The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Cab support after the doors are removed

Hi all,

I am going to remove my doors and I saw somewhere, there were few supports for the cab two at the door and some braces inside the cab so as much as we rotate we dont loose the shape. Can someone point me to that please

Ganesh

What are you trying to do? You don't need to brace the door frames if you aren't cutting out and replacing sheet metal. If you are moving the cab off the frame, the best way to keep it in shape is to leave the doors in and latched while you are moving it.

If the cab is sound with no significant rust through in any of the components that make up the door opening you can remove the cab without bracing or installing the doors. Just sit it on a level surface and don't roll it down a hill and you'll be fine. Unlike a big sedan, the cabs on these trucks are very rigid.

If you're just taking the doors off you do not have to do anything extra.

Thanks guys for your inputs, as with these trucks cowl area is rusted so I need to take of the door to replace those.

Ganesh

In this case structural integrity of the door opening is maintained as long as you do not cut the hinge pillar off of the sill. Think of the opening as a steel ring. As long as that ring is in tact (and no collision damage is present) it's not going to change. And this is coming from someone who's replaced just about everything that can be replaced in a cab.

You can cut all the cowl panels out without any worry as long as you do not cut through the door opening parts.

Thanks Woody, there is no collision it is only cab cowl are is bad.

Ganesh

I am in the process of doing a cowl panel repair myself. See Cowl Repair Here. I am paranoid about bracing so I am doing one Cowl repair at a time. I also simply tack welded a piece of square tubing from the door pillar diagnally to the seat rise area.

On retrospect, I need to move weld in another piece of bracing that runs from the inside of one door pillar to the other so that I can place the doors in the opening and check for fit. I will probably do that tomorrow.

here is what I did when I replaced the firewall and floors, cheap insurance.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a198/ahsum/firewall1.jpg

Thanks Frazier and 50adrod, I need to do something like that so I dont have a big mess to deal with

Ganesh