Rust Repair Rear Half Door (2 Viewers)

[h82crash]

I'm about to tackle a rusty area on the bottom of one of my rear half doors. My idea is to drill out the spot welds bonding the skin and the inner doubler at the bottom edge and cut out the rust below the radius between the corners. Fab an insert and weld. There is also rust between the skin and top edge of the lower part of the doubler. Should I go further and remove the whole doubler on the lower part of the door, treat the rust, patch and weld back in place? Or is that overkill?

 

[h82crash]

I decided to cut out the lower part of the doubler so I could treat the rust. Now I may just fab a whole new piece.

 

[MOTOV8R]

I refurbed a tailgate. I would suggest to completely separate the pieces. I also had to cut out and replace a similar section to what you did.

 

[h82crash]

I refurbed a tailgate. I would suggest to completely separate the pieces. I also had to cut out and replace a similar section to what you did.

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Nice work! Thanks for the photos. I will examine the extent further up, haven't ruled out separating the entire door. But I was thinking if it is not severe, with a bunch of pitting about to poke through, I would soak in phosphoric so it wicks between the panels and arrests the rust.

There were about a half dozen pinholes where it rusted through the outer skin but there was enough steel left that I was able to weld them up. These were covered in Line-X by a PO and it looks like the drain hole was plugged.

 

[FJ40Savvy]

I will attempting the same repair on some half doors that I have, I want to practice with the MIG welder and metal forming. What thickness/gauge of metal are you using for the repair?

 

[h82crash]

I will attempting the same repair on some half doors that I have, I want to practice with the MIG welder and metal forming. What thickness/gauge of metal are you using for the repair?

Factory metal on my 74 is 18 ga. or .048" I used 16 ga on the rear corners of the tub and to block off the cowl vent. Everything else I have used 18 ga.

 

[FJ40Savvy]

Factory metal on my 74 is 18 ga. or .048" I used 16 ga on the rear corners of the tub and to block off the cowl vent. Everything else I have used 18 ga.

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Thanks for the response.

 

[sggoat]

Good looking repair-----

 

[h82crash]

Just to follow up, I treated the rust with phosphoric and made a new piece. All welded up now, just no photo yet.