Rust Holes in Bed and Body

[VT Fj-40 Owner]

I have a couple of holes in the bed of my Landcruiser. I obviously want to fix the holes so i was thinking about bondo, but i was wondering, is there a better way? Here is what these holes look like:

There are about three of those in the bed and one next to the drivers seat, some of the holes are a bit bigger than that too. One has already been covered with bondo.

For the body there is a hole right under the driver's door. I was thinking of putting a peice of steel over it and welding it on. Or should i just buy a brand new panel?

This is a older picture, it has been getting worse.


thanks

-john

 

[enj0ii]

i would weld in a patch, than smooth it with puddy.. puting alot of bondo around the dorrs is a bad idea, it tends to crack when shutting the door after a few times

 

[cruiser88]

use oursheet metal vender for the rocker replacement

 

[crushr]

use oursheet metal vender for the rocker replacement

Who is that?

 

[Diescipel]

Tons of options, the worst being bondo, which traps moisture against the metal and a year later you have a worse problem...

If you've got bank, you can do a resto with Fiberglass or Aluminum tub etc.

For these, best is to cut out rusted area and as others have said weld in new metal and only use bondo for final thin finish.

B

Oh yeah, and welcome to Mud!

 

[jibber]

No Go Bondo! I'm w/ cr88. Spend some $$ if you can now for new rocker, etc. It will benefit you in the long run. Been there done that!

 

[cruiser88]

Who is that?

real steel cruiser parts you will see a ad on the upper right hand part of the screen .just float around and watch you will see it

 

[MDH33]

Just say no to Bondo!

REAL-STEEL-CRUISER-PARTS

 

[rabid]

If you are going to do a tub or need steel work done, I know a guy in vermont. Search Poor Wally on this forum.

There is a ton of info on this.

If you need any help or info on 40's, I am local and may be able to give a hand. I live in Bristol.

The patches in the upper fenderwell are easy. You can use my mig for beer.

The rockers are harder, but not bad if you take your time.

 

[VT Fj-40 Owner]

So for the hole under the door, buy a new rocker and for the holes in the bed.... get sheet metal and cover holes, sealing it with bondo.

 

[MDH33]

No Bondo!! Just new metal.

 

[VT Fj-40 Owner]

ok, well i already have bondo on one of the holes. But all the rest i will put metal over. and rabid i'll pm you if i need help.

thanks

 

[yotawheeler]

ya man...no bondo, just cut out the rust, weld the new metal in and grind it so it looks pretty, coat of paint over top of it and your done...

 

[my64fj40]

ya man...no bondo, just cut out the rust, weld the new metal in and grind it so it looks pretty, coat of paint over top of it and your done...

Have you ever done this and made it look pretty w/o any bondo cuz I would like to see some pics of that...


And just so yall know there is nothing wrong with bondo if ur using it as glazing and smoothing unrusted metal out, it's when you start using it to repair rust when it is a bad idea..

 

[llih]

x2 my64fj40.
Many folks on here curse fillers (bondo) wrongly. Now personally I don't like the brand Bondo, there are better fillers and glazes, but the concept is not wrong. If a person is doing a full on restore, then good oem/aftermarket sheetmetal is the way to go. But for everyday drivers/ trail rigs and a limited budget or time constraints there are acceptable options that include fiberglass and filler. If a person has more time than money, no welding skills or welder, and can not find someone who has to do the work reasonably then glass and filler can produce a reasonable repair. Now of course it won't be as good as new, but if care is taken with the repair, the results can last along time. As in everything, prep is the key.

Just remember filler is not for deep rusted thru metal, glass should be used first. Woven and matt to do the initial repairs. Fillers with chopped glass are extremely strong.They can be used to stregthened areas where needed. Metal2metal filler is a great product and water proof. Regular fillers absorb water and promote rust if not sealed completely.

 

[kulangot]

I have made a hobby of fixing rusted out 40's. I have fixed a lot of rust that was made worst from people useing fiberglass and bondo as well as really crappy methods such as spray in foam covered with fiberglass and bondo. Those types of repairs might last a while in a dry climate, but in the rust belt it's not just a band aide, it's a dirty band aide!

Bondo, or plastic body filler is not bad if used correctly but it's not intened for areas thicker than 1/4 of a inch - ideally a lot less that that and always on a clean, solid and well prepared surface.

If you don't have a welder or want to get into welding stay away from Fiberglass. Get some pop rivits, sikaprene sealer and some steel called paintlock or galvaneal. It's steel made with zinc so it does not rust. Not safe to weld with due to zinc fumes, but great for budged repairs as it will not rust. About the thickest you can work with hand tools is 20G, you might be able to cut 18g if you have a nice set of snips or a hand held nibbler. You might also be able to get some stainless "drops" (left overs) from a kitchen fabrication shop.

Cut out all of the rust, paint with POR or similar paint following all of the steps then do the patch. Put a bead of sealer such as Sikaflex on then rivit (fabricate and fit up the piece, drill all of the holes, then caulk with sikaflex and install). If you want to fix an exerior panel, you can get counter sunk rivits from Eastwoods. They sell the sealer as well as Raybuck.com This is similar to the sealer that Aqualu sells to joint the aluminum tub to the steel cowl. I think it's a moisture cured eurethane.

Get a welder, you'll have longer lasting repairs, but you don't want to or can't this is better than fiberglass.

-Stumbaugh

 

[llih]

Well I guess it would be better than glass if you don't mind the rivits. I have personally used glass for years with no problems. Of course I don't live in the rust belt.