get it welded or bondo?
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
From: south GA
get it welded or bondo?
i got a 81 f150 and i got a couple of rust spots here and there but one bad rust spot on my cab corner,my question is should i get them welded up,or get them bondo???? i think welding them would be the better choice, but my buddy said bondo would be better.is bondoing them gonna be better than welding them???? thanx 
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,495
Likes: 2
From: Northwest Fl
Best repair, imo is cutting out all the bad metal and welding in patch panels.
Bondo is a temp. fix but there are some products that are more resistant to moisture than others. Some folks are also using glued on patch panels. The main thing you need to do is make sure you get all the rust out, front and back, then seal both sides, otherwise any repair is only temporary.
Bondo is a temp. fix but there are some products that are more resistant to moisture than others. Some folks are also using glued on patch panels. The main thing you need to do is make sure you get all the rust out, front and back, then seal both sides, otherwise any repair is only temporary.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: Virginia Beach,Va
Bondo, or any other brand filler is not a repair for rusted metal. If you use it, the rust will eventually come back. Also, Bondo is not water resistant, so if the area can get wet from the inside, you will have a problem. Cut out the damaged area, weld in a patch panel and use a thin layer of body filler to even out the surface. Never more than 1/4" thick. Also, you may look for a filler called Duraglass that is a fiberglass based filler and has much better water resistance if that area is subject to alot of moisture.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 156
Likes: 0
From: Cranbrook,BC Canada
I would choose the glue on method,have used it lots and swear by it,plus the bonus is that you get a nice waterproof seal around all the edges of the new panel...I used to weld in lots of panels and now use the glue only but not on anything structural like floorboards or cab mounts and such....just my .2 cents
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 302
Likes: 0
From: Cincinnati, Ohio
Originally Posted by supertruck
I would choose the glue on method,have used it lots and swear by it,plus the bonus is that you get a nice waterproof seal around all the edges of the new panel...I used to weld in lots of panels and now use the glue only but not on anything structural like floorboards or cab mounts and such....just my .2 cents
Welded in one patch panel and used adhesive on the other. This was six years ago. My buddy who owns a body shop, didn't trust the adhesive. So this was an experiment. The welded side is rusted out. The adhesive side is still good.
How do you get corrosion protection between two welded pieces of sheet metal? When you weld, you burn the corrosion protection off between the sheet metal.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 156
Likes: 0
From: Cranbrook,BC Canada
The repair time in glueing is far less time and labour intensive than welding as well...not near as much grinding so therefore easier on the metal as well....when I welded in panels,like a rear wheelwell for example,I would spot it on and then spend several hours solid welding the seem up,if ya missed one little weld in the metal, you could almost be guaranteed that there is where moisture will seep through and cause the rusting to start again
Trending Topics
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 302
Likes: 0
From: Cincinnati, Ohio
Originally Posted by supertruck
The repair time in glueing is far less time and labour intensive than welding as well...not near as much grinding so therefore easier on the metal as well....when I welded in panels,like a rear wheelwell for example,I would spot it on and then spend several hours solid welding the seem up,if ya missed one little weld in the metal, you could almost be guaranteed that there is where moisture will seep through and cause the rusting to start again
The adhesive side was also flanged.
I love panel adhesive.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by zanny
I agree. Panel adhesive is the way to go. I did my rear wheel wells on my 86.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: Virginia Beach,Va
77red,
If I can spare some time, I will try and write something up. There are a number of different manufacturers for panel adhesive. Sem, Duramix, Speedgrip, etc...
On 1/4 panels & large panels, I use 40 minute set Speedgrip, as it allows the best repositioning / work time. You can get it in 1, 5, 15, 45 etc... set times. You need to have some method of holding the panel in place, such as cleco fasteners, pop rivets, clamps etc... to get a good job.
Speedgrip is from Norton, www.nortonautomotive.com
Not much in the way of technical advise on their site if I remember correctly.
If I can spare some time, I will try and write something up. There are a number of different manufacturers for panel adhesive. Sem, Duramix, Speedgrip, etc...
On 1/4 panels & large panels, I use 40 minute set Speedgrip, as it allows the best repositioning / work time. You can get it in 1, 5, 15, 45 etc... set times. You need to have some method of holding the panel in place, such as cleco fasteners, pop rivets, clamps etc... to get a good job.
Speedgrip is from Norton, www.nortonautomotive.com
Not much in the way of technical advise on their site if I remember correctly.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 691
Likes: 0
From: Eau Claire, WI
Farm&fleet sells a panal repair tape deal... AL backed with really sticky anhesive... $4 for a 4"x60" roll... Its almost like a dynamat type product... Ill ask around a car audio forum, but its gotta be close...
Anyways I just did it temporary, to get through the winter... 4 layers of this stuff over the rotten rocker, and I heated the material with a hair dryer between layers
Works for now... looks like crap, but its holding up OK
Good luck
~Nate
Anyways I just did it temporary, to get through the winter... 4 layers of this stuff over the rotten rocker, and I heated the material with a hair dryer between layers
Works for now... looks like crap, but its holding up OK
Good luck
~Nate