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

Cost effective, probably not to me......but let me change my mind when this bed is cut all to pieces right! I've been going back and forth about making the cuts now or doing the repair first. I think I am leaning towards doing the repair first because I believe I'll stand a better chance of pulling measurements for the cutting part. I'm a total beginner at this too, but what the hell, I'll just be buying bedsides anyway if I screw them up too bad!

My thought is, what if a cut the spot welds to the inner structure? Maybe I'll get some metal relief with that?

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

If your gonna be shortening a lwb to swb you gonna be doing ALOT of welding .....be much easier to get the swb bed and patch the rockers...

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

yeah, you're probably right, maybe I should go have a look at them in person. I'll report back. If I buy them I think I might give that repair a go anyway.....see what I can come up with.

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

Do the repair first. It would really suck to successfully do the repair only to have something go wrong during the shortening process.

Besides, if you manage to find a good SWB, you could sell the repaired LWB to help fund the SWB.

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

Regarding the repair, I was thinking of starting with removing the wheel well, then where the yellow circle is shown, detach the inner wheel structure with a spot weld cutter. Moving up to the green circle working that dent with the hammer and dolly, then moving to the blue circle and dealing with the bodyline crease/dent with hammer and dolly. Lastly working the lower rocker panel menusha with hammer and dolly.


https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7828/...7643801f_b.jpg

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

my thoughts for what it is worth...You will need to bring the body line out first. It is the toughest metal because the style line stiffens the panel-work-hardening. When you bring it out, it will bring out some of the damage below it with it. If you bring the lower damage out FIRST, it will not bring out the body line. So when your bring the body line out AFTER bringing the lower damage out, the lower damage will come out more and be too far out. Major stretch! A person with the proper tools could weld a metal tab right on the body line, hook a clamp on the tab, and then use a comealong to pull on the dent while working the metal around it.
And I think it would be much easier to repair the rust on a decent short bed than repair this dent. It will take a lot of skill, talent, and patience to make this look right and be straight, to get to where you would be pleased with the results. But that's just one guy's opinion....good luck and have fun with it, whichever way you go.

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

Thank you for the advise! Very much appreciated! That was my first inclination as well but then I starting watching ALOT of dent repair how too videos and the common them is first in/last out.

That body line crease/dent (blue circle) appears to have a diagonal pull on the metal such that area between the large dent and tail light is concave.

Additionally the inner metal structure is bent most likely adding to the stress on the outer sheet metal.

In my mind there are six things going on here....
1: bodyline dent/crease (blue circle)
2: Primary dent below the bodyline dent/crease (green circle)
3 and 4: Lower rear bedside rocker is pushed back an in (see kink in lowest body edge line aft of the rear wheel and pic 4 capturing the "pushed in" aspect)
5: Area between large dent and tail light concave
6. inner wheel structure behind rear bedside rocker bent (holding outer sheet metal stressed inward)

What you say makes sense I'm just not sure where to start. I believe I will have access to both sides of the metal for hammer and dolly repair.

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

Drill out all of the spot welds and remove the inner structure and take off the whole outer bedskin. It is a LOT of work but then you can hammer and dolly 90% of the work from the inside.

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

the more I look at the damage the more I believe this was caused as a bottom impact and because of that and what you've stated above I think I agree now that the first area to be worked should be the body line. I will remove the wheel well and inner frame structure in that area to help alleviate some of the needless/additional resistance. Thanks again for the insight!

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

I have done paint and body work for 40 years, and was an autobody instructor at a votech, and the only thing I know for certain is every dent is different and 3 experienced body men probably will each work it differently. Good luck!

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

Well as another option I picked up some short bedsides yesterday. I was able to source these locally, they are rough. See pics below, this is the worse one of the two. Price seemed fair enough considering the repairs needed.

The not so bad:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/...73e2d1d4_b.jpg


https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7927/...bce980a9_b.jpg


[img width=909 height=768]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4910/39752451433_e6dd55980a_b.jpg[/img]

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

the not so good:

going to need a bed rocker pretty-much on both sides
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4890/...7f839c71_b.jpg


both bed rails have extra holes in them and both rear stake pockets are deformed a bit w/metal edge cracked in a few spots
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7855/...1945ed74_b.jpg


inner structure and bed side separated on both bedsides with some metal cracking
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7919/...41acde4c_b.jpg

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

so I think my plan moving forward is to separate the inner and outer panels on the short bed-sides so I have full access to both sides of both panels for repairs and rust prevention. Expecting to gain a lot of knowledge practicing on these rougher albeit shorter bed-sides. Spot weld cutter and center punches in hand, need to order some hammers and dollies and various clamps along with some lower rear bedside sections as well.

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

You could use the long box side to cut some patches for the rust on the short box side. The damage on the long box will be not to bad to fix with the inner cut off.

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

I contemplated that but I'd like to try and repair the long bedsides as well and then cut them down to short bedsides. I guess worst case scenario is I screw everything up and hunt down some old parts! I figure at some point I gotta learn something:metal:

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

I am in the process of cutting down long bed sides into short bed sides. I drilled out the spotwelds on the wheel well to inner panel and along the edge of the top of the bed . Then there spotwelds by the rear stake pocket and also at the front. there are a few spots up under the top flange. Also look for a couple of spots on the top of the bed where the stake pockets are. you don't have to remove the stake pockets from the sides . Once you have the spots drilled you can grab the inner wheel well and lift up.The whole inner panel will come out in one piece. Then you will have access to both sides of the outer bed side to get it back in shape. You can then cut the outer bed and you will be able to work out any distortion caused by welding. Then cut the inner panel before you install it. Don't forget to remove the center stake pocket. Short beds didn't have them. I think you will get a much better result, Hope this helps . Gord

Re: How to attack a bedside repair
 

That helps quite a bit, thank you for the info, very much appreciated:metal: