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Bronco Sheet Metal

rescueweasel

New Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Messages
20
Loc.
Bullhead City, AZ
What gauge of sheet metal is everyone using when they patch body and floor panels?

If my calipers are correct my body panels are reading .066 to .076 which comes out to around a 14 or 15 gauge.

I had planned on using 18 gauge panels but now I'm not sure if they will be think enough.
 

Steve

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 5, 2003
Messages
2,986
Loc.
Grand Junction, CO
I wouldn't use 18 Ga, it's too thin. Go with 14 or 16. I'd use 14 for floor pans and related stuff and 16 for body sheet metal.
 
Last edited:

Explorer

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 2, 2008
Messages
4,390
Loc.
Raphine, Virginia
Just my opinion of course, but 18 gauge should be fine for outer body panels. Thats mostly what you get from suppliers anyway. Floor pans need to be heavier. I just got a couple rear floor panels from BGF and they seem to be 14 gauge.
 

bjs254

New Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
19
Loc.
Newnan,GA
18 gauge is nice to work with but 16 gauge will weld in better to your tub area because you can use a hotter weld
 

Fishbone

Sr. Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
534
Loc.
Northern, Illinois
I think the factory stuff is about 18 ga. Did you take the thickness of the paint, primer and possibly some undercoating into consideration when measuring?

I use 16 ga. on everything except the outer body panels.

I used some sheet metal off another EB for the little work I needed to do to the outer panels. I don't know for sure (never checked), bit it seemed pretty close to 18 ga. to me.
 

Broncoman

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 29, 2001
Messages
1,873
14 is thicker than the floor I know for sure. 16 would be guess for flooring.
 
OP
OP
rescueweasel

rescueweasel

New Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Messages
20
Loc.
Bullhead City, AZ
I took two measurements both on bear sheet metal one at the center hump by the shifter and one on the door skin where I had a rust hole.

Thanks for all the replies
 
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