Like most truck owners, I'm getting rust in the wheel wells. The fronts are getting pretty bad, but I purchased new fenders to replace them so that issue is solved once I swap them over.

However, the rear wheel wells are just starting to get some surface rust, and I can easily sand that down, prime, and paint. Even though it hasn't poked through yet, I'm concerned that there might be rust on the inside of the wheel wells, but I haven't been able to figure out if the fender well behind the side panels is removable. I looked at it in the daylilght with a 500W worklight, and didn't see any bolts (or welds, actually).

Anyone know offhand if these inside panels are removable? I'd really like to fix this correctly if I can and not have to address rust issues in 6 months. And the rest of the bed is in decent enough shape I'd like to keep it.

Thanks for any tips...

 

Fredric, I am a little confused, what fender well are you talking about? On my 92 there is just the plastic inner linner and the bedside is a single sheet. If you remove the plastic liner you should be able to access the inner side of the bed rail. I hope this helps, I am just having trouble picturing what area you are talking about. I had a rust spot right above my front fuel filler and a shop dropped the inner liner and cut out the rust then welded in a new section. Please let me know if I am even talkin about the right area? Thanks

 

I don't know if this relates or not. I had an 89 Ranger prior to my F150 and decided to repair the wheel wells for the same reasons as you. I took the truck to a body shop to have the panels cut out and flanged to accept the replacement panels. They ended up cutting out the inner panel that was welded to the inside lip of the outter skin. AFAIK it is intended to be a support panel to reduce or eliminate the flex of the outter skin. With the Ranger they did a really good job of cutting the inner panel and all I did, once the new panels were in place, was bend the remainder of the inner panel up so that it again mated with the outter skin. I then attached the inner panel with body panel glue and riveted it in place until the glue had set. I drilled out the rivets, filled the holes along with the rest of the body work and shot my paint. The finsihed product looked reasonably good for a 1st time effort. The outter skin was good and tight with no flex under reasonable pressure. I am now preparing to go through the exact same process on my 91 F150 and yes, it has the inner panel as well. I don't think that they are removeable although I could be really wrong on that. It's just that the body shop didn't remove them on my old truck, they just cut them right along the lip of the outter skin.

Cheers!

Mike

 

The inner and outer panel for that matter are not removable, at least not on my F-250, Fredrick. Well, not through fasteners anyway. If you determine that the panels have no rust, how about applying bedliner to them? Just an idea.

 

92supercab the area I'm talking about is the fender lip right above the rear tires, on the bed. The white paint is just starting to flake off, and there is rust colored metal underneath. I poked at it, and there are no holes yet, so I want to take care of this before this gets worse. I just noticed it not too long ago. What perplexed me is the "inner fender liners" in the bed, seem to be the actual bed, I didn't see any screws, rivets, or even spot welds. I'll have to power wash the area just to be sure. Anyway, that's what I'm describing - there definately is no plastic liner, its all metal.

tex94F250 bedliner is a great idea, I've been meaning to do the whole bed anyway, just I wasn't sure if it's rusty right behind the fender (I guess, quarter panel?), and going through all that aggrevation just to have it poke through from the inside, would.. well.. suck If it's bad on the inside, I'd cut it out and make a 22ga patch, but I can't see inside. Like you said, it appears to be all one big welded pile of steel, though I didn't see any beads. I'll power wash it tomorrow and look more closely.

MRL123 actually Ford is very consistant in how they make things, so maybe my truck is similar. I'll clean it up tomorrow and take a look see, maybe I'll get lucky and find rivets. I'm just trying to determine the best approach I guess without enough information. Happy to cut it out if I have to, but I'd rather not if I don't need to. Just want to see inside and wasn't sure how (or if) it comes apart in this area.

I guess ultimately if I can't figure out how it comes apart, I'll jsut fix it from the outside and repaint the sides, and hope it lasts for a while. When it rusts through, I'll just acquire another later year, less rusty bed. Looking to do it right, with the least amount of work. Doing it right takes priority.

Then I have to figure out which white it is... there were three in 1993 and the paint cold on my door has long peeled and fell off somewhere. heh-heh. But I can get it color matched, that's not a big deal. I have to do that anyway for the front fenders and the junkyard, modified hood.

Thanks guys!