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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Body, Glass & Paint => Topic started by: moregrip on December 18, 2018, 11:10:21 PM

Title: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: moregrip on December 18, 2018, 11:10:21 PM

See pics below, this is the only major dent on the whole rust free truck....and its a doozy

overall view:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4824/45462057985_90ed91ce68_b.jpg)


angle off view:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/45651605754_5bd6697b22_b.jpg)


close up view:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4896/45651605814_ea1d011b2c_b.jpg)


upward view:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/45462058045_53dcbd0d19_b.jpg)

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: moregrip on December 18, 2018, 11:16:13 PM

I'm thinking if I cut about an inch below the body line just ahead of the crease on the body line(towards the cab) straight down to the wheel arch and then back (towards the tailgate) cut up from where the lower bed rocker (behind the wheel) is creased up to an inch below the body line I can use a wheel arch patch panel and lower rear repair panel to fix the damage.....thoughts?

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: VileZambonie on December 19, 2018, 05:14:33 AM

I would put a bedside on it

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: DanMcG on December 19, 2018, 05:31:16 PM

I'd get a stud welder and pull it out, then hammer and dolly it.  That looks like a solid bed and it would be a shame to cut it up or replace it.

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: moregrip on December 19, 2018, 11:09:30 PM

forgot to mention my plan is to cut this longbed down to a shortbed.....not sure if that would change your thought?

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: Irish_Alley on December 20, 2018, 03:10:54 PM

then do as vile suggested but get a short bed side instead of a longbed. unless you just want to practice but to tell you the truth i wouldnt practice on that without some serious help

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: AZ4X4SQBDY on December 22, 2018, 11:32:05 AM

I think that one will require more than a stud gun to pull those dents out. I would tack washers on it and use nylon ratcheting straps secured to something solid as I worked the dents out if I was just trying to fix it. With you wanting to make it a short bed, I would just get a short bed side. When it is all said and done you will have 20-30 hours of beating the dent out then cutting it down before it's ready for paint.

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: JohnnyPopper on December 25, 2018, 05:35:04 PM

Dude, that bedside was compressed and I think the only way you get it right is to pull it out on a frame machine. You might have to weld some straps on the inside of the bed near the tailgate to tug that crease out, but cutting and banging on it for days will never get it right. Jus sayin!

If you're going to a short bed why are you fixing this one?

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: TCATTC on January 08, 2019, 08:24:58 AM

Sounds like way too much labor involved. There are still affordable short beds out there

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: roundhouse on January 08, 2019, 01:28:40 PM

Why not just buy a nice short bed ?

But that brings up the other obvious question

Why go to all that work to make a long bed Into a short bed ?
Easier and cheaper to just buy a truck that was a short bed from the factory

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: moregrip on January 09, 2019, 09:29:14 AM

I bought this one because it was a Nevada truck with no rust, came with an inline 6 (which is the motor I wanted to build for this one), and the price was right. Besides this nasty dent its a very nice truck. I have the brackets to cut the frame down just need to figure the bed situation out. I went to look at some short-bed bedsides, pretty rough from the rocker down but save-able.

I know this dent looks bad and it is, making it lots of work, but I figure if a spend a little time on in each day, it might be a nice challenge to try the repair. Worst case, I suppose, I cut out the metal and weld in patch panels.

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: TCATTC on January 09, 2019, 10:32:09 AM

If you're cutting a long bed down to make a short bed that dent will be the least of the work you're in for.

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: moregrip on January 11, 2019, 07:05:36 AM

going to pick up some SWB bed sides today, not perfect by any stretch but at least I'll have another option. Also grabbing the bed floor (totally trashed but useful) so I can grab some measurements for the LWB bed floor cut down

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: moregrip on January 12, 2019, 02:37:31 PM

Well as another option I picked up some short bedsides yesterday. I was able to source these locally, they are rough. See pics below, this is the worse one of the two. Price seemed fair enough considering the repairs needed.

The not so bad:

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/46717330411_b273e2d1d4_b.jpg)


(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7927/39752444253_b1bce980a9_b.jpg)


(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4910/39752451433_e6dd55980a_b.jpg)

Title: Re: How to attack a bedside repair
Post by: moregrip on January 12, 2019, 02:48:34 PM

the not so good:

going to need a bed rocker pretty-much on both sides
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4890/32842507548_ae7f839c71_b.jpg)


both bed rails have extra holes in them and both rear stake pockets are deformed a bit w/metal edge cracked in a few spots
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7855/45802192645_e71945ed74_b.jpg)


inner structure and bed side separated on both bedsides with some metal cracking
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7919/31776115577_8141acde4c_b.jpg)