Anyone have any tips, hints or gone through this repair...I'd like to get some input on what parts you ended up replacing, parts suppliers to stay away from etc...
- posted
19 years ago
Anyone have any tips, hints or gone through this repair...I'd like to get some input on what parts you ended up replacing, parts suppliers to stay away from etc...
Please include the year, 2door, 4 door, etc. when you ask questions.... there's a lot of good people here but I don't think any of them are good enough to second guess..... since the doglegs are the same from day one up to 'bout '00 or so, we can forgive....
If you are in Canada, Cross Canada Parts (
You might get lucky and find some NOS (discontinued) doglegs on E-Bay... I believe the Ford offerings are a bit heavier guage metal. Also, as an alternative to migging the replacements into place, I have been considering some of the 3M adhesive offerings.... body shops seem to be going towards adhesives in non-structural members these days.... I will add that I'm not sure if electrolysis might become an issue with this kind of bonding.
Bear in mind that, if the cancer has gotten too good of a toe hold on the dogleg, the repair panel may not be quite enough. The ones I have seen use factory body contours as joint lines to make the seam easier to hide so you may look at yours and use this as a cue...
HTH
Jim Warman snipped-for-privacy@telusplanet.net
I'm assuming you've got a 91-94?
I did mine last fall - actually a dealer did them using aftermarket panels that I supplied. Here is a before and after:
I've done this repair myself. the dogleg are worth about $65 Canadian, which is about $1.95 in US funds. Definately need a Mig welder and someone that knows how to use it. I've attached links to some pics I took. You drill out the spot welds under the door weatherstrip and at the pinch seam under the truck. Use the new piece to mark a line and cut it with a body say/recip saw with a metal blade. Nothing complicated, but not for the faint of heart. If you've never done any bodywork/paint work you're biting off a lot. You need to know about welding in very small spot increments, back and forth keeping the heat down so as to not warp the panels. Then grind and file, sand and fill, sand and fill, keeping sanding and filling and when you have a pile of bondo filings six inches deep at your ankles, you'll be getting close.
Steve, those are really nice pics...but geez Louise, are they ever slow to load for those of us with dial up.
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