Three of my stake pockets and some other bed parts were shot on my '40 so I bought replacement pieces from Northern Truck Parts. I want to treat the metal to metal surfaces of the stake pockets and bed side support rails with some kind of rust preventive but am concerned that I will negate the protection when I spot weld the pockets on to the bed sides. Have any of you crossed this bridge? Steve

 

If you want to avoid welding and the effects that it may have on your paint then I would suggest using a structural adhesive like this article discusses:

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...ural_Adhesive/

 

Could you glue stake pockets on?
I know that glue is pretty strong, but I don't know if I would trust it with stake pockets. A lot of the side to side flexing that the bed experiences gets transfered through those stake pockets. I would be afraid that it would work loose over time.

 

Personally I would run a weld around the stake so that no water could get in. Otherwise it could be tacked on and a seam sealer could be used to keep water out.

 

I'll tell ya, if the adhesive is like what they use on new cars today, it'll hold about anything...I cut up a '93 Cougar and the rear 1/4's were "glued" on, I couldn't pry them apart with my flatbars...trying to knock the bars through the adhesive and wound up puncturing through the metal instead...tough stuff...ended up having to sawzall around it.

 

Now this is why I joined this forum. I would never have thought about adhesive. I checked it out and if their claims are valid, it would be the answer. Will get into it further and post results. I'll be at that point in a couple of weeks. thanks. Steve

 

Let me know how it works out.

I kind of like to burn metal whenever I get the chance, but I'm not oposed to gluing stuff now and again.

 

I'm with you Fix. I'm a welder at heart, and I've never used structural adhesive. But, I have disassembled the stuff. It keeps a wicked strong bond. I'm looking forward to a report of the results and some pics!

 

Fix

This may come too late to do you any good (seeing the dates of the original posts) but when I wanted to weld my stake pockets and door skins and be sure they would have protection from rust and weathering, I looked to Eastwood Co. in Pennsylvania. They have a zinc based brush-on paint that is formulated to protect through the welded metals when they are painted first. It works with MIG or spot welding, probably with TIG also. Especially good for areas that will be closed to you after the parts are welded. Puts your mind at ease about what's happening on the inside of your welds.

Elder Rodder

 

Thanks for the post and for jogging my memory. I was supposed to get back to you guys and let you know how the adhesive idea worked out. I am happy to relate that I bought a large double tube of 3M #5036 adhesive that is a two part epoxy. I performed an experiment with a couple of pieces of 1/8 inch flat stock. After sandblasting the test pieces, I mixed up some glue and then put them in the vise over night to be sure of maximum adhesion. The next morning I tried to pry them apart with two pair of vise grips to no avail. I then went after the assembly with a cold chisel. After a while I was able to get them apart but I had pretty much ruined both pieces doing it. With that successful experiment behind me I aquired several deep reaching clamps and glued one of the stake pockets onto the bed side. Before I glued it on I applied a couple of coats of cold galvanizing compound to everything that would be hidden with the exception of the mating surfaces which I taped off. So far I have one side of the box finished (two stake pockets) and they act like they are going to stay put. The cost of the epoxy was $29 + a few bucks to ship. They have a special applicator that cost about the same price as the glue so I made a dispenser out of a caulking gun and some dowel. I know, how cheap can you get? Had I known about the product from Eastwood, I might have gone that route but as it is I'm not sorry that I used adhesive. Now if my truck falls apart at some future date, I will recant my satisfaction but until then all is looking good. Thanks, Steve

 

As it turns out, it isn't too late at all. I moved over the summer and the project just kind of came to a screeching halt. I'm hoping to get back to it ths fall. Then I can try out all the neat stuff I've been reading about but haven't tried yet.