I bought replacement cab corners and they seemed ok until I went to install them. These stampings were from Mid-Fiftys and are quite a bit off. Has anyone come across this and did you just massage them into shape or leave as is?

Ernie






The original has a sharp bottom and the replacement is a lot more rounded.





The bottom width is a lot wider on the replacement.





I guess it's a good thing these aren't visiable once the bed is on.

 

That's the norm. You just need to fondle and firkle them into place, if that doesn't work, try fettling!

 

Children may be reading this!

The patch panels are lousy. Everyone says they're stamped from genuine Ford machines but that obviously can't be true. The door patch panels for the inside of my '56 were awful. Everything was at least a half an inch off. It's discouraging a know. And yes you have to work with what you have. Try finding someone with an English Wheel and firkle away. Whatever the heck that means.

 

As someone once said, "Britain and America, two countries separated by a common language."

 

Did you notify Mid-Fifty?

 

When I did my 56 I got cab corners from mid fifty and tried to put them on. They did not fit worth a crap. The bottom corner was not the same shape as the original cab corner. The only thing that was close was the door jam area. I wound up getting a set of Schott corners and they fit but the door jam was not right. I had to alter that part to make them work. I also used the Mid Fifty inner cab corners which fit well but again needed minor tweeking. I am in the market for another set of Schott corners for my 56 COE.

 

Here's the disclaimer from Mid Fifties Site:

Patch panels are not covers, they replace the original sheet metal, however, like all repair pieces, they may not be exact duplicates of original. Even original cabs are not all exactly alike as they were not all stamped from the exact same dies.

Looks like it's time to bring out the firkling hammer and beat some shape into them.

 

All the patch panels I have ever used (with one exception) needed a lot of tweaking to get good fitment. My biggest problem with cab corners was being difficult to get a heat sink behind them when welding in. The exception is the big window rear conversion, It fit like a glove.

 

When I did my patch panels it seem as if the right side panel fit a whole lot better then the drivers side.

 

I got my front and rear cab corners from Dennis carpenter. Was nervous before starting but lined up half decent. Both sides were completely different on the rears tho.