how to shave drip rails...?

[Dino11]

i searched and found a little info, but not so much a how to, which is what i am kinda looking for...

i am a bodywork amateur, and i think the drip rail kills the look of the truck... so i was wondering how hard is it to smooth this, what exactly is the best way to go about it? is there more than meets the eye? what process and techniques are there? thanks so much!

[mclairmo]

Have not done it but read that it is more work than it seems. Apparently, there are several layers of metal there that have to be welded and smoothed.

[lotik]

I took a sawzall and cut off about 6 inches of driprail then tacked up that section. I repeated this all the way across. Its definitely a lot of work. Have fun.

[Dino11]

hm, i figured there were several thin layers to deal with... this is on my to do list.. and i will do it sometime lol... ill try to do a write up on it when that day comes

[eseaton]

I just finished mine, its realy not that hard just take your time, work in small sections, and keep the heat to a minimum. And dont dig in the grinder when smooting the welds.

[Strodder]

I made the drip rail into a flare, and shaved the back part of the drip rail after the door.

[vegaschevy]

Shaving the drip rails looks GREAT as well as welding in the seam and grinding the back of the cab down.

[Strodder]

Thanks. I'm still not convinced that this is the way to go with the end of the flare. Keep it up like it is, or down and taper off behind the door, or taper it straight back.

[Dingfodgy]

Funny you should ask....I just did one side yesterday. I'm fixin' to yank the windshield tonight so I can do the front. It's not hard, but it does take a bucket-load of patience! I used a 4" cutoff wheel on my angle grinder to trim off about 2" at a time. As others have said- the drip rail is the result of 3 seperate panels coming together and being folded over. Keep your welder heat low and "stitch" the section- don't try to do it in one pass. Also use a flap disc very gently to smooth out the welds, then hit 'em with a 40-60 grit PSA on a DA sander to finish it out. Take your time, screw up a couple sections, fix them, and keep pluggin' along. Before you know it- you'll be done!

[Ackattack]

I did this on my 68....you can see the pictures and read about it in my build thread.

Here's what I did. First, practice on a junk cab. Really, this is what I did.

On the real thing I started by cutting off a short section of the driprail about 1/4" from being "flush" and then tacked that back together in just a few spots. I did this all the way across the front. Then I came back with a grinder and ground the remaining seam back down flush with the widsheild and roof. If I remember right I also had to do a little messaging with a body hammer too.
So there is the front part.

The sides are a little easier. First, part of the drip rail is a seperate piece and tat came off, then I pretty much just cut and removed the rest, and welded it back up. Sounds pretty easy but man, some of that metal, especially around the back curve is THIN and very difficult to weld.

After I did this there was a sharp "edge" and a large gap between the door and the cab, so I took some 3/8 rod, bent it into shape and used it as a filler piece between the door and cab. This also smoothed out the sharp edge.

Good luck....lots of work!

Here are some pics:

before body work (what I did)



after body work (no paint)

[Dino11]

Awesome info and ideas! Keep em comin!

I am hopin to get sum cash and get a parts truck if i can , honestly id like to swap cabs if i could find one a lil better, so this may b my practice truck.

What is the tool that you guys have used to cut this off?

[vegaschevy]

Originally Posted by Dino11

Awesome info and ideas! Keep em comin!

I am hopin to get sum cash and get a parts truck if i can , honestly id like to swap cabs if i could find one a lil better, so this may b my practice truck.

What is the tool that you guys have used to cut this off?

I have heard said they used a sawz all, or a 4" cut off wheel.

[Strodder]

Originally Posted by vegaschevy

I have heard said they used a sawz all, or a 4" cut off wheel.

I used a 4 1/2" cut off wheel, on a electric side grinder.

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by Strodder

I used a 4 1/2" cut off wheel, on a electric side grinder.

me too

[Strodder]

Originally Posted by Ackattack

me too

I have a plasma cutter that's needs a circuit board. That board is over $500.00, so it's just sitting. It's an over kill for drip rails though. I miss the plasma cutter when I need to cut thicker metal.

[chevyz71z28]

For the first peice that you removed around the door what is the best way to remove it? also do you d o anything with the Appilar cause it looks like if you cut off the drip rail then the appilar won't sit quite flush with the roof? I am planing to give this a try pretty soon and just want to know the attack plan first. Thanks

[dnd1978]

It is a BIG job. Read this it all help.

http://www.customclassictrucks.com/t...rty/index.html

[ivanuf2]

Has anyone experienced any problems with water dripping inside the cab with out the drip rail. Is this a viable mod for a daily driver or just for show trucks. I was told by other truck owners not to do it because I was going to have water problems. Any feedback form users?

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by ivanuf2

Has anyone experienced any problems with water dripping inside the cab with out the drip rail. Is this a viable mod for a daily driver or just for show trucks. I was told by other truck owners not to do it because I was going to have water problems. Any feedback form users?

I have not driven my truck in the rain yet, but I did take it to the car wash and didn't get any water from around the door.

It takes a little work to get the A-pillar to look right. I cut a slice in the roof from the corner to the middle and did a little hammering to smooth it out a little. The body guy took care of the rest.

[lotik]

I haven't gotten water in the cab, but I have gotten it in my lap when getting out of the truck.

[Strodder]

Like the song. "It doesn't Rain in Southern California"
Only a little.

[Possmguts]

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