Really? I don't think so , - UNLESS your the one that made that happen. Everything should be at least spot welded together..followed up with butyl tech. Butyl is used for deadening and sealing/protecting the joint. Looks like epoxy..that's just for the easily fooled lol. Butyl can either cure hard or soft and is used at just about every joint.

 

Always has

 

Just a few, -




http://www.rustrepair.com/PANELS/CHR...AGE-909712.HTM

http://www.carid.com/1998-ford-f-150...s-2242191.html

http://www.auto-bodyparts.com/produc...&Year=1998&p=4

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/fe/full.aspx?Page=15

http://raybuck.com/

http://www.fixmyrust.com/index.php?a...t=20&offset=20

I use Raybuck and FixMyRust for the most part. Metals good and shipping is good.

 

Actually, it's VERY easy since the rockers are just spot welded. Here , I'll teach yuh how. For Migging, just hold the torch on a oh iduno 75* angle w/18 gauge. About 1/4" away from the metal. Once feed/amps are set, hit the trigger and count to two. You should count if your just learning, helps allot! IF you get that wrong...it's a fail.

So yea, rockers are cake. It's the butt welding panels that's takes a little practice and a little know-how. A GOOD instructor can make that easy on yuh.

 

I doubt the use allot rivets on the new ones since there's quite a bit of aluminum. A spool gun would be a better choice IMO, but I haven't looked into how they're building the new yet.

Only place we have rivets on these trucks are frame and some weather stripping and channels are blind riveted. Just where they can be hidden.

 

Thanks everyone sounds like I have a lot of options. I just want to bring her back to her former glory. I have a lot of improvement ideas for her.

 

New aluminum ones are even spot welded and use epoxy on certain panels to prevent warpage.

 

Yea there's a couple good threads on this site that I know of, - for rockers anyway, -


https://www.f150forum.com/f6/project...der-way-60210/

@IronHead has a good one as well, -

https://www.f150forum.com/f6/fed-up-rot-231217/

Need more links let me know. I'm doing a full restore here. Slow tho. - I'll work on it for a few weeks, then take a month or two off lol.

 

I can imagine warpage is more of a problem for aluminum then steel panels are. 18 gauge steel is bad enough IMO lol. Replacement panels are aluminized steel, yea not the same as aluminum sheet, but it's the stuff you want for restoring.

Had to purchase some sheet metal as well to replace the inner rockers. That has to be fabbed and bent.

I found what I thought was epoxy on the truck, - so far I found it's been butyl after knifing and anaylizing. They use butyl around windshields as well, but it's more of a soft set around glass.

Yea, aluminum may dissipate the heat quicker than steel, but not fast enough when putting a arch to it. Which makes it more prone to warpage. Gluing where they can makes sense. Perrsonally, I haven't welded aluminum yet, - not thin sheet anyway. I imagine tig would work the best, tigs awesome lol....specially if you were blessed with some artistic ability.

 

red solo truck, - yea she has to be just about nekkid before tackling those rockers, -