Need 58 Door Bottom Replacement Tips

[dyno]

I've almost replaced all the lower cab sheet metal and saved the worst for last...door bottoms. Not fun. I've got the bottom sectioned out of one door and painstakingly trimmed the inner and outer patch panels to fit, retaining the curve of the door with a template.

Quick questions before I weld it up.

1. Would you weld the inner panel in first or do the inner and outer at the same time? (as an assembled unit)

2. The panels did not have weep slots formed in them. What's the best way to do them?

3. What are you using to replace the foam strip that runs between the outer skin and horizontal brace?

4. Before I weld up the bottom, I'm going to treat the surface rust inside the doors, prime and then shoot them with undercoating. What about sealing that vulnerable inside bottom seam? I guess the only way to do that would be to assemble the inner and outer panels and run a bead of seam sealer in there before I weld it onto the door as a unit.

Thanks.

[Russell Ashley]

It didn't appear to me when I was working on my door that there was ever an acceptable drain in it. The door bottoms were so rusty that it was hard to tell what they originally looked like though. I definitely wanted to put drains in it so I took an example from my last truck, a 69 Dodge, and made drains like it had. You make two cuts in the inner door where it meets the outer skin and form an opening there, one in the front and one in the rear. Don't cut the tab out, just form it back. You must do this before installing the outer skin. You create two openings about an inch long and about 1/8th to 3/16ths open. This puts the drains outside of the door gasket and the gasket has enough thickness and flexibility to form around it. You cut this section of outer door skin off to leave the drain, but leave the bottom curve so it doesn't show from outside. This pic might make it more more clear. There might be a better way but you must get the drain outside of the rubber door gasket.

[dyno]

Thanks Russell. The original drain has a dimpled out section in the flange of the inner skin which channels water past the weatherstrip. They just seem too small and prone to clog up with debris.

[Russell Ashley]

Were there drains that went outside of the door gasket? Mine were too rusted away to tell, but the FAM shows plugs that are inside of the door gasket. The picture looks like you have to remove two rubber plugs and manually drain the door if they get water in them. That might be why my steps have a hole drilled in the front of them. The patch panels don't have any drains in them at all.

[OrrieG]

Mine were is good shape, but the retainer as rusted gone too. My little dimples (well trucks not mine) were completely clogged to. After I get the WS on I am going to drill some drain holes too.

[Kabwe]

Here is the rust damage that mine had.


I put the new patch panel on top to get an idea of where to cut. I also measured the panel and double checked before I cut. I put reference points of the door and measure those to the bottom of the door. MEASURE, MEASURE, AND MEASURE again.
Another thing the hinge mount is sold separately from the bottom patch panel you will have to spot weld that in place before your install. Also get the large panel as used here because the small one sucks.
Note: I cut my patch a little shorter before installation. That way if I messed up I could get another panel instead of needing another door. I do all patch panels like this. I only use whats needed.
New panel is tacked in place here

Flip the door over to install the outer panel.

Outer patch tacked in place

Door welded and metal finished and installed on the truck.

[dyno]

Originally Posted by Russell Ashley

Were there drains that went outside of the door gasket? Mine were too rusted away to tell, but the FAM shows plugs that are inside of the door gasket. The picture looks like you have to remove two rubber plugs and manually drain the door if they get water in them. That might be why my steps have a hole drilled in the front of them. The patch panels don't have any drains in them at all.

Yeah, the inner panel is dimpled out at the bottom to run water down past the weatherstrip. Drilling holes would run water inside the step.

[Russell Ashley]

My inner door patch panels didn't have any provisions for drains so that's why I made mine like I did.

[dyno]

Bam, thanks for the pics. Where did you get your inner panels from? They have those drain dimples formed in them, mine don't. I think I'm going to dimple out that inner pan flange just like the OEM. I'm going to make them a little bigger so they wont plug up as easy.

So, what about sealing the bottom seam from the inside where the inner meets the outer? Can't do it once the bottom is welded on. Maybe just not worry about it...looks like it wasn't sealed at the factory.

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by dyno

Bam, thanks for the pics. Where did you get your inner panels from? They have those drain dimples formed in them, mine don't. I think I'm going to dimple out that inner pan flange just like the OEM. I'm going to make them a little bigger so they wont plug up as easy.

So, what about sealing the bottom seam from the inside where the inner meets the outer? Can't do it once the bottom is welded on. Maybe just not worry about it...looks like it wasn't sealed at the factory.

My panels had the drain dimples but I bought mine years ago from Brothers and I remember Kim57 and I talking about how the panels were different when he bought his.

You could use seam sealer to seal the bottom if you like.

[Old Crow]

Dyno, on the bottom seams of the doors like you're talking about we just hand paint the bottom 6" or so of the inside of the doors with POR-15. Make sure it runs down into the seam and you'll be good.

[dyno]

Originally Posted by Old Crow

Dyno, on the bottom seams of the doors like you're talking about we just hand paint the bottom 6" or so of the inside of the doors with POR-15. Make sure it runs down into the seam and you'll be good.

Good idea old crow....will do.

[dyno]

So what about the foam strip that runs between the outer door skin and internal horizontal brace? I couldn't find replacement in the catalogs. You guys leaving it out?