The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Cab Removal and Repair

Well I've got my '50 AD down to the bare frame, 4 wheels and a totally stripped cab. The only thing left in the cab is the steering wheel. After 3-4 buddies looked the carcus over they are all suggesting that since I'm this far, I should remove the cab and get it sandblasted or dipped. I've got most of the sheet metal work done so it's either remove it now or leave it as is. This is my first project and I'm tempeted to do the removal. I reviewed a couple of previous posts but still have a few questions:

How does the steering column come off?
What is the best way to clean the cab up? Media blast or RediStrip? Any ideas on the cost of either?
Finally, is there any special alignment procedure or leveling process required once I reassemble the cab back onto the frame?

I was thinking of removing the cab and getting it cleaned up. I would POR 15 and paint the frame. Once the cab is cleaned I would deliver the cab to the painter and let him prime and paint the cab. I would then deliver the rest of sheet metal for painting, bring everything back to my garage and reassemble the painted body myself. Comments or suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks for the input!

The steering column comes off with the steering box. You'll need to remove the drop from under the dash, the drag link, pitman arm, and steering wheel. Then unbolt the box from the frame. The column will have to be slid out through the hole in the floor. The cab can be removed easily after that. When you take the cab off, take note of the mounting rubber and any shims that might be present, that will allow you to reinstall it back in place properly.

Just a suggestion... but I would have your painter paint everything in order... left fender, left door, left quarter panel, tailgate.... That way you don't have to worry about any paint mismatch. I've seen it before when you paint the left fender, right door, tailgate, hood, left quarter panel, etc... Also make sure he paints it in the position it'll be assembled in... fenders standing up, hood laying flat...

I like POR-15 too, I do pretty much everything in the cab from the seat bottom down and inside the all of the body panels.

Lee

If you spray POR 15, you MUST use a respirator. That stuff will mess up your lungs something terrible if you don't. I speak from personal exerience.

if you remove the cab paint the under floor and firewall before puting it back on the frame

Take lots of photos, they explain a whole lot more than writing it on paper. Lots of plastic zip lock bags. I use the 2 gallon plus size and smaller. Freeze bags are heavier than standard plastic bags. And did I mention lots of photos.
I take photos of bolts before they are removed, laying next to the holes you remove them from, photos under the cab of mounting points (nuts bolts etc..) and when I lifed the cab where the pads etc..are. After things are off for a month you will realize just how fast you can forget a lot of things you think you will remember. Label all your bags seperately, IE; right side cab bolts ,left side cab bolts etc.. Makes it easier if you have to go to the Hardware store for stainless steel replacements. (Grade 8 is hard to destroy and stainless does not rust).

If you're this far then going all the way isn't much more. As a finisher/fabricator by trade I can say from experience that Redi-Strip is the way to go. The plastic media gets inside areas you can't imagine and all of it almost never comes out. A good amount will invariably find it's way into the new paint. While the Redi-Strip process may remove some sealants and such, I'd rather replace that than try to remove the media. The R-S place you use may offer a complete "ecoat" for a reasonable charge as well. Being an electrolytic process no metal is ever removed. I can't count how many things I've had done that way.

I don't know what's available to ya but you may also consider powdercoating the frame. In the end the labor and mat'ls needed to paint are about equal to powdercoat. We all know what lasts longer. Just my .02 on the subject. Good luck with it.

Did someone pull their post again Highlander? Unless maybe I missed it, I didn't see any discussion about plastic media? I've never heard of plastic blast media, is that new? The ones I'm familiar with are, Sand, Glass Bead, Walnut Shell, and Soda.
Since you have professional experiance with the Redi-Strip process maybe you can ansewer a couple questions I have about it. Is it a national franchise, in other words would there be one around the Chicago suburbs? I have heard a lot of stories about it getting trapped in between places like the belt, or door skins, then migrating out after painting, ever had that problem? Lastly, is the rust problem, I have heard that they start to rust as soon as they take it out of the Stipper, that true?
Thanks
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Around here most media blasters use plastic. Other media is available at different costs. As far as Redi-Strip, yes they're a national gig. They usually advertise in Hemmings Motor News. There may be one near you. Never had a migrating liquid problem. The rinse is a phosphate type coating. Since the stripping is done similar to plating (but reverse) no good metal comes off. As far as rusting immediatly, everything brought to a bare metal condition will begin to oxidize quickly. Many people over-think this aspect of metal cleaning/painting. The phosphate, or conversion coating, helps limit the degree of oxidation and provide a clean etched surface for ecoat or primer. If it was to be done, fresh from the stripper would be the perfect time to POR-15 the insides and problem areas. Personally I'd brush the entire inner cab with it.

To each their own I suppose.I like chemical stripping. Sand and media (any type) are the opposite of the VISA card...it's everywhere you DON'T want it to be.

I was just recently told something that has totally changed my mind about powdercoating ... and when you think about it for 3-seconds, it makes total sense.

If you get a chip on something that's been powdercoated and rust starts to invade the metal, you have no way of getting to the rust and eventually you've got a real nightmare on your hands!

In order to get to the rust, you have to remove the powdercoat and that's a nightmare in itself ... and if you don't get to it all, the rust keeps traveling. Have you ever seen a big rig or utility truck that had a bumper all rotted to no end? THAT was powdercoated.

I guess for show vehicles powdercoating is cool ... but for a regular driver, forget it.

Take your cab off, You don't need to take the the steering column off just the steering wheel and
shifter linkage. Go to tech tips and look under
general body work a couple of us show how to lift the cab up and over the steering, this will also
help put the cab back on after painting, I have pulled 4 cabs off this way. Paul

Did someone say takes lots of pictures? If it comes off take a picture. My vote is to take out the steering column. You don't have to lift it so high and it is just easier to maneuver specially if it is in a closed space.

What is the best material to use to paint the underside of the cab?