Cab Restoration
Before reading this little write-up, please be aware that I am NOT a metal fabricator. I am NOT a professional. I am purely a hobbyist that likes to tinker around in his free time. I have no formal welding training (although I am fairly well read on the subject). I am not a body-man, nor am I accredited in any way. In fact, my daily gig is helping people arrange financing for mortgages, business start-up ventures, and commercial financing. It is my own business, and clearly has not one god damned thing to do with this tutorial. I only mention this as I am sure that some wise and experienced metal fabricators and welders will not approve of my rookie methods. However, this tutorial is intended to show the process I undertook and the lessons (some of them hard) learned along the way. Having NEVER done this before, it was a learning experience and I felt that I should try and document it as best as possible for posting on my site and other truck sites for people to learn and laugh. Enjoy!
If you have any questions or vitriol and hatred you want to pass my way, send it to rowanmsmith@gmail.com
There are several steps in the cab rebuilding process that will included here (the ones I had to do). They are:
1. Cab Support Replacement (Completed)
2. 4X4 Cab Floor Hump Cap Replacement (Completed)
3. Rocker Panel Replacement (Work Currently Occuring)
4. Cab Corner Replacement (Not Yet Started)
I will be doing tutorials for each one. You are currently reading the Cab Support Replacement tutorial. Please note, if the link doens't work, it isn't done yet. This is a work in progress and the links will become available to click on as I get it done (both the actual work and then the tedious process of updating the site).
When I bought the vehicle, the cab had huge holes in the floor and had to be replaced. I opted to get a complete cab from a guy I knew and even it needed new rockers, cab corners, but at first glance appeared otherwise great. It also had a stock tachometer which was a real plus!
After getting it back to the shop, sandblasting the bottom of the cab, and getting a good look at what Father Time, along with a little rust, had done to it, it became clear that it also needed the cab mounts replaced. Now, when I removed the cab from the frame it came on, the two damned front cab support bolts broke, thus making me want to pound my own genitals flat with the tip of my mig welder in frustration. I didn't know what to do. I could cut a hole in the floor, and try and weld it back up nice after I broke the nut free, or I could replace the entire cab support as they were of questionable strength anyways (after the sand-blasting, holes could be seen in the cab supports leading me to question their strength).
As usual, I opted for the harder, but ultimately more rewarding method. So I chopped it all apart, primed the bottom of the truck for purposes of comparison, and tilted back the cab and observed. First, I had to cut out the old supports. I stupidly didn't take any true "before" shots as I hadn't yet thought to document the process nor did I have the requisite technical expertise yet. The only shots I have are after the cab supports have been removed and one rocker panel taken out. The "before" pictures are below.
CAB BOTTOM
The removed, offending cab supports (2 shots):
Note the ruse on these bad boys as well as the complete holes in them. You can also see that the bolts actually snapped clean off inside the stupid bracket GM originally made so that is what prompted this entire project.
DRIVER SIDE CAB SUPPORT AFTER REMOVAL
PASSENGER SIDE CAB SUPPORT AFTER REMOVAL
Notice the rusted out section that has holes in it and is crazy-shaped with a taper and 90 degree bends. That one is going to be fun...
DRIVER SIDE OF CAB (Note the holes that sandblasting exposed in the rockers)
So that is where the project, and this tutorial, merge. From here on out the work begins!