I;m thinking on replacing the left bed side. but I'm new to body work, just though I'd ask for any pointers before i start. the project is my 1976 F250 4X4.

Thanks in advance.

RW

 

I replaced a few bedsides back in the mid 90's at a shop. Not on a truck that old, but should be the same. You may want to consider using one of the panel adhesive for this, will save you placing back a lot of spot welds, also will be less chance of corrosion between the seam, or little worry of warpage due to the welding heat. You will have to line up a decent amount of clamps to clamp in place while the adhesive is curing, after it is installed you should still place a few spot welds on the ends, a few near the seam where the edge folds over (behind the cab area) and a few back by the tailights. The guns for the adhesive can be a bit pricey though, one drawback, unless you can get a loaner. I think evercoat now has an adhesive out that uses a standard caulk gun as well. While the panel is off, is a good time to spray any corrosion protection on the inside. Also is a good idea to test fit the new panel first before you adhesive it in. You should grind around the perimeter where the old spot welds were and the mating surface on the truck so they are clean, and apply adhesive to the new panel, and probably need a second set of hands to help place and then clamp (or screw but then you have a hole to fill in your new panel) into position. I'd use a slow set, and best to leave clamped in position for 24 hrs.
There will be a lot of spot welds to drill out to remove the old bedside. Probably Along the front, the bottom and wheel well, and on the inside rail of the bed, and maybe inside gas door and along the wheelhouse. Looking at your new panel may help you locate the areas it may be attached with spotwelds, and sanding or grinding away the paint may help you locate them on the old panel if you have difficulty seeing them.
You can either use a drill bit a little bigger then the spot weld, and only go through the first panel, or use a spot weld cutter bit to cut them. Sometimes a thin sharp putty knife and hammer can help seperate the panels after you've drilled them. Here are some repair procedures on one of the adhesive manufacturers sites.
Repair Procedures

You could also weld it all in if you wanted. Then you should look where the spot welds were on your old panel, drill about a 3/16 inch holes in the new panel where you will be placing the spotwelds to install it. You should again clean the mating surfaces, and remove coating around where you drilled holes in your new panel. use a weld through primer on the mating surface you will be welding too, and make sure not to build up too much heat. Go slow and may want to skip around where you place you spot welds and clamp the area to keep them tight. Keep a hammer and dolly handy to straighten if needed as you go.

 

I have had good results with 3M panel adhesive to attach body panels (cab corners, door skins, etc), but like Kenseth17 said, some times you also better to weld in some sections of patch panel. In fact almost every large patch panel I have done was done with both adhesive and welding. Test fitting before applying adhesive is a must and is a good time to see if you'll have enough clamps to keep all the seams tight while the adhesive dries (6+ hrs or so depending on temp). Some areas of the patch will be impossible to get any kind of clamp on to hold it together, so I like to use pop rivets to hold it together while it dries. Later when the repair has cured I just grind off the heads of the rivets before I apply the fiberglass to smooth out the repair. You can also use screws, but I prefer rivets, since they don't leave a hole behind after you grind off the heads. You should apply the adhesive to both surfaces to be joined and make sure the surfaces have been well scuffed with at least 80 grit sandpaper and cleaned with solvent before applying the adhesive. I like to use a small disposable brush to spread out the adhesive so it covers all of the exposed clean metal, not only for total coverage, but for corrosion protection. If you have access from the back after the repair, I also like to put seam sealer over the repair seams. Here's a link to a thread on my cab corner patch panel repair:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...installed.html