Hey guys I have some weldible steel that is 22 gauge will that work for small in cab repairs along with the small spots on the roof. Or should I get 18 gauge.

 

There is a very good welding thread on here that talks about the thickness of metal to use for various parts of the truck. Maybe someone will chime In with the link for you since I no longer have it. 20ga seemed to be perfect for me but I could not find it locally so I purchased it on Online Metal Store | Small Quantity Metal Orders | Metal Cutting, Sales & Shipping | Buy Steel, Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Stainless | Metal Product Guides at OnlineMetals.com

I seem to recall the 22 was a little thin but again it has been awhile since I read it.

 

Trucks are 18 ga., why not use same thickness for repairs ???????????????????

 

I could but it's what I have and don't want to waste it

 

I used original thickness for my repairs. I know of others however that had cheap equipment that couldn't bend or shape that size metal and went with thinner backed in places with metal plug welded in for more strength. In the end its how long you want your truck to last.

 

Point taken

 

Often the most expensive parts are the ones used because they were free. I use and recommend 19 ga deep drawing (also called aluminum killed) cold rolled sheet steel for forming patches. It matches the body metal thickness perfectly and the deep drawing is more malleable than standard cold rolled (and a lot more malleable than hot rolled!). Never use galvanized steel like is used for heating ducts. The deep drawing is a little more expensive and harder to find, but well worth it. It will be very difficult to weld 22 ga without blowing thru, will warp a lot more and grinding the weld seams and metal finishing will likely leave it paper thin.
Labor is the most expensive part of rust repair, buying a sheet or 1/2 sheet of the 19 ga deep drawing is a minor expense.
Here's a couple links I think will be very informative and helpful:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-practice.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...g-try-2-a.html

 

thats why i have parts trucks, you can cut sheet metal from one to form to where you need it on another, same thickness. and cheap