tonneau cover

[KUZIKAN]

I am welding my gate shut and adding Caddy lights, My next try is to weld the top of the box shut so it is smooth and cannot be used. I need to use a piece of 3/16 steel 5 x 6\'. Thy told me it would weigh 286 lbs. Then I have to brace it underneath so it does not warp. Do you guys think this is too much weight? The truck is lowered 4/5 already.. Has anyone been crazy enough to do this yet.? Let me know, I have seen it often in Minitruckin magazine.

[bohn333]

3/16 is awful thick i would go with a piece of 18 gauge and support it around the bottom with 1x1 square tubing. It will save you alot of money and weight, complete should weigh less than 50 pounds if done right. And will be strong enough to walk on...aslong as your not 300 pounds.

[KUZIKAN]

You don\'t think 18 gauge will be wave once you weld it in? I want to use as little bondo as I can to make it smooth.

[bohn333]

weld the plate to the 1x1 supports and box it in as much as possible for strenght if you have bleed through from the weld through the plate, use a 80 grit DA to smooth it out. Make sure that you space out your welds, a 1\'\' weld every 8 to 10 inchs should be fine. Weld the supports to the inside of the box . On the top of the box where it will be flush, put a tack every 1/4 inch but work your way around, put one tack on one side then go to the other side and put a tack,(do not weld complete all around) don\'t concentrate all your heat in one spot. after all your tacks are in place Take a grinder and grind them smooth. Some mud will be required but only enough to fill the gaps.

[whiner3]

use 3m panel bonding adhesives, no heat=no warpage, i\'m buildign a tonno cover right now, the stuff with also bond steel to aluminum, i made my frame out of aluminum and also bonded a 1/4 inch think peice of aluminum on top cut out into a flame patter thans about a foot wide and 2 feet long on the drivers side front half of the box, i used 20guage sheet metal, it\'s the same thickness of the sheet metal in your body panels, my frame i made underneath was made of 1\" square tubing around the outside and 1/2 inch square tubing in the center and i made another rectangle inside with a cross through the center you can stand on it no problem, right now it\'s at the body shop egtting paitned and stuff, i even made mine open very simply

[s10rodder]

Be careful with that bonding adhesive. A friend of mine found out about it and thought it was the best thing since sliced bread... until he shaved his tailgate handle with it and the adhesive expanded after a couple weeks, cracking the bondo and new paint. Now his gate looks like shit and he wishes he had welded it. Just take your time and be patient and you should be fine. Wait until welds cool before welding close to them. I\'ve also heard of carrying a windex bottle full of water to give a little squirt to cool down the welds as you go.

[Fergusonic]

I would clean/degrease the raw sheet metal and the 1 x 1s where they meet before welding to prevent rust.

Hopefully when you are all done the outside will not show a \"shadow\" of where the 1 x 1s are located....the thinner the sheet metal; the more apt this is to happen.

good luck.....pictures.

[basementdweller]

On 2002-12-30 18:59, KUZIKAN wrote:

I am welding my gate shut and adding Caddy lights, My next try is to weld the top of the box shut so it is smooth and cannot be used. I need to use a piece of 3/16 steel 5 x 6\'. Thy told me it would weigh 286 lbs. Then I have to brace it underneath so it does not warp. Do you guys think this is too much weight? The truck is lowered 4/5 already.. Has anyone been crazy enough to do this yet.? Let me know, I have seen it often in Minitruckin magazine.





i know this post is a little late but why not just use a tonneau cover?

[s10rodder]

tonneau covers are much too functional...



I\'ve seen what this guy\'s talking about and it is pretty cool if you don\'t want to ever be able to use your bed again.



everyone check this out:

http://www.streetsourcemag.com/ViewOwnerProfile.aspx?Home=true&Profileid=13212



It\'s probably the sickest s-series project I\'ve ever seen.

[whiner3]

if you read on the panel bondaing adhesives it tells you right on the tube (DO NOT USE FOR BUTT JOINTS) your only supposed to use it when your bonding another peice of metal ontop of the other ones or where it will not be painted, such as cab corners, rocker panels, roof sections on a lot of vehicles, also can be used to replace pinch welds like on the box sides of the s-10\'s, on the cover the way i did it should be no problem as long as you dont use it to bond it to the top of the box rails, you wwill still ave to weld that, i didn\'t have too because i made mine open