I'm going to 37" tires (from 35") and when I did some testing I discovered that I needed to trim more of my pinch seam (I'd trimmed them years ago when I did the 35" tires but only to the spot welds). I did quite the cut...



Does anyone have a suggestion on how to seal off the space? I know it's filled with foam but I expect water can still get in there. I thought about maybe some metal mesh and Bondo but I'd like to hear what others have done.

Thanks!

 

I just used a really good silicone sealer... it's lasted 4 years....

 

I used JB Weld and painted over the area to prevent rust.

 

You should really just go buy a thin piece of sheet metal (18 gauge should do) and weld it on. Use .023 mig wire (although Tig would be preferable) and just lay tack after tack, alternating sides and controlling the heat until you've got the entire thing welded in. Welding sheet metal isn't as intimidating as it sounds. Then hit all exposed metal with self etch primer and bedline your wheel wells.

Just my $0.02.

 

Tig some sheetmetal back in.
What I did for my 40's.

 

How did you guys span such a large area with JB Weld or silicone? I was thinking I'd need to lay down some wire mesh across the foam to make something like that (or Bondo) work. It's like four or five inches across.

I'm looking at the possibility of welding a piece of metal as well. I don't have a welder though (or any experience welding) so I'd need to enlist help.

Thanks!

 

Take the piece you cut out and put in on a flat piece of steel plate, trace the outline and then tack weld it into place to fill the opening. Make sure you are careful welding so as not to burn the foam. Then you can used JBweld to smooth out the edges. Did this 4 years ago and it is still holding up perfect.

 

This is cool. Makes me want to trim more just to try my hand at welding sheet metal. Here's an awesome video that shows a lot of sheet metal repairs. The time lapse really illustrates how the metal warps during welding. It's as long as a movie in the theater but I definitely watched the entire thing over a few days.

 

Does anyone have any pictures of their welded replacement metal repairs?