Gluing on quarter skins

[plymouth67]

Panel bonding usually has 3 times the tensile strength of a weld and seals the complete surface it is applied to from rust. The epoxy is the same type of stuff they have used to put the fiberglass tops on conversion vans for 30 years. When was the last time you were driving down the road and saw one of those flying off. I generally butt weld anything you may see like quarters as you can see the overlap in the trunk but, if I'm patching a door or fender or some other spot where you wont see it I will panel bond. No warping and the epoxy squeezes out of the joint and requires way less filler work. If I were going to flange and overlap a skin on a quarter I would use the panel bond....I just dont do it because I dont want to see the seam from the trunk.

 

[Pistol Pete]

I wouldn't have a concern so much with the strength, but how well you could flange a quarter without introducing a whole bunch of little flat spots on a convex surface.

The other issue for me would be how do you clamp it down the length of the quarter ? Drilling it and screwing it together is a possibility, but then the holes would need to be welded up and I'm not sure what the heat generated would do to the adhesive.

 

[CoronetDarter]

For those of us that don't weld, could panel bonding adhesive be used to install sub-frame connectors? If it works the biggest advantage is that you don't have to remove the seats and carpeting.

 

[Mike67]

I wouldn't have a concern so much with the strength, but how well you could flange a quarter without introducing a whole bunch of little flat spots on a convex surface.

The other issue for me would be how do you clamp it down the length of the quarter ? Drilling it and screwing it together is a possibility, but then the holes would need to be welded up and I'm not sure what the heat generated would do to the adhesive.

I bought a flanger with the intent of doing lap welds, the flange actually came out pretty good, the only reason I didn't was the inside of my existing panels had undercoating applied. So when I tucked the flange behind the panel the offset in the flange was not deep enough to be perfect, and that was on a convex piece.
Friends that use panel bond screw it in place remove the screw and skim coat the holes with filler...no need to weld up..

 

[eldubb440]

I wouldn't have a concern so much with the strength, but how well you could flange a quarter without introducing a whole bunch of little flat spots on a convex surface.

The other issue for me would be how do you clamp it down the length of the quarter ? Drilling it and screwing it together is a possibility, but then the holes would need to be welded up and I'm not sure what the heat generated would do to the adhesive.

ya cant weld anywhere near that ****........ ya go back and fill the holes with a little more pb.... I still prefer to butt-weld, and would never lap a panel on our older cars, but PB has many uses in the shop

 

[Ugk]

I've seen cars that had been wrecked with panel bonded quarters. metal tor glue held. you still weld the corners or angles, and end of panels when using panel bond on the older cars. I prefer welding but a lot of the newer car call for panel bond. welding Quarters is a lot of work, No rushing that job.

 

[biomedtechguy]

For those of us that don't weld, could panel bonding adhesive be used to install sub-frame connectors? If it works the biggest advantage is that you don't have to remove the seats and carpeting.

X2

 

[watermelon]

For those of us that don't weld, could panel bonding adhesive be used to install sub-frame connectors? If it works the biggest advantage is that you don't have to remove the seats and carpeting.

get some hotchkis subframe connectors. no interior removal required. all work is exterior. did them on my 66 and made a big improvement.

ohh...but welding required. ooops


watermelon

 

[biomedtechguy]

ohh...but welding required. ooops

I never considered anything but having the US Car Tool frame connector kit welded in, BUT the question is would this "glue" work, as well, does anyone actually know? Has it been done? If welding is "required" why?
Just askin'.

 

[mmissile]

I have some bonded panels on a project. They'll never be an issue. This stuff will outlive the people posting.

 

[mopar 3 B]

If in Europe they are adhesive bonding structural steel members in bridges one would think panels would stay on a car.
I have removed plenty of panels that have been glued. The trick is direct surface to surface contact. Any air gap reduces the bond strength.

 

[Kern Dog]

The wheel tubs in the 68-70 B body cars are a source of interference for guys like me that like wide tires on a lowered car. I've considered cutting and modifying mine to allow full suspension travel without tire to tub contact. I've never followed through with cutting and welding because the area in question is close to the quarter panel. Panel bonding could work here.

 

[CoronetDarter]

get some hotchkis subframe connectors. no interior removal required. all work is exterior. did them on my 66 and made a big improvement.

ohh...but welding required. ooops


watermelon

a friend of mine who welds installed the sfc in the Coronet during the restoration; but the interior was completely gutted. Also welded and boxed the K member; agree it makes a big difference. Now I want to do the same to the Dart, but to install the US Car Tool sfc along the entire length the carpeting has to be pulled up otherwise it will burn. Wonder if they could be glued in the middle and welded at the front and rear.

 

[oldbee]

Some guys I was talking too said they’d rather air-chisel rivets off than panel bonding. The stuff is tenacious, but has to be on overlapping joints; far as I know.

 

[WileE]

Interesting question on the SFC's. Never did or thought of doing using PB. I'd do PB on sheet metal, but weld structural, my preference. I prefer 3M or Fusor PB. Done correctly, my wild guess would be it should hold up. Don't forget, you leave a teeny-tiny gap on PB vs. clamp tight for weld.Some modern vehicles use a combination of structural adhesive with rivets on structural components.