Need help replacing rusted panels!

[ZookBronc]

After 15 years of not owning a bronco, I finally did the leap and bought one this last Saturday. A nice 71 from San Diego for a great price. After a few days of inspection it looks like I need to replace quite a bit of rust, amoung other things, but the rust being first and foremost. I need to replace both floor pans, kick panels and inner fender aprons.

My question is how do i get the old pieces out? Do i separate them at the seems with an air chisel? Cut them with a grinder? And when i do get the old parts off and start to put the new pieces back in...Do I overlap the remaining part of the old floor pans with the new or but then up against one another?

 

[Flash69]

After 15 years of not owning a bronco, I finally did the leap and bought one this last Saturday. A nice 71 from San Diego for a great price. After a few days of inspection it looks like I need to replace quite a bit of rust, amoung other things, but the rust being first and foremost. I need to replace both floor pans, kick panels and inner fender aprons.

My question is how do i get the old pieces out? Do i separate them at the seems with an air chisel? Cut them with a grinder? And when i do get the old parts off and start to put the new pieces back in...Do I overlap the remaining part of the old floor pans with the new or but then up against one another?

Welcome to the Forum. You will probably have to use all the tools mentioned above. When you go to putting the panels back they are almost self explanatory. Buy the new panels before you cut the old ones out and you will know where and what you need to cut out. Again welcome.

 

[dpmerrill]

Your floor pans and kick panels are spot welded from the factory. The best way to remove them is to drill out the factory spot welds and pull the panels out. Do as little damage to the remaining seams as possible, since you'll use them to plug weld the new panels back in.

The best and easiest thing to do when replacing your floorboards and kick panels is plug welds on an overlapping joint. Plug welds will give you less chance of warping and stress cracks in the sheet metal than a butt weld would.

Some guys recommend a spot weld drill bit for removing panels. I haven't tried one, but they sound like they're worth it. I know Eastwood sells them.

Also, watch closely when you're buying the replacement floorboards. You want the ones with beads rolled into the panels. The flat style without grooves are more patch panels than replacement panels.

And finally, search around some of the threads on this site. A lot of guys have been where you're going and there are some great threads with pictures.

 

[ZookBronc]

Cool, I appreciate the info, I will do a little more diggin on this site. Any reccomendations as to who/where to buy the panels from?