After studying the condition of the body on the '51 I just hoofed out to Nebraska after, I noticed that there were cracks on the cab along the body line below the windows starting at the rear of the door opening and following it back about 9/16" or so on both sides. Out of curiosity, I checked both of my other cabs and they are exhibiting the same cracks. Obviously this is a common thing. Have any of you other F1 guys ran into these and how did you fix them? Being right in the body crease, it seems to me that they would be pretty tough to repair and hide.

 

My cab (1950) isn't like that. I've parted 6+ trucks, all years, and have never seen that problem. Were the trucks you have subjected to hard use?

 

My '48 is like that - the cracks were very small when I rebuilt the truck - honestly didn't even notice them until late in the process. This past summer when I was rear-ended the back of the cab was mashed in and the cracks really opened up.

By the way, they are in close proximity to the door latches and take a beating, especially if you replace the door rubbers and have to slam the doors.

I plan to weld them up and finish normally - maybe some reinforcement inside the cab??? Any other ideas?

 

On both of my 51's they are cracked in the middle above the opening on the side of the door(to get at the inside). Only on the drivers and not the passengers.
Makes you wonder?

Nathan

 

My '52 has them on the door seem right where the body curve is. I got a '41 that saw regular abuse and from that truck I can tell you every week point on it's body for in various places they have what I like to call, rips. And right next to them are welds from other rips. I would say just weld and grind. Your truck shouldn't see the days it had so long ago anymore anyways so reinforcement shouldn't be that necicary.

 

Was just out attacking the cab of my 52 this afternoon, and I took a look just for the heck of it, and found my cab is cracked as well. mine are about a half inch hairline crack on the bodyline. Shouldn't be too hard to weld up and make look good, but I am assuming tyhats a high stress point on the cab. I'm pretty certain my truck had a hard life, from the brackets and such I had to cut off the frame, I think it had been a wrecker at one point (also the fact that my frame had been cut off just behind the rear spring mount, only to have been rewelded on at some later point). Oh well, I guyess it shows that even though aboused, these old girls survived.

Jon