Picked up a decent tailgate for the F1 last night, but the top rail is dented in a few spots. Not smashed flat or even close to halfway across the diameter (if that makes sense) just 3 or 4 good sized dents maybe a 1/3 into the diameter. Is there any trick to straightening these? I was thinking I could make a mandrel from a short section of DOM tubing. Weld up one end and shape it like a bullet then drive it through from one end to the other? Only worry would be getting it stuck in there. Maybe I make two sizes and try to do it in steps?
you can use a stud gun and a slide hammer to pull up the lows, probably wont get it perfect but close enough to mud
I did that one time using a home made expanding tube. I made an expander much like a muffler pipe expander with a long handle on it and would center it on the dent and then expand it. Got about 90 percent of the dent out. Scott...
A stud welder is ok for some dents in the open area of sheet metal, but for something that small and heavy metal it won't pull it out even, if at all. Your idea is where to begin. I run a metal restoration business doing strictly metal restoration of cl***ics and antiques and I have used this method many times, but you want to heat the metal cherry red in the area of the dents when you drive the tool through. You shouldn't have to worry about getting the tool stuck because if it tapers a bit at the other end, you just drive it out the way you started in. You can use the tool as a dolly while it is inside, just be careful that you don't compress it too much and you should be fine. As far as the bed side rails , that is another situation.
I saw something exactly like that in a "how to" on the web a couple years ago. Sorry, but I don't have the link anymore. The guy ground a "bullet" shape out of a chunk of solid pipe & drove it thru w/ a long rod. I was planning on doing it to my Studebakers bed sides & 'gate someday. It really looked like it worked well for the guy.
if it's anything like my International that will NOT work. Just yanked the studs right off. Damn that's some beefy tailgate.
the way you described is the way I did it , heated the dents first then drove the pipe thru , slowly , don`t want to tear it
Somebody on the HAMB once showed how they straightened some dents out of an old Ford steering column tube with a ball bearing. Picked a size that matched the ID of the tube, and drove it through with a hunk of slightly smaller pipe. Wouldn't do much for straightening a long bend, but would bring the round shape back to the roll. Maybe give the rail an overall straightening first (use some heat?), then fix the tube?
stud puller probably won't work on what you are describing...I am guessing using heat and drive something thru will work best...LowFat48 is right when he says slow and steady...should be able to get it close enough and then use some mud or lead ...good luck and let us know what works and post before and after pix
Did they same thing on a Military Dodge M37B1 I restored...heat the dent and go slow, I had to work my way up as the dent was near half the diameter of the tube so started with a smaller tube and eased it out step by step, worked well.
if you get it hot enough the metal moves pretty easily , so you don`t want to go beating the hell out of the pipe , helps to have someone keep the heat on the dent while your doing it
I have also heard of using a length of ready rod( the heavier the better) with a plug welded to the end that is almost the same size as the ID of the tubing you need. you fill the tubing with grease, attach washers and a nut on the opposite end with a nut welded to the very end and slowly turn the ready rod all the way through using hydrolic pressure to push up any low spots. I can't remember where I heard about this, so if it was someones idea from here the credit should go to them
sounds like you have a workable plan, if the damage was severe you might consider surgery.. cut the offending section out and either rework or recreate it, then weld it back in.
Seems like no more damage then what you explained, it would be easier to just make some 1/3 half round shell's out of the same gage metal and weld it on the dents, just at surface level. Maybe tap in the out of round parts with heat before welding and then metal finish the outside rail. Nobody's ever going to inspect the inside of the rail for hidden dent's I would hope. Then there is always lead.
I ditto the stud gun NOT working, way too heavy of metal. I ended up welding 1" diameter washers in the dents and using a slide hammer with a hook-end in the washer hole. Its slow and tedius process.
As you drive the mandrel through, remember you can use it in hammer & dolly fashion. That should prevent it getting stuck.
Just take an angle cutter and cut out the bent piece. Work it back to fractory shape, then weld it back in. r
heat and ball bearing welded to solid shaft works great. i have also cut top of gate off and replaced with new piece and it looked fine.
Kevin, what you described would get pretty close. As you tap your DOM through, you will want to use one of your body hammers to tap on the metal around the dent. When the dent happened, some of the metal caused a high spot , probably on the lower side of the dent. If you work the dom through and tap around the dent you will be able to work out the dent with sufficiant results. Good luck Jeff
+1 for the ball bearing.. Thats how we fix headers...heat the tube cherry red and pound the bearing thru. I have several sizes with 1/2" rod welded to em.. Dave
"O.K." ('Oll's Keerect', Olde English) Do this. Don't let 'modern politics' pull you to the left. Do it RIGHT.
not quite as glamourous, but in spots I couldnt get to, I would turn down the heat on the mig and just fill it and grind it smooth.
I just had this same problem with the tailgate of my F1. It had about 5 or 6 dents that went in about 1/2 of the top bar. My solution was to weld two 6 penney nails together side by side and then weld one nailhead to the dent. Hook the head of the second nail with a nailbar, place a 4x4 block under the nailbar to act as a fulcrum, and then heat around the dent while pushing down on the nailbar. This method pulled the dents out to about 95% of the original contour. I also liked the idea of using a ball bearing. Currently looking for a ball bearing to try to clean up the remaining dents.
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