Need to replace Cab Mount Supports...help

[airbrushguy]

???

[Molberg]

Maybe these will help.

[Molberg]

The floor/inner rocker piece slides in behind the pillar. The front edge of this panel meets the mating broke edge of lower firewall. The lower forward tab with large hole in it is part of the pillar.(lower fender bolt) That piece in one of your pics laying on the floor is a reinforcement... and should be spot welded in behind that tab.

[Molberg]

Just my experience... I wouldnt do any major steel repairs until you have all the panels laying there to test fit.

[airbrushguy]

Yeah I get your point, and I guess I better order that bottom tab piece as well. Looks too important to use in its rusted condition.
Thanks again, just anxious to get going and parts shipment is holding me back.

[Molberg]

No problem...late reply due to suture removal post surgery yesterday.. sorry

[airbrushguy]

Yeow!, good luck with that, hope all went well.
Relax and feel better.

Now I feel stupid about the ??? post, sorry.

[Molberg]

Originally Posted by airbrushguy

Yeow!, good luck with that, hope all went well.
Relax and feel better.

Now I feel stupid about the ??? post, sorry.

Lol.. no worries. Let me know how you make out

[airbrushguy]

Slow progress....tacked in left inner rocker after cutting floor. Having difficulty getting old support free. Thought I cut all spotwelds but don't exactly understand that extra plate between support and floor. Are there spotwelds on top of floor and on support from below?
Do I need to drill right through all three layers?

[Molberg]

Looks good! I trimmed my floor all the way into the sub fram of the cab... Where the support attatches. You may find it easier to remove that plate... And replace the entire support. Support is spot welded to outside of subframe under that plate as well

[black_sheep454]

Why not just get a complete floor pan, may cost a little more money but would be much less time and labor IMO

[airbrushguy]

Originally Posted by Molberg

Looks good! I trimmed my floor all the way into the sub fram of the cab... Where the support attatches. You may find it easier to remove that plate... And replace the entire support. Support is spot welded to outside of subframe under that plate as well

Is that plate part of the support? My replacement doesn't have that. Should I make new plate before I put support in? Do I have to lift cab to replace support?

I thought it was convenient to have depression/bolthole area in place, so I didn't cut piece out.

I may find later that it would've been easier to replace whole floor, but I'm too concerned about getting rocker lined up properly and the pieces that remain help me judge where the new pieces go.
Thanks

[Molberg]

That Plate is spot welded to top of support and under side of pan. Grind around on the floor pan area, around the bolt hole. You'll see the spot welds. Drill em out Don't cut any more floor out than necessary.

[airbrushguy]

Once I get all the spot welds, will I have to lift cab in order to replace supports?
Thanks for your patience Molberg.

[Molberg]

Yep ... Use a block and a floor jack. Where the bolt goes through the support... It also goes through a metal ring. It's inside the support, but part of/spot welded to the subframe. Can make gettin the support out tough. Cut the bottom of the support off.. You'll see what I'm talkin about.

[Molberg]

Remove front and back bolts on one side... Then lift that side with a jack/block. Air chisel come in handy after that. (Bolt for rad cradle too on that side if you're gonna lift it lots)

[airbrushguy]

Originally Posted by Sammy

If you are careful after you let the column drop from the dash mount and disconnect the plate from the firewall inside and engine compartment I can't see why not. Leave the rest of it connected. May need a 6X6 block on the floor jack n jack stands to be safe of course.

Can I just disconnect the rag-joint at the end of the shaft?
Where is the best place to lift from?

[Molberg]

Right under the subframe that runs along your supports... Front to back

[RPBurris]

I gotta see how this goes. was wondering the same thing of how to do this without removing the cab.

[airbrushguy]

Originally Posted by Molberg

Right under the subframe that runs along your supports... Front to back

Will disconnecting the rag-joint be all I need to do as far as steering column?
Thanks

[Molberg]

Should be. Depends on how high you plan on jacking it up. Just keep an eye on everything connected to cab if your really gonna lift it. Steel brake lines, shift linkage etc

[Molberg]

I've done trucks where we unhooked nothing. Not even the cradle bolts. Lol. Just support bolts

[DD1]

Originally Posted by black_sheep454

Why not just get a complete floor pan, may cost a little more money but would be much less time and labor IMO

I have been reading through this thread as I am in a similar position. I have been having trouble with the cab support replacement, especially as I am not that skilled at plug welding. I may want to just go the route of replacing the entire floor pan. Where did you get your floor pan from? Who would you recommend to get a quality part from?

Thanks for all of the tips on this thread. It has been very helpful.

[airbrushguy]

I'm having a hell of a time cutting the support free from the floor and plate. Thinking of just cutting floor out further to the right and removing support, plate and floor piece at once and separate them while out of floor then tack floor, plate and new support together bolt to mount and weld floor back together...
Sound do-able??

[Molberg]

If you get a screwdriver or pry bar in between the support and plate... Pry down.. You'll see indents appear where the spot welds are still holding it. The supports are also spot welded to the sub frame. May be easier to chop old support with a grinder or a sawzall for more room. It's only steel. Can be welded back. (Floor pan) Have to improvise sometimes. Lol