With the amount of top chopping going on, I thought Id re-run a little how to on sleeveing pillars. Sleeving is commonly used in modern collision repair. A sleeved joint is not only much stronger than a butt joint, but also aids in fitting and aligning. The subject in this case is a 33 Ford pick up, undergoing a 5&1/2 chop. I removed the top at the factory seam. The top is held in place with bolts, and a few rivets. I also cut a window in the sheet metal, to gain access to all sides of the B pillar. The first picture shows the cut off section of the B pillar, sand blasted and set back on the pillar. The line near the top of the pillar is the cut line for the chop. Due to my very limited computer skills, Ill be posting the pics one at a time. Please wait until I finish before replying. Thanks!
This photo shows the section of pillar marked for cutting. The section needs to be cut down lengthwise in order to fit into the pillar.
In this shot the front pieces of the soon to be sleeve are inserted into the pillar. You want a nice tight press fit. The two pieces are tacked back together on the inside.
This shot shows the back side of the new sleeve. I replaced the back section with new 18ga steel because the original piece had large holes. This was done to make a better backer to weld into when finished.
This picture shows the sleeve installed. We now have a telescoping joint that can be adjusted for height, and holds the joint in perfect alignment.
This last shot shows the joint nearly ready to weld. Notice the fit, and the adjustability. FIT IS EVERYTHING! The bottom section of the pillar needs to be cleaned up, and the inside of the pillar and the outside of the sleeve will be lightly coated with weld thru primer. I use a primer from Transtar that is applied with a brush. Keep the weld thru primer light (it tends to cause spatter if too heavy). After the joint is finished I like to shoot body cavity wax into the inside of the pillar. This prevents moisture from getting between the sleeve and the pillar where they lap together. When I weld this joint I start with the corners. I give them more than a tack. I burn them into the sleeve, thats what its there for! After the corners are set, I check fit once more, and then weld the pillar solid. Again I burn the weld in deep. You want full penetration into the sleeve. Im also able to weld each surface continuously, without blowing thru. This also adds to the structural integrity of the joint. Now when you dress the weld level to the base metal, you havent lost most of your strength, like you do when you grind down a regular butt weld. There are several variations to this type of joint. You can stagger the cut (I do that often in collision repair). You can also drill holes thru the pillar, an inch or so above, and below the joint, and plug weld into the sleeve. This is even stronger, however on this pillar, with the cut so close to the top of the pillar I felt it wasnt necessary. Im done now, and welcome comments. And yes I know many chops have been done just fine using butt welds. There is always more than one way to do anything, but I wont do one any other way. Give it a try.
Excellent post. I had heard of this idea before but wasn't too clear on how to make the sleeves. Using the existing pieces makes alot of sense.
Nice work tin dude. I had chopped my '54 Chevy years ago and I realized that this time around the job had to be done right. There was way too much flex at the B-pillars. I used 3/4"x3/4" box tubing and slid it into the hollow pillar. I was lucky I had plenty of room to do it. I then welded the sucker solid top and bottom. It worked great, now my doors close with a pleasent thud. There can never be too much reinforcement in a wacked and hacked automobile.
Thanks Nads. I've been accused of over building, but I guess 30 years of collision repair tends to make a guy a little anal about structural integrity
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