The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Gluing Patch Panels

First, just a comment to MARTINSR, THANKS for your "Basic" series, great info.

I've never welded and I don't have a welder. I'm intrigued by the little bit I have heard about using automotive body adhesives for attaching patch panels. Does anyone have links to more info on the subject or comments on the subject?

I have not used this stuff but it looks like good stuff.

http://www.autobodypro.com/tektips/articles/panel.htm

http://www.duramix.com/duramixpages/2metalpanelbonding.html
[img]http://www.thevirtualgarage.com/bboard/ubb/eek.gif[/img]

I have been considering using JB Weld to join patch panels on my truck. Has anyone ever done this? If so, how well did it work?

Hey guys. I would HIGHLY recommend Lord Fusor for gluing body panels. Its arguably the best stuff on the market. Not cheap at $35 a tube, but WELL worth it. Welding panels on is on its way out. With the new adhesives on the market, they're just as good if not better then welding. Head down to your local body shop supplier and ask 'em. They'll tell ya!

Chad

I remember seeing an article dedicated to weldless body patches in " classic auto restorer " magazine.It covered all of the state of the are adhesives for body panel repair & replacement. I cant remember the issue #. Maybe someone out there can research the archives of this magazine.

I never heard of this. So, do you just glue the new panel right over the old one or is some of the old one removed like with welding?

I would think you are creating pockets for moisture to sit in between the two metals. Since the bottom metal is already rusted through it will quickly "infect" the new metal. I would think it won't last as long as a proper welded in panel. A welded panel is basically goes in place of the original metal with no nooks or crannies for rust to develop. Condensation etc won't have a place to live on a welded panel.

Tony,
No, you don't glue over the old. You treat it much as you do when you weld patch panels. Generally, you would cut out the old area. You then flange around the removed area and glue the new patch panel into the flanged area. I believe the manufacturers recommend that you use some flush type rivets to pull things together.

Certainly Tony M's concerns are valid. But I know there are shops doing this.

My fleetside bed looked like someone had used the one side for cannonball practice. I decided this would be a good place to try this method. I bought the rear bedside panel (goes from end cap to center of wheel well, and from bottom to seam approx 8" from top of bed rail. Also bought the front that goes from center of wheel well all the way up to the back of the cab.

At the back of the cab I left about a 3" strip of the bedside up to the seam the same down the the length of the bed along that seam to the tailight end cap. I separated the the spot welds holding the end cap to the bed side since the panel I received included that flange. Basically, I cut the whole bedside out including the wheel well, leaving a 3" frame.

Using the duramix system, after trimming and prefitting the panels, I glued the the panels at the top, the whole length of the bed, butt welded the seam above the wheel well and spot welded the tailight end cap to the rear flange of the rear panel.

When I look along the backsides of the panel, the duramix had oozed out along the seam the length of the bed, so I don't expect moisture to reak havoc-I painted the back of the panels with por-15 for extra peace of mind.

Will I do it again? I think so. I had very nice Schott panels to work with that were very straight. If I had had to weld that seam the length of the bed, they would have no longer been straight, I can tell you that!

I can't tell you how it will hold up because the truck isn't finished and hasn't seen any "road flex"...

I've used both the Fusor brand and 3-M and they both seem to work fine . The 3-M stuff will set up a bit quicker with a little heat so when I glued on the bed pockets too the new sides, I clamped it all and then spot welded the edges (just incase) . I used Fusor on some patch's on the cab and for the 14 gauge firewall cap. This smoothed off the firewall with very little filler and no distortion from heat . BTW , this stuff is moisture resistant so rust shouldnt start at the seam , try it !