Author Topic: Roof from single cab  (Read 3117 times)

Offline uprising

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Roof from single cab
« on: March 12, 2019, 04:33:47 AM »
Hi guys,

my preowner cut a whole in the roof to install a pushwindow. It was not done pretty good and it is not really water-proof. Is there a possibility to remove the top(roof) and install a new one or do i have to weld the whole? Can i remove the inner iron sheet behind the Headliner?

Offline Henry

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Re: Roof from single cab
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2019, 11:48:54 AM »
Hi Uprising:
Many years ago my truck had an aftermarket sunroof installed and I decided to remove it. I found a clean roof on a truck at a junkyard and had them cut it off for me half way down the pillars. I then had a body shop remove my roof and weld in the junk yard one. It can be done but you need a welder that is experienced in doing this because you absolutely need everything square and straight for the windshields and doors to fit back in and seal properly. If you live in an area where there is a lot of hail damage to vehicles, the body shops should have welding techs that have experience doing this. I dont know if there are new roofs available to buy for squarebodies yet. I dont know about just patching the hole but it seems like you would have to find patch panels that have the right curvature and this would be difficult to make. Another possibly more economical option would be to just buy a clean junkyard cab and build it up.
Regards,
Henry

Offline uprising

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Re: Roof from single cab
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2019, 02:19:32 PM »
Hi Henry,
sounds not so good. So, there is no easy way to install a new roof... The only problem can be the bulge of the roof... But should be possible for a professional. The biggest problem can be the inside view. In the middle is a special form. Is there an insulation between the sheets?
To change the whole cab is an option but needs a lot of space and time ;) And the biggest problem is to get a cab. In germany really not possible! What is a realistic price for a cab?

Best regards,
Pascal

Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: Roof from single cab
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2019, 03:31:55 PM »
chop top time
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

Online VileZambonie

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Re: Roof from single cab
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2019, 07:10:08 PM »
Install a new section using panel pond adhesive. Do your body work and call it a day. No need to replace the whole roof section.
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Offline Henry

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Re: Roof from single cab
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2019, 12:22:32 PM »
Hi uprising:
No, I do not believe there is insulation between the inner and outer cab roof panels...at least not on my truck which is a Custom Deluxe. Does your truck have a headliner?...If you fabricate patch panels (or cut them out of a junkyard truck) you can make the repair and the headliner will cover the imperfections on the inner panel. The inner roof panel is a more complicated shape than the outer roof panel. It is possible to make the repair using patch panels, but once again, you have to make very careful measurements and have expert welding skills. The effort and cost of this is higher than just replacing the entire roof if you want your truck to look perfect.

I do not know what a realistic price is for a squarebody cab here in the USA...the junkyards that have cabs are becoming fewer and fewer. For example, in north Texas where I live, I know of only one junkyard in the rural area that has a selection of 6 or 7 cabs and that is all for hundreds of miles. Exporting the cab to Germany would be so expensive you might as well buy a whole truck and export it to Germany. I have no idea what a used cab in Europe would cost. Here is one junkyard e-mail you can contact in the USA to see what a cab or roof would cost: brownesalvage@earthlink.net

Maybe you should just repair your pushwindow installation or install a different pushwindow...?

Regards,
Henry
 

Offline uprising

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Re: Roof from single cab
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2019, 02:44:32 PM »
Hi Henry:
Thanks for the informations!!! I think you‘re right and the delivery from the US to germany is to expensive! And then the tax... So i have to welt a new sheet (which has to be done by a pro) or replace the window. I will make sone pics tomorrow and post them. Then you will see the mess.
Actually there is no headliner in the truck. I thoughg about it but first inwouls like to get the window close or replace it with metal :)

Do you have an adress for the roofwindows? Maybe there is a nice one which fits better and has a seal. At the moment it is a heck of a construction :-X

Offline roundhouse

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Re: Roof from single cab
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2019, 09:26:07 PM »
You have pics of the roof glass ?

Offline uprising

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Re: Roof from single cab
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2019, 03:21:49 PM »
The pics are not pretty good. The car is in a garage and the weather is very wet.

Offline Henry

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Re: Roof from single cab
« Reply #9 on: March 16, 2019, 01:28:48 PM »
Hi uprising:
Your pictures are dark but clear enough to see that your roof and pushwindow is in good condition...I think you should just remove the pushwindow assembly and make repairs or modifications to stop the leaking. One common cause of the leaking is that the roof is a curved surface and the pushwindow assembly is a straight, flat surface...when the pushwindow assembly is forcibly clamped to the roof, the pushwindow assembly is distorted from the straight flat state and so the water sealing surface between the glass and gasket is compromised.

If you install a different pushwindow, one thing to keep in mind is: do not cut the roof forward of the existing installation. The closer the pushwindow is to the front windshield, the more the roof curves and this becomes more difficult to stop leaking.

Regards,
Henry