The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop smoothing cab seams

On the 59 - I was wondering if I should smooth out all the body seams. Specifically I'm thinking in the step area, door frame, top half of the cab, etc.

Has anyone experienced 'settling' so to speak between these body panels - where the cab will slowly minutely over time reposition itself based on vibration, bumps etc.

If I was to do this - what would be the best way?

Weld, grind, smooth, paint? Only problem I see here is all the darn welding and possible warping of parts.

Could just fill the suckers with a 'flexible body filler' - I'm thinking Evercoat's Fibertech followed by oversanding and then glazing.Problem here is that I never trust a product that say's it 'flexes' - seems like it may eventually crack (see question above on cab settling).

Lead? Don't know how to do it, but might be kinda fun to learn. Drawbacks?

- Ryan

Ryan: How bad is it? The settling. I have noticed this on the front snout of cab. Thought I would sand and smooth as possible then use metal to metal got some pin holes! Also right above windshield where roof rolls to front there is a seam all the way across. Mine is pretty visiable thought I would do some light grinding missing the spot welds then applying metal to metal, sanding, top coat of Evercoat finish thus making it look smoothed. Ben - popcorn The Truth is Out There (Any help for us 2 rookies would be appreciated)

I have seen a few trucks that have been smoothed over with body filler but they never seem to last very long. That whole area above the windshield is pinhole city on most trucks, add a little moisture and you have a mess on your hands. I wasn't real fond of the seam and spot welds on mine so I cleaned the area real good, then primed with an epoxy primer,then put a coat of chip guard (the textured coating used on rocker panels) and painted. The process seems to hide a lot of the roughness of the area without looking plastered up. Second choice would be a visor Richie Z

Ben - I really don't have any settling. I was just concerned about it in case I put the filler over those seams.

As for above the windshield - it is solid, no pin holes - alhtough there are a few big ones for the visor.

So - from the experiences so far - body filler (metal to metal) is going to eventually crack out?

So a solution would be to weld the seams and then fill.

The ones I really want to get rid of are where the body wraps around to meet the door jams; the seams around the steps in the cab and the top seam above the back window.
I"m concerned that if I don't do this now - I'll always look at the truck and wish I would have....but then again - if I don't do it, it will give me someting to tackle in the future when we do the Bags, Big Block and other upgrades (don't let my wife see this sentence )

thanks for the advice

- Ryan

With you Ryan; understand cab and all, as for the other don't tell Maws about me looking at SUPERCHARGERS popcorn The Truth is Out There (Keep me posted what you are doing I figured us rookies will get these projects done about same time) Of course I'll be on Social Security

Ha! I'll be darn near SS payments too by the time I finish this truck!

No mention of superchargers here....

Ben, did you get my email? If not - your pics:

http://www.wsu.edu/~rsain/bencorn1.jpg
http://www.wsu.edu/~rsain/bencorn2.jpg
- Ryan

Ryan Got IT! Thanks for all the help e-mail coming back your way. popcorn The Truth is Out There (Thanks again)