Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

I will start by saying I am new to body work and learning as I go. I bought some aftermarket short boxsides for my 1987 pickup a few months ago. I finally got around to installing them this past week. I have them mounted up now and also installed the tail lights. The tail light gaps are pretty bad on the top, its not level across but lines up on the side and bottom - not sure how to proceed on that one - was told body filler to fill the gap is a bad idea as it could chip out.

Right now I am trying to focus on the actual sides of the panels - the driver side is fairly flat, however the passenger panel is very wavy. In the area above the gas door there is a dip of around 1/8-3/16" for around a 12x12 area.
This area is also easy to push in - there isn't much structural strength.

One thought I had was to drill a few holes in a line, and take like a 1" wide piece of 1/8" stock and plug weld through the drilled holes it to the backside of the panel in that spot, my thought was it would give that area some strength as well as help pull the low spot back flat.

Is the above a good/bad idea? Or should I just resort to using body filler through this whole area instead and nothing welded to the backside?

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

Heat from welding causes shrinking, so it's possible your proposed method ends up holding the panel in the "caved in" location better for you, as well as adding a dirt/rust trap.

The panel may need more outward crown in the area of the dip, in seasoned hands some strategic planishing would take care of it. Incorrectly applied, you would add too much stretch and significantly increase the size of the wave. It could also have some stresses that have been captured there due to shrinking from any welding that occurred. A wave could also be a sign of stretched metal, looking for someplace to go.

Basically, there are many defects it COULD BE, with different corrective action depending on what is there. It is much easier to send you down a more correct path once detailed pictures let us see exactly what you are looking at. If any oil canning is occurring, then perhaps a video is in order. One that would show the "easy to push" area and how it acts, and where the perimeter of the oil can is located.

There's a reason you can't get a paint estimate over the phone, same applies here for getting a more accurate recommendation. IMO the panel needs to be stable before any thoughts of filler. A flexing panel won't hold filler long...

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

Here are some pictures of the problem area - the depression shows up good in this light. I can push that area in easily - it seems to be due to where they punched the gas filler door. The driver side feels solid in that area and doesn't push in like this side does. Another thought I had was to bolt a brace to the area where the door goes to hold it solid, and bolt the other side of a brace to the inside panel or floor.

Hoping this works- this is through photobucket.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y88...psjz19hvyu.jpg

Also another view:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y88...pse9vxnpth.jpg

And a picture of the tail light gap - I'd like to fix this but do not know how.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y88...pskf6nth8x.jpg

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

Let's start with your light opening.. It appears to follow the bodyline crease, so does that drop off at the back ? or is it an illusion?

For many reproduction parts, know going in there may be things to overcome, but perhaps it is still easier than fabricating the entire thing from scratch. You very likely have enough material there to form the opening in the correct location, just that the bend needs to be relocated. Here are some pics of a demo I did to show exactly this process, moving a bend line when the repop's didn't put it in the right place. Realize this is not exact to your panels profile, and you will likely need profile specific dollys to be able to move the bend without causing irreparable damage. My suggestion is if this looks remotely like a possible fix for you, I would make a similar panel opening, or use the old one, and try and move a bend line before jumping in and ruining what you have.



These pics are from PB, so subject to disappearing.....

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

On the inward depression above the fuel fill, when it is pushed outward, does the panel have correct crown, does it still have a depression, or does it have an outward "bubble"?

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

I cannot pull it out easily from where it is now, but I can push it further in (making more of a depression) easily.

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

Any other thoughts on the panel depression and how to stabilize it? One thought was to connect it to the bed floor panel to hold is solid.

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

you might be able to use a shrinking disc to do it....I bought the set when I had issues with my doors from sandblasting issues....I was amazed at how well it worked...
but a opinion from the pros might say otherwise

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

How does this side compare with the other side? Does the other side have the tank fill as well?


http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...1&d=1535168781


Looking at the above picture, is the dip strictly a dip, or is it a wave? That is, up, down, up, down.... Any other pictures? A wave would suggest excess metal in need of shrinking. A loose depression only may suggest loss of crown that needs stretching. As you can see different situations warrant a different repair.

I would suggest using a long straight edge to see what the panel is actually doing, lay it over slightly off perpendicular so it follows the panel, this should allow you to see if it is a low spot or wave.

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

Be sure to have the front lower wheel opening support rod in place before you start, you might have to push, or pull to get that to line up, and that might put diffrent pressure on the area than what's there now.

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

Have you welded the boxside in place? If not why not return them.

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

I can't return them - the place I get them from is 3 hrs away and I don't want to make the long drive back - plus they don't make these anymore so I wouldn't be able to source a different one. I've gotta make them work. The driver side panel is much better - pretty strait and solid.

For the tail light area - I'm not sure I can use a hammer to move the bend down - I don't see how I could hammer it from the inside due to the double wall construction. One thought was to find a tail light area from a factory GM bed (local yard has a bunch of rusted ones but the tail light area is solid - i could cut that area out of a donor bed and patch it into these - is that overkill or a good idea?

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

On the taillight opening you could use a trick that some use for closing door gaps...
Make a slit in the metal across the top of the opening and around the curve going down and move the opening down..then you'll have to add a sliver of metal back in the gap and weld it up...
Will need cut behind light as well...
Gotta love the quality of repop...

Re: Working on my aftermarket Boxsides - need some ideas/input
 

Thank you for all the information and help so far. I put the support rod on the bottom today and it did not seem to affect the depression - it still easily pushes in.

To answer the questions above - the depression does not appear to be a "wave" - it does not go up/down/up/down - just dips in. The Driver side panel is solid - and also is much flatter. Both panels are punched for a gas door.

It sounds like it would need to be stretched out from what I read above. I do have a set of body hammers and dollies - is this something I could do using them?