Crew Cab Roof Bracing

[fomocoguy]

So I'm doing the body work on my crew and I need to get the roof all braced up like stock so I can fix the dents. The interior supports that are glued to the inside from the factory are loose and seperated from the roof metal. My idea is to cut them out, clean the surfaces, reattach them somehow and glue them back to the roof metal. The question is do any of you know how the glueing part is done? It has some sort of felt like material between the supports and the roof metal. Do you know what I'm supposed to use and where I can get it? Thanks!

[fordman]

i wouldn't cut the brace out to do this. i would get some urethane and caulk it up into there to fill the gaps where the old glue didnt adhere or came loose at.

[fomocoguy]

Well, I would agree except I can't imagine anything adhereing with the dirt and surface rust that is up there right now. I'm afraid that without a clean surface it'll just come apart after a short period of time.

[fordman]

i know what you mean about rust and dirt. i can't speak about crewcab roofs but on all of hte regular cab roofs none of them i have seen are still stuck to the brace in the center anymore. if you need to do body work ont he roof it might be better to take the roof off instead of the brace out then. other than that leaving a regular roof not glued to the center brace doesn't hurt anything on them.

oops edit: if you just need it to not flex while doing sanding or something maybe you could use some wood shims to stop it from flexing while you sand or what have you.

[fomocoguy]

Well, the problem is that it's very unstable the way it is. When I'm going down the highway it flexes and pops, and I'm afraid that if I fix any of it without it stabilized that any thin layer of putty I use to smooth small ripples will just flex and crack right away. With it being so long it flexes a lot. It won't be repairable until I get it all secured. I figured the local welding shop could weld them back in easily enough after I clean and reattach everything.

[fordman]

i was hoping that wasnt why you wanted to do that. but now i had time to think about it. would it be just as easy to take up the spacing with some shim metal on top of the bracing and then glue that to the roof?

[fomocoguy]

i was hoping that wasnt why you wanted to do that. but now i had time to think about it. would it be just as easy to take up the spacing with some shim metal on top of the bracing and then glue that to the roof?

I wish it were going to be that easy, but I have to be able to clean the metal somehow, and there just isn't enough room to do that the way it sits. Plus I have to clean off the old felt/cork material that lines the braces and put new stuff on. I wish I knew what that material is and if I can still get it.

[71PA_Highboy]

IMHO you are over thinking this... Unless you are going to be looking at the braces who cares what they look like?

Cut them in the middle, take them out, clean them up and go to a sheet metal shop and get them to bend you a piece that matches the profile of the brace.

Put the brace back in, weld it on the edges and then use the new piece to span the 2 old pieces - ~1/8". Weld all 3 together.

Put caulking or padding in there and you are done.

again, JMHO.

Regards,

Eric

[fomocoguy]

Well, that actually sounds like more work than I was going to do. My idea is to cut the braces where they meet the edge of the roof and remove them in one piece. Then all I need to do is clean the surfaces, glue them back up, and weld them back in. What I REALLY need to know is what kind of glue and gasketing was used on them so I can be sure it bonds good and holds. They are still in good shape, it's just that the roof has come unglued from them. I'll post a pic later for referance.

[fordman]

windshield urethane is some o fthe strongest stuff you can use to glue it back together with. urethane has to be cut off to come off.

[fomocoguy]

windshield urethane is some o fthe strongest stuff you can use to glue it back together with. urethane has to be cut off to come off.

Hmmm interesting... So do you know how long it takes for the stuff to bond?

[fomocoguy]

Here's some shots of what I'm dealing with.
Rear brace:



Front brace:


Gasketing:



As you can see I was able to pull some of the gasket out. I wonder if I could just pull all the gasket out, clean it as best as I can, and shoot some of that expanding foam inbetween there? That stuff sticks to anything, but it seems a little "ghetto" I bet it would hold up though!

[71cc]

Do NOT use the "great stuff" foam. it trapped condensation and rusted out my perfect cab.From the inside out..I was not happy.

[fordman]

the windshield urethane takes 24 hours to cure before you can drive the truck. unless you get it from a windshield place. the stuff they have cures in two hours. thats a lot of rust. i wouldn't use that foam stuff either.

[fomocoguy]

Do NOT use the "great stuff" foam. it trapped condensation and rusted out my perfect cab.From the inside out..I was not happy.

Thanks for the input! I'll be sure to shelf that idea. Thats the last thing I need!

Fordman, I know it looks rough, but it's not really pitted too bad. The flash made it look worse than it is. I'm gonna sand it real good and paint it up before I install the headliner.