Bed Repair

[yank]

Thixon, What are using between the steal supports and the tub floor? Do you know if you can get the original canvas stuff?

[Bertha]

Thixon, What are using between the steal supports and the tub floor? Do you know if you can get the original canvas stuff?

Canvas bufferes were used on early trucks. Later trucks used rubber buffers which Rovers North carries.

[thixon]

Yank and Bertha,

I'm actually floundering on that one. My truck did have the rubber supports. I've thought about a number of things to use, including layers of inner tube.

I work for a wood pressure treating company. We use belts of rubber stamps to apply a stamp to wood that we've treated. I've been browsing through the worn out stamps trying to find something close in terms of thickness. I may very well cut supports out of an old lumber stamp!

Yeah, I'm that cheap.

[greenmeanie]

Travis,
I have a couple of redundant axle limit straps that should work very well. I can throw one in your elusive package if you want.

[thixon]

Travis,
I have a couple of redundant axle limit straps that should work very well. I can throw one in your elusive package if you want.

Gregor,

That would be much appreciated.

[thixon]

Update

Well....

Not much time to work on the rover lately, but I did manage to get some grinding and shaping done on the welds to the bottom of the bed. Now its time for some hammer and dolly work to get it flat and straight.

I'm pleased thus far with how the welds came out. Hopefully the rest of the project will go as smoothly. My fear of welding aluminum is basically gone at this point. My ony advice is its all in the cleaning.

[thixon]

update

I got some work done over the long weekend. I managed to get the bed floor made, and also made a new side for my seat box.

A buddy donated a 4x8 sheet of aluminum to the project, but it turned out to be thinner than the original bed floor. I decided to play with some 3M body panel adhesive, and ended up laminating two sheets together to make one piece that was thicker than the original floor. Anyone who is aprehesive about using that stuff should rest easy. It sticks!.

I ended up just using aluminum angle for the stiffeners, and fastened them with some countersunk blind rivets. I still need install rivets around the perimiter of the bed.

After much deliberation, I've decided to fasten the steel stiffeners that the bed rides on with bolts, instead of riveting. This will allow me to easily remove them when they eventually rust into nothing.

The side panel for the seatbox was a fun project. Took about 20 minutes with a box break. I'll eventually make a tool box, but I'm more interested in getting the truck on the road first.

[Tim Smith]

[madp]

I also will be soon working on the bed repair on my 109 and I was thinking of using Butyl Putty Tape as a buffer, it is used in the RV industry for sealing around windows and what not, we pull it out of 50 year old Airstreams all the time and it has not dried out and is still flexible, it is pretty cool stuff. With a little bit of compression it seals really well. It is pretty cheap; you can get it from Vintage trailer supply (They are a reputable company) http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Butyl_Putty_Tape_p/vts-419.htm for $4.99 a roll
Just a thought…..

[Bertha]

I also will be soon working on the bed repair on my 109 and I was thinking of using Butyl Putty Tape as a buffer, it is used in the RV industry for sealing around windows and what not, we pull it out of 50 year old Airstreams all the time and it has not dried out and is still flexible, it is pretty cool stuff. With a little bit of compression it seals really well. It is pretty cheap; you can get it from Vintage trailer supply (They are a reputable company) http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Butyl_Putty_Tape_p/vts-419.htm for $4.99 a roll
Just a thought…..

Not sure what you mean by using it for a buffer in the bed, however the tape you have pointed out is a dead ringer for the stuff Land Rover used to seal the floor boards and seat base to the truck-thanks for the good supplier tip as I was starting to run out of my supply.

[thixon]

Madp,

Thanks for the source. I was floundering on just using the panel adhesive on the bed floor, but did'nt like the "permanent" nature of going that route.

Bertha,
as you can see, I decided to back off on the large rivets for the bed supports. Thanks for the offer anyway.

All,
I found out today, that it is going to be next to impossible to find a replacement left quarter panel. They are NLA even at the supply houses in the UK. On mine, only the bottom portion below the spotwelds to the fender well is bad. Looks like the SPO pushed it in right at the wheel well. After alot of thought, my solution will be to cut the lower portion off in one straight cut parallel to the horizontal line of the fender well. I plan to leave about an inch of the old fender below the fender well. I then plan to make a plywood buck, using the profile from my good side. I'll then hammer out a new lower panel, flange the top, and join the two using the weldless panel repair technique ( body adhesive and coutersunk rivets. If all goes well, I should be able to glaze over the rivets, and no one will be the wiser (unless they look inside the fender). We'll see how that goes.

[SafeAirOne]

Travis--Nice job. I think I've seen some rear 88 tub sides while surfing lately; Maybe RDS or Britannica Restorations...I'll have to have another look.

...the tape you have pointed out is a dead ringer for the stuff Land Rover used to seal the floor boards and seat base to the truck.

The floorboards are supposed to be saeled up? Geez, I have my floorboards in and out on what seems like a monthly basis. No wonder they make so much noise (vibration)!

[madp]

Madp,

Thanks for the source. I was floundering on just using the panel adhesive on the bed floor, but did'nt like the "permanent" nature of going that route.

I know what you mean, when I pulled my bed out the PO had glude it down and it was a huge pain to remove, but with the putty, if you have a remove it, a gentle pull is all it takes to get it to come loose.

Bertha--by buffer I meant where the Aluminum of the bed meets the steel of the frame.

[JackIIA]

Classic!

The sealant is now sold out....which one of you guys bought the lot?