The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop AD Cab on a rotiserrie

Anybody ever build a rotiserrie for mounting an AD truck cab on???
John

what's the advantage? it's easy to roll a loose truck cab onto it's back to access the bottom well, seems the time and money would be better applied to the truck work rather than a bulky fixture with very limited usefullness

Bill

Bill's advice is good, as usual.

The only advantage of a rotisserie (unless you can borrow one for free) is that the cab would be higher off the ground, and maybe a little easier to work on. I use a few hunks of 6x6 post-lumber (about 16"-36" long) to raise the cab off the floor.

How much metal work do you have to do on the floor?

Work on the inside bottom first,
and then roll it onto the front-cowl/fire-wall,
and then POR and/or paint the bottom,
and then put the bottom down,
and then move on to work on the other parts of the cab.

This takes up less space, too.

I was just figuring a person could keep the cab fastened for better alignment. Right now I have my cab bolted on a front piece of frame from a junked AD truck. I replaced the floor pan (from seat to toe pan,part of the cab mount,inner to outer, and the outer cowl panel to just short of the lead line of the cab and the toe pan from the a level even with the top of the inner to outer down and across about 4-5" up from the floor (an L-shaped piece. Also cut out and replaced the top portion of the rocker that was under the lip of the floor pan. Still need to weld in an inner cowl panel.
The passenger's side will need pretty much the same thing, I think I'll replace the whole cab mount, and I need to replace the front lower portion of the door jam lip.
Cab corners for both sides and an inner cab corn for one side.
Like someone else said, rust isn't fun, one thing leads into another.....

John

You are right about the rust thing--pain in the behind for sure but the other issude for me is the stuff we buy to fix it with. I am putting inner kick panels both sides (these are jokes as to complete and fitting) and the curved part(these are good for remaking) between the outer side panel and inner panels both sides and some of that stuff isn't near correct. I was in the body business for 25 yrs and I know about repro parts but this stuff tries my patience. I have cut and remade and it would seem that it could be much better. Some seems fairly close but to me the more critical parts are off. Then maybe with so much of it around I would think someone would have made it better.

I'll probably buy the outer cowl panel, because I need the louvered vent. On the other side I made all the panels for it, probably do the same for the passenger's side. Anyone ever install one of the rockers for these cabs, do they come anywhere close??

John

The rockers I replaced were a good fit. Don't remember where I got them from. I would guess they are all the same.

I have replaced just about every panel available on these trucks and I totally concur that the aftermarket repros are a really bad fit. Couple that with the fact that they aren't even the same gauge, and you have a real challenge.

But all of that said, I overcame all of those obstacles using those nasty parts with proper welding technique, Rage Gold (very premium bondo) and lots and lots of patience. Its a good fit if you make it that way. Good luck!

What he said. The best possible jig available is the frame so by tipping it back, doing some tacking, and then tipping back down to make sure you're on the right track seemed easiest to me. See here.

Hi Curt,

How did the outer cowl panels do for alignment with the hood?? Your truck looks like it is about the same condition as mine as far as rust goes.

John

At first mockup with hood and fenders in place mine was a bit too wide so I cut a slice out of the inner to outer panels to bring them in a bit. Getting a nice fit all around requires numerous mockups, alterations, and lots of patience.

Seeing your before and the truck in the video gives one hope anyway...... Thanks John