Was this section of the rear quarter spot welded or plug welded along the red line? About how many factory welds are along this ref line that will need to be removed? What is the best way to remove the outer rear quarter skin along the B pillar?
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Rear quarter panel to B pillar
- Thread starter wazzabie
- Start date
Hope this helps, and as far as best way to remove, not sure I can help. I wound up cutting mine into pieces to make it easier
... and is that the panel you bought? Because that looks like the whole assembly not the skin in which case you would not need to remove the skin. Just cut spot welds at b pillar and tailgate post area and the rest just unbolts from the wheelwell and bed
Mine had similar welds to this picture too. So yes, along that red line (and higher) there are spot welds.
They are a pain to drill out, but that is the best way to do it if you are going to repair/reuse the quarter panel skin. A 3/8 drill bit or spot weld cutter usually gets them for me but sometimes you might have to go a little bigger if it doesn't let go after the first hole through the top layer. Try to avoid prying as much as possible because it's hard to bend the part back correctly afterwards.
On the other hand, if you aren't reusing the quarter skin, a die grinder on the spot weld to get through the first layer is faster. You can also cut the panel you are removing into smaller pieces to help get it off. Anything that doesn't damage the surrounding panels that you are going to reuse.
If you are taking the quarter skin all the way off up to the bed rail, you will need the fiberglass top off. Assuming this is a half-cab truck, you will have the B pillar (above the bed rail) sitting on and spot welded to the quarter skin, which folds over to make the top of the bed rail.
Hope that helps!
No the panel I bought. I'm going to attempt to remove the outerskin from a rust free quarter and use it as a patch at the ridge line. I'm wondering if I should get into the B pillar or just use alot of mud.
I have a donor rear quarter that I will be removing and attempting the reuse. I just need the outer skin of the rear quarter at the ridge line. I would like to preserve the 90 degree flange at the B pillar on the donor.
That's gonna be a lot of work and the spot welds along the wheel well are hard to find making it a challenge to remove without damaging the donor. Have you thought about just using the whole outer/inner assembly from the donor body?
Using the whole inner/outer quarter panel definitely isn't a bad idea, especially if yours is in rough shape. That being said, there are a lot of spot welds to drill out doing that as well (inner quarter to B pillar, inner quarter to rear kick panel thing in front of the wheel houses under the bed floor, etc). You would also have to decide if you want to separate the quarter from the tail gate post and tail light backing plate (to retain your originals) or remove those parts along with the quarter (to use the donor parts).
Honestly whichever way you go, it's pretty hairy unfortunately. I think the play is to look carefully over your truck and decide if your inner quarter (and other parts it touches that I mentioned above) is worth keeping or not. If it's worth keeping, I'd be inclined to just do the quarter skin, but it's probably more personal preference than any logical reason. Definitely look over the entire thing to a) find any problematic areas and b) familiarize yourself with where everything attaches together so you can see what you're getting yourself into if you decide to remove it.
Assuming you don't replace the entire inner/outer quarter and just do part of the quarter skin, and assuming your quarter skin is in good shape up higher by the bed rail, I'd recommend the following. Drill the spot welds out on your red line from above, going as high up as needed to get all the rust out. Then cut the quarter skin out from there down, as far towards the rear of the truck as needed to get all the rust out. At this point you should have a rectangle cut out of the quarter skin. Cut a replacement rectangle from the donor quarter, butt weld it in where you cut it, and plug weld the spots you drilled spot welds out.
That will avoid getting into the bed rail and the upper B pillar area where it overlaps the quarter skin. The only downside is the long butt weld you will have to do (go slow...). That certainly isn't the only way to do it, but just my suggestion if it will work with the rust you have.
I hope that helps, good luck with it, you got this!
The inner quarter is in mint condition. It is just the outer rear quarter skin below the ridge line that is bad.
The debate I'm having is do I patch in small pieces or cut out a larger section of the rear quarter.
Some things to consider might be how much good metal would you be cutting out between the bad areas if you do a larger patch vs multiple smaller patches? What is the difference in length of butt weld you'd have to do for large vs multiple small? Will cutting out a bigger section make it hard to keep things straight?
On some areas I have done multiple smaller patches because I was concerned cutting out a large area all at once would make it hard to keep everything straight and leaving some surrounding original metal in place gives you a reference point. On other areas I have done larger patches to encompass multiple small rusty areas because doing that made for significantly less length of butt welding (and then grinding).
The answer is unfortunately a big "it depends", at least in my opinion. But hopefully that helps you work through your particular repair.
Here is what I'm working with. Areas in red needs to be replaced due to rust. If it were you... patch in pieces? or patch using a single large panel?
Ugh. That’s tough. I’d probably try to do a single big patch, or replace the entire quarter skin if the donor is clean enough.
On one hand, doing the whole quarter skin would avoid butt welds for the most part, but you’d have to deal with where the upper B pillar sits on top of the bed rail somehow. You can’t technically get the quarter skin out whole with the upper B pillar still in place (but it’s a small section of the quarter skin, and you could just cut out and butt weld in that part if that makes sense).
On the other hand, you could do a single horizontal cut through the quarter skin maybe an inch below the body line or something. It’s a long butt weld and lots of grinding but wouldn’t be that difficult if you’re careful.
Either way you have a lot of spot welds to find and drill out. My quarter skin wasn’t that bad, but while investigating the damage I did find pretty much all the spot welds, so I’m happy to help if I can.
With the area above and behind the wheel opening, you will likely need the 2 splash guards that go there. Those parts are available reproduction. I used the rear lower splash guard from AMD and the part was cheap and equal to the original in quality. I didn’t have to do the upper one.
On one hand, doing the whole quarter skin would avoid butt welds for the most part, but you’d have to deal with where the upper B pillar sits on top of the bed rail somehow. You can’t technically get the quarter skin out whole with the upper B pillar still in place (but it’s a small section of the quarter skin, and you could just cut out and butt weld in that part if that makes sense).
On the other hand, you could do a single horizontal cut through the quarter skin maybe an inch below the body line or something. It’s a long butt weld and lots of grinding but wouldn’t be that difficult if you’re careful.
Either way you have a lot of spot welds to find and drill out. My quarter skin wasn’t that bad, but while investigating the damage I did find pretty much all the spot welds, so I’m happy to help if I can.
With the area above and behind the wheel opening, you will likely need the 2 splash guards that go there. Those parts are available reproduction. I used the rear lower splash guard from AMD and the part was cheap and equal to the original in quality. I didn’t have to do the upper one.
I thought there would have been more spot welds along the B pillar to connect the outer rear quarter skin. It is difficult to see them however.
I purchased the $700 OER rear quarter assembly that has both the inner and outer panel.
The replacement quarter is definitely not as thick as the original. I'm going to remove the inner structure from the replacement. I'm debating if I should replace the entire rear quarter outer skin or use a large patch from the B pillar to just after the fuel outlet just above the ridge line. This replacement part was designed to be used with the inner and outer. No one makes just the outer skin the full length. I'm wondering how well this replacement piece will fit. I have no issues at the tail light area and bed rail area with the original. Replacing the entire rear outer quarter skin to the bed rail means there would be no long butt weld. Using a large patch will result in a long butt weld above the ridge line and the need for filler.
The replacement quarter is definitely not as thick as the original. I'm going to remove the inner structure from the replacement. I'm debating if I should replace the entire rear quarter outer skin or use a large patch from the B pillar to just after the fuel outlet just above the ridge line. This replacement part was designed to be used with the inner and outer. No one makes just the outer skin the full length. I'm wondering how well this replacement piece will fit. I have no issues at the tail light area and bed rail area with the original. Replacing the entire rear outer quarter skin to the bed rail means there would be no long butt weld. Using a large patch will result in a long butt weld above the ridge line and the need for filler.
If you have the patience you can get a better result by using the whole skin, not just patches
That panel is made by Key Parts.
I am working on a 74 Jimmy and I bought both the driver and passenger sides from Mike at MotorCityK5. He said they actually fitted these and both fit really well with one bolt hole being a little off on the passenger side panel. I've not installed them yet but am in the process of taking off the driver side panel.
I'll definetly be following your progress and good luck!
for this spot they a big patch panel that runs about 99$. it starts at the B pillar all they way past the fuel filler. i would recommend going just below the body line as they are not the same curvature as the factoryHere is what I'm working with. Areas in red needs to be replaced due to rust. If it were you... patch in pieces? or patch using a single large panel?
View attachment 498060
I've wondered about this patch panel actually. So to be clear, you're saying the front edge this patch panel goes all the way to the front of the B-pillar (to the door gap, in other words)? Thanks!
yes all the way to the B pillar, though the lip/flange they have in it is a little to "crisp" so to speak. i had to relax it a bit. i got mine from classic industries
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