So I Need To Talk To A Sheet Metal Guy

I am about to put a Classic Enterprises Rear Side Panel on my 48 2A tub. And I noticed the joint between the left tail light panel and the Side panel is holding the side panel away from the curve and the outside flange on the Wheel house top. I can clamp the side in to touch the flange on the top of the wheel house. But the curve no way. SO the only thing I can see to fix it is to rebend the flange on the Rear Side Panel.

So my question any secret tips on moving a 90 degree bend in 18 ga 1/8" the bend will be about 18" long and no way would it fit into a Brake at a Sheet Metal shop being so close to the radius.

So far the plan is to flatten the flange back out using clamping pressure to try to not dent up the metal. Then using a piece of 3/4" x 4" on edge as a bending anvil with a piece of 1" square as a clamp then just hammer the flange back. Since the hammer marks will all be inside the joint and welded out of sight it shouldn't show anything.

Sound good?

 

I'd probably add some red-hot. Working cold metal hardens it.

 

True but I have nothing that could keep a 18" long line of 18 ga hot enough while clamped to the other pieces of metal to make it worth the effort.
And a single bend for the new flange will be no difference then the one Classic did when they made the part. And the old flange that would be bent and straightened will be inside the joint and welded together. But I get your point. If I had a Oxy/Act I would most likely try that

 

Could you take an 1/8" out of the tail light panel behind the angle that creates the tailgate opening?

 

I might do it without the clamps, over a "dolly" - with heat - an inch or three at a time.

Flame will allow the wrinkles to shrink out.



P.S. How can anyone not have an O-A torch?
I couldn't live a day without mine.

 

So you want to move this pre-bent 90 degree flange over 1/8" of an inch?

Flattening the flange out and then trying to re-bend it will just work harden the metal and cause it to split at the new 90 degree fold. Plus your method of bending will be tough to get a close , straight or small radius bend. A press brake that uses dies would be far more accurate and no issue with the curve.............or you could either cut off the old flange and weld another on where you need it or you could pick a spot in the middle of your panel and take out the overage there............in either case the ability to weld or just fuse the panels together without much heat would be needed and then later some time with the hammer and dolly.
Has the body in that area been Hit? can that be stretched out?

 

The Taillight panel is already welded in place so it would be huge PITA to remove it without messing it up (its also new metal)

 

Sometimes they both need to be installed together or at least fit as a pair. Might have made a difference.

 

No the body hasn't been hit its all BRAND NEW METAL from Classic Enterprises. The tail gate surround the Tail light panel are already welded together as well as being welded to the wheel house and the lower valance. The Rear Side Panel is BRAND NEW METAL from Classic Enterprises. I don't have a press brake so that becomes problematic.

Cutting and rewelding the flange back on is a possibility due to the curve in the body I would have to make the cut within about 1/2" of the current bend other wise I would be well into the curve and that would be much harder to smooth out.

 

AH OK since the Tail light panels is welded as tight as possible into the Tail gate surround and the joint with the Wheel house if I had lapped it the other way with the Wheel house over the tail light panel then it would not have laid flat against the Tail gate surround. When the Rear Side Panel is clamped in place it is approx. 1/8" from fitting the curve and top outside flange of the Wheel house. Yet it is as tight against the Tail Light panel as is physically possible (4 vise grips holding the flange together)

 

What if you used two 18" pieces of 3/4" angle (or what ever will fit before the curve) clamp (or even drill and bolt through the panel) and without straightening the flange first reshape it cold. You could do a trial run with some scrap sheet metal before commiting to your new side panel. I remember creating new tail light panels as a teenager with my father - we always clamped over a heavy angle and hammered the flange - working slowly along the entire length of the bend back and forth until we reached 90 degrees. We would end up with some hammer marks on the flange as you mentioned but the panels came out nice.

 

Can you clamp and beat the out of that flange, and/or use a spacer/filler - where it doesn't show as much?

Or, again, use more heat and less force, working it along with a flame and a hammer, clamping or spot welding as you go.

⅛" doesn't amount to much in bodywork, if it's not in a eyecatching location.

 

Cut it. Remove a little steel and weld it back together at the right position. Weld it dot-by-dot and planish it as you go. It'll be perfect. See the threads by MC&P at Garage Journal MP&C Shop Projects - The Garage Journal Board

 

Yes Mark , No easy fix..................Assuming Classic has made many and used an unmolested body as a model is there a chance that your body is off a little in that area? or for that matter the difference could be accumulative from the opposite site............How about using a port-a-power between those two points to open it up a little........as Pete mentioned above 1/8" is minimal dimension to move in the Body Shop World.......or Call Classic and see if they will build you another that fits to your body dimension.

 

There is no original body any where near this to effect the fit the closest original metal is the end of the Tunnel where it attaches to the bottom of the riser. Everything connected with this "gap" is Classic Enterprises Metal. As to the fit. There is no other side to effect this fit since it is all from the tail gate Opening surround out to the left. The tail gate surround was blocked and held perfectly square prior to any other metal being attached to it. The Joint on the side of the body in the middle of the door opening was almost 3/4" off the Lower Cowl Section having to be cut and reshaped to fit. I believe this is because the panels are made to fit multiple years of tubs.

The gap that is resulting from the Side Panel sticking out to far is between the weld flange on the top of the Wheel House and the inside of the Side Panel. To suck this together creates a pucker all along the Side Panel that would result in 1/8" of Bondo running the full length of the seam (NOT ACCEPTABLE) I could fit a layer of metal in that joint and include it in the seam but that would be a very sloppy way of doing this and not look right leaving a 1/8" plus edge on the top of the Flange all along the Top of the Wheel house. I could cut the Wheel house top and widen it But that would be a 24" plus weld that would be a PITA in the OLD metal.

I guess I will either cut and reposition the flange or I will scare up a torch and just pound it into place. I did a bunch of cut and weld stuff when I made the sides of my New tool box out of 5 pieces so I am well aware of how to do that. I just didn't want to have to deal with that at such a visible and critical area.

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

OK so thats done. I painted some layout fluid on the end of the Rear Side Panel and scribed off two lines 1/8" apart. Then using my Saber Saw with a 24 tooth blade I cut along one of the lines (sadly not quite as straight as I would have preferred) Then I took the flange section and using my stationary 2 x 72" belt grinder I ground it back approx. 1/8" to match the saw cut. I had a little bit of a gap here and there but fine for welding it back on.

I found a strip of copper and a piece of 1/4 x 1 x 18 precision ground A2 tool steel laid the copper on top of it and used it to back up the joint. threw a dozen vise grips at it and stood the thing up on the Arm of my Rotisserie so I could bead weld it from the inside (I won't even bother grinding the welds and an Air tank will be hiding almost all of it) I did a pretty good job with real good penetration and no blow through (gotta love learning to Weld with a Lincoln Weld Pak 140) I made one mistake welding an area that will be part of the top edge joint that has to fit over top of the doubler that runs under the lip. Its going to take a little while with my 3/8" x 13" Air sander to remove but waiting for the compressor to come up gives me time for this post and some SOUP (its like COLD out in the carport shop)

I sure wish I knew if I was going to have the same problem on the other side as everything is setup to do the correction. But I know if I don't wait until I know for sure I could end up really sorry.

Thanks for the advise guys.

 

Glad that worked for you.........

 

Ya now I can obsess about how the side of the body is not flat but turns in slightly just ahead of the Front of the Wheel house. I need another Jeep to look at.