Stopping rust in cab corner

T

t.jo13

All the parts are here for the practice vehicle, before I start my garage project. This truck was given to us by my mother in law and it was her husbands truck. It looked good when we picked it up from michigan but the salt air down here is tearing it up bad, It only gets driven a couple of miles per month. I will be redoing the truck for my daughter and son in law, they will be taking it back north so I would like to know what will stop the rust from continuing even though I have new cab corners and such. I will not be able to get inside after they are welded . I will cut out what I can . Any Ideas
 
Here are some pics
After welding I wont be able to protect the welds on the inside from rusting
 
While apart brush some epoxy up in there after scuffing or cleaning.
Coat back side of new panel with epoxy but tape off with 1/2 inch tape the weld through area.
Cost the tape area on both panels with weld through primer.
Make sure any drain holes are open, might even add an 1/8 inch one or two if your into re- engineering.
 
Thanks for the info. I am not expecting it to last for ever but a few years would be great fot the kids. I have done all the mechanical, put new rims and tires so it just needs the body and paint. Looking at weld through primer what is a good brand? I was thinking u-pol or 3m if you can believe the reviews . Also not sure if to use zinc or copper. I do not mind spending money on a good product if there is something better. I believe in trying to do it right the first time, not that it always works that way

Joe
 
I use SEM weldprimer in a can with a brush in the lid. Handy for me.

I would just use epoxy on a job like that though. Spray the backsides of the repair panels, weld in place, pull the interior panel out of the truck and run a 360 degree wand with epoxy in it and flood it. Same thing with the backside of the rocker through the drain holes. The epoxy will drip for a day so do it over cardboard.
 
It's a Chevy right? GMC's and Chevy's of that era have a real issue in that moisture and silt gets in and can't escape. The rockers and cab corners. Piss poor engineering on GM's part. In addition to the info posted I would make a couple of extra weep/drain holes to allow the water to drain and also to help with the moisture being able to dry. Especially with the rocker panels.
 
I was getting ready to start welding the new rockers and found that the floorboards are in really bad shape. None are available for a 2001 sonoma /s10 also checked national bone yards as well, but nobody wants to just cut out the floor boards. So it looks like I will have to fab some new ones. So will 18 gauge be enough or do I need something different.
 
I wouldnt use weld through, just use epoxy and right before you weld, scrape out any epoxy you can get to through your predrilled rosette weld. For butt seams or even lapped seams, just let it burn (but not too much!) any thing that comes in a spray can has no adhesion, especially compared to the epoxy.

For floorboards, 18 ga is plenty thick, thats at least a gauge thicker than what you have presently. Structural braces may get into 16 ga, but if you clean and epoxy everything well, youll get years of life out of it.

Marty
 
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