Posted by chriscase on Thursday, October 11, 2007 at 10:07:14 :
In Reply to: Best Technique For Straightening Bed Side Rails posted by Jeff in Santa Rosa on Thursday, October 11, 2007 at 00:00:05 :
I'm doing mine now. I took the fence bar from an obsolete Delta table saw- it measure 1 3/8" OD. Pretty heavy wall.I sawed the end off at a taper, welded a nut on the cut off, feed a looong rod through, and a nut on the other end. So it works like a wedge, inside the side rails. Slide it in to the dent, tighten the nut, beat the dent out.
Then, a hunk of heavy square tubing as a beam to pull the side against, to straighten it in general. Now I can see through it- there is light in the end of the tunnel!
A little bondo, and a little paint, will make the body man what he ain't.
Now I can move on to welding patches in.
Paying $3-4,000 more for a truck might have been worth it. But the neighbors have not complained of the noise-yet.
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