Panel Fit & Seams

[Wookster]

Hi Guys,

First time I've ever done this so.....

About ready to fit a JK wheel arch panel which touches on both sides, but there is a variable gap of around 2-3mm along the top. I can probably adjust the gap, but I doubt it is going to touch like the edges without affecting the 1" groove alignment at the bottom.

What sort of gap should I aim for so that it doesn't look odd, and which is more important visually.
Don't have a clean join to compare with cos of seam sealer etc, and the other side is damaged.

Any advice welcome.

Cheers

Andy

[Plasticman]

picture would really really help
mm

[Wookster]

Sorry for the lack of a pic, had to break off to order some bits.
Can't get far enough back to take a big pic so multiples below. If pics from different angles will help I'm happy to take them.

Left hand groove.


Right Hand Groove



Left hand side



Right hand side



Top Gap



Top Gap Centre

[Plasticman]

yep, not good, dont expect the pattern part toi have very well defined swages and the like, these you remake yourself, but.,,,, the gap at the top where it joins the existing wing .what have you done , by that i mean how have you removed the old arch and after removal what did you do to the remnant to allow fitting of the new arch.
if i assume this is not yet welded on then a pick of whats behind/ under would be of more help
mm

[Wookster]

Hi mm, I'll try to explain as best I can. Don't have pics of everything I did as I hadn't found the forum at that point.

Started with this:-



I used an air chisel and cutting disks to remove the rot and then ground down what was left of the old spot welds.
The new section I cut out of a full JK repair panel, possibly a mistake but the rest of the wing is in good nick and I thought it best to keep as much of the original as possible.

At the moment the repair section is held in with a couple of clico's, adding more clico's would probably pull the panel tighter but I thought I'd seek advice first.

As for what's underneath originally not much apart from rust. I have welded in new sections and checked that they don't interfere with the repair section. Some fettling is required before welding but I thought I'd worry about that once the exterior is sorted out.





I think these are the most relevant pics I have, I don't want to double post so more pics are in the main topic:-.

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... 8#p7793618

If by behind/under you mean with the repair panel in place, I'm off to take some now just in case.

Thanks for taking the time

Andy

[Plasticman]

Ah so you have ground out the remnant of the old arch/inner wing ?
you are sitting this arch assembly up against this ground off area and hoping to close the gap ?
is this an arch you bought or a full side that you have chopped the arch part off and formed your own fold/lip?
cant find the link to one of the ones i done you will have to have a search but im doing one now and will shove picks up after the weekend
mm

[Wookster]

Yes, but left the lip on the large panel which is intact all the way around.
Yes.
Wheel arch section I'm using is cut out of a full JK rear side panel, cut the wheel arch section out and then drilled out the spot welds which hold the 2 sections together so I could retain the lip undamaged.
Could this be where I've gone wrong and if you order just the wheel arch repair section it's from a different pressing.

Also the panels came with the van when I bought it and aren't new, were old pressings worse?.

If the latest pressings are better I'm willing to spend the £30 or so, just don't want to waste my dosh.

[Wookster]

This is the view underneath where the new section meets my repairs.
The gap at the top is 8-10mm.

[Plasticman]

Ah this is where your cooming unstuck then, you have or should or its easiest if you drill out the spots holding the old inner arch to the upper wing and then open this up and then you cut the new lowerarch to leave enougfh to poke through 1/2" or so and spot from un der , through and also from the innerside,
i havent uploaded the picks yet, will make an effort to tonight , work now,lol
mm

[Wookster]

Thanks mm, will wait for the pics now that I think I understand what you mean.
Where there is extra "metal" on the panel I'm trying to fit everything behind it has rotted away, so I was planning to seam weld the repair panel in as is.
Thanks for your time, I appreciate replying is interrupting your own work.

Cheers

Andy

[Wookster]

For info.
Spent 30mins or so investigating the gaps around the panel and concluded that the ridge in the panel (tips of clico's) is at the least part of the problem. A bit of tweaking and the join is much closer.

[Plasticman]

heres a picky to explain

so you see, the lower part is the inner that you have but the arch bit is cut off, so when i get a panal either gen or pattern and providing the inner is good the i cut it off and insert it in the gap where the bolster is, perfect way to do it, ok there are variations i do dependant on circumstances but suffice to say this is generally it
mm

[Wookster]

I can see how that would be a really neat way to fit the wheel arch but I don't have any of that metal to work with.
About the first 100mm of the inner wing has completely rusted away all the way around.

This is a very similar view on my van, you can put your arm through all the way inside the vehicle.



I've been like a dog with a bone this afternoon couldn't leave it alone. It's much closer now, only the front edge has a gap, although how I'm going to cure that I don't have a clue at the moment. Fresh start in the morning.
Apart from this section it now touches all the way around.

[Wookster]

Ok, been thinking about the problem for a while and have marked the wing where the repair panel doesn't touch.
My idea is to weld a series of fillets to the edge of the wing, each one being laid on top of the other but shorter each time, sort of like a gable end on a house.
At worst the gap is 3mm in the centre but it touches where the arrow is and also at the very bottom.

With some careful grinding I should be able to follow the curve of the wing and close the gap, the lip of the wing would be upto 3mm thick in the centre and gradually fade to nothing at the edges.
I could just use filler and fake the seam but I don't like that idea cos it's bound to crack and let water in at some point.

If anyone things this is a bad idea, crazy etc please speak up cos I can't think of any other way to do it.

[Plasticman]

the existing wing is by the looks of things original so use this as the reference and dont alter it nor weld it up ,
you have an arch that dont quite line up, so get the tapping hammers out and modify the arch
mm