Best move for rusted body mount/core support

[amfw]

Looking for advice on best next steps here.

Pulled my battery tray yesterday to get a better look at my troublesome front passenger body mount. The frame/mount look OK (to me at least) but the thinner body metal of the inner fenderwell and the attachment points to the core support are rusted through, and the front corner is basically cantilevered out over everything, not getting any support from that mount.
I want to take care of this for safety, longevity and appearance, but am not concerned with building a 'perfect' truck.
I don't weld (yet) but am aware that is going to be part of the

solution. Pics below are what I have now, can take more if needed.

 

[DirtDonk]

Well, you can buy all the parts near nowadays, but your braces and mount don’t look that bad from here. Do you think they are reusable as parts of the fix, or for sure need to be replaced?

Without replacing, or even with replacing some, most of your issues are on flat metal. So prior to you learning to weld you could literally create a patch panel for the wheel well and core support which are both flat, and rivet them, or just tech screw them to their sub panels and rivet or screw the braces to them.
Would obviously be a patch, but would also be very strong and secure.

You could even use my go to for things like this and “glue and screw“ them. where you use silicone sealer between the panels before the final attachment.
It’s permanent if you want it to be, removable if it ever comes to that, very strong and the sealer keeps moisture from between the panels.

 

[amfw]

Well, you can buy all the parts near nowadays, but your braces and mount don’t look that bad from here. Do you think they are reusable as parts of the fix, or for sure need to be replaced?

Without replacing, or even with replacing some, most of your issues are on flat metal. So prior to you learning to weld you could literally create a patch panel for the wheel well and core support which are both flat, and rivet them, or just tech screw them to their sub panels and rivet or screw the braces to them.
Would obviously be a patch, but would also be very strong and secure.

You could even use my go to for things like this and “glue and screw“ them. where you use silicone sealer between the panels before the final attachment.
It’s permanent if you want it to be, removable if it ever comes to that, very strong and the sealer keeps moisture from between the panels.

I am not sure if they need to be replaced or not, I would defer to you on that haha. There certainly is a ton of surface rust. I was thinking the same thing about flat metal and making a patch panel and screwing or riveting, and am glad to hear that is not a crazy idea. I just figured that was my lazy brain rationalizing my way out of welding.... I think glue and screw sounds good to me. Thanks for the reply Paul.

-Adam

 

[DirtDonk]

Well, it might still be the lazy way out, but it can still work great!
Remember, as we like to say around here “of course it’s only temporary. Unless it works!”

I glued and screwed my floor panels in over 30 years ago and they are as solid as a rock and rust free to this day.

 

[Rustytruck]

use urethane window adhesive instead of silicone. if you use pop rivets cinch them up but don't pop them release the tool and then cut off the pin leaving the stem in the rivet makes the pop rivet tough to shear. especially if you use steel rivets.

 

[amfw]

use urethane window adhesive instead of silicone. if you use pop rivets cinch them up but don't pop them release the tool and then cut off the pin leaving the stem in the rivet makes the pop rivet tough to shear. especially if you use steel rivets.

Leaving the mandrel in the rivet for added strength is a nice tip, thanks!