I need to repair my cab mounts. I guess I'll research some threads here on that subject. My cab mounts are rusted bad on my 1968 F100 Ranger. I need all the help I can get. What is the best way to fix this, here's a pic:
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/...ps263ea561.jpg

 

Well, today I shall begin to remove my cab so I can repair the cab mounts and rusted floor area. I've searched for some good tutorials on the subject but haven't found anything just yet. I'll take many pics and vids of my progress. A friend of mine who is into fabrication totally restored his old 1953 Ford. He had a long bed frame and cut it near the end and put a short bed on it, took him a year to do the whole thing. I mention this because he said he did the whole job with his acetylene/oxygen torch. He said that I could buy a torch kit for around $200 and then lease the tanks and then I'd have all I need. Most people I ask about this tell me to buy a roll of bailing wire and I'll have what I need to do all the sheet metal work on my truck. If this is so, then why do most people seem to be using MIG? (as you can tell, I'm just now getting into welding). If you find any videos or information that would help me with my cab problem then please send a link.

 

Less metal distortion with a MIG best with a gas set up, not flux core wire.
Don't get the cheap LMC cab mounts. Dennis Carpenter Ford Car, F-100 Pickup Truck, 8N, 9N Tractor and Cushman Scooter Restoration Parts
or National Parts Depot | Restoring American History | Mustang Parts | Camaro Parts | Chevelle Parts | Ford Truck Parts | T-Bird Parts | Firebird Parts | Chevy Truck Parts are best. They're in the $80 each range.

 

Gas acetylene/oxygen welding is from yesteryear when that was all their was.
for sheet metal welding. Todays would many small wire welders on the market.

Most guys who don't know how to really weld a good bead don't put out a grand+ for a welder that will site in corner under a work bench for the most part.

Let your wallet be your guide, if your pretty handy with tools and fabing up stuff then you may get a lot of use from a welder.

Orich

 

I can't even imagine using a torch to weld body panels. That takes real skills. MIG is much easier to learn. A decent used MIG welder can usually be found on Craigslist. Stay with a brand name like Hobart, Miller or Lincoln. For example a Hobart Handler 140 110v will do any body work you will encounter without breaking the bank. Few people lease tanks anymore. Buying the tanks is cheaper in the long run, and easily exchanged locally. I started with a small 20cf bottle and upsized as funds permitted. They will buy your old tank back when purchasing a larger size.

 

Check this out:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...0-project.html

I gas welded a rear clip on a 68 Galaxie. Not fun. As mentioned MIG is a lot better.
Best would be TIG but the set up is pricey.
Check craigs list for a MIG in your area, you might find a deal. But in the long run new might be better. Also check with vocational schools or continuing education in your area. They might have welding classes.

 

The only Cab Mount to buy are the ones from Dennis Carpenter. The others that are available fail in short order. I bought my MIG Welder from Harbor Freight, it was only $100 at the time and it does what needs to be done. The easiest way the install the Cab Mounts is through a process call "Plug Welding". This is when you drill a hole in the part you are attaching and weld through the hole to the base metal and fill it in. Search the term and you should find some youtube videos to guide you. Good luck and I hope this info is helpful.

 

I've got the "Feel'in Bad - Rusty Cab" blues. When I first saw my truck on craigslist it looked really good to me, at that time I wasn't into 'bumps' enough to know what to look for - but it looked great so I bought it for $1,100. Here's what it looked like: New Good Looking 1968 F100 Ranger.
After I got it home, I immediately went on ebay and bought all the shop manuals and started to learn about them from here and other sources. The truck came without a tailgate and it had a plastic insert in the bed. I was told to remove the insert and check the bed for rust - the bed was mostly gone and there was no fixing the whole truck bed so I removed it - here's a pic of the rusted bed: Rusted Bed.
After I seen how rusted the bed was I began to look at the cab for rust and found it all over the place. I don't know what you call it but there's a type of 'gusset' that goes across the middle of the bottom of the cab and both ends of that are rusted away - here's 2 pics, one of each end: Rusted Gusset01 and Rusted Gusset02.
And once again, here's a pic of one of my front cab mounts, the other one isn't much different: Rusted Cab Mount

My first thought was, "Ok, I'll get a MIG welder and order new cab mounts and go for it!" BUT...now I'm feel'in blue. It looks like a major job to remove that cab. I guess I can't just jack it up a little and then weld and replace the mounts - it seems like I just about have to totally remove the whole cab, take out the seat, carpet, steering column, dash, brake lines, wires, and maybe even remove all the glass in the cab?! Now I'm wondering if I should just use this truck as a parts truck and look for a truck with a better looking cab. My problem is that I'm using my neighbors garage and he's like, "don't worry, it don't matter how long it takes for you to fix your truck!" But when I look at the link above that shows that guys total rebuild, doing my cab work could take weeks!. By the way, I bought another truck before I learned how to look at the cab mounts and stuff. I pick it up this weekend. Maybe between the two trucks I can get one of them safe on the road. The one I'm getting is a 1971 custom - here's the slide show: Slide Show of 1971 Custom

 

I replaced my cab mounts one at a time but my floor was good enough to repair with fiberglass cloth. & por-15. I loosen all the cab mount bolts & radiator support so, I'd could raise one side of the cab enough to remove the old one. And slide in the new one

I did not even remove the fenders which sure would made it easier.

Drilled out all the old spot welds the best, I could. Used a sawall with a long blade to help cut it loose. Also use a hand grinder with a 4'' cutting wheel cut & smooth any areas that may keep the new one mounts seating into place. The fire wall lips was pretty hard having the fenders on. So take them out an tires if needed ...

Not having a welder any more so I bolted them back in with 5/16 grade 8 bolts & nut a long with the use of fender washer & lock washers. Clamp the fire wall lip up into place first.
at the firewall slowly lower the cab down to get the mount seated before welding or bolting it in place. I found that the bolts help pull it up to the floor also.

It's best to buy a spot weld cutting bit to cut all those welds.
Orich
Here what happens when buying the cheap mounts.

 

Orich, you've been very helpful and I appreciate your time...I need all the help I can get. I'm thinking of buying a Hobart Handler 140 mig, I guess that'll help me with all of this. I hope others chim in with ideas for me. I really like the idea of not totally removing my cab. Thank you again!!!

 

The Hobart is a good outfit. Get the gas setup.

I got a set of cab mounts from NPD. Picked them up in Charlotte, NC. The salesman showed me the difference in the cheapies ($20 range) and the way better grade ($80+ ). Turns out the better ones were made by D Carpenter. NPD sells them at the same price D C advertises.

 

Ok, this sounds nuts but I'm just wondering if this is feasible, what if - instead of buying new cab mounts and the hardware, I just jack up each side of the cab to where it's supposed to be (about an inch) and then weld in a couple of hefty and wide straps of metal that go from the better non-rusted floor areas down to the cab frame mount or maybe even directly to the frame. My first thought in doing that is that there would be no rubber between the cab and frame as usually is by way of the bolts. That wouldn't cause too much of a rough ride would it?

 

You can tackle them any way you want to patch it up to get by.

But most guy want to kind of restore the truck to make it look it's best as his workmanship into any project does reflects what their skills are and shows they taken pride in every thing they do.

Kind of like painting a vehicle with a roller/brush/ even a rattle can camel paint job.

Or the use of a spray gun that yields the most attention as a wow factor man.
That you did great job does pump your chest up a little with your head held high.

Or just say oh hell is just an old rusted piece of crap why make it look good,
as you have to drive it.

You own it do as you please!

Orich

 

What is the second trucks cab like? That bed is fixable but it is going to be a challenge. As for the cab worse has been repaired on here and better have been scrapped. It really depends on how committed your are or if you should be committed.

 

Great information and I get your point(s)...thank you! I don't have the time, tools, or the garage 'yet' to take my time and do a restore so I'm going to try to make it look nice to the observer and I'll try to hide all the uglies. I did one thing today that every 'bump' owner should do or have done in the past - bought a MIG welder.
My New Hobart Handler 140 MIG Welder Stuff