Appreciation post: a stubborn door gap on a '78 Ford that finally gave up

I tried a trick with a ratchet strap and a heat gun on the frame, and it pulled the quarter panel into perfect alignment without any filler. Has anyone else used a similar method on an old truck?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinson.leo1mo ago

Heard of guys using a porta-power against a tree to straighten a cab corner. How much heat did you have to use on that frame rail before it started to move? Always worried about messing up the factory coatings or making the metal too soft. Your method sounds cleaner than beating it with a hammer, that's for sure.

jennyh551mo ago

You've got it backwards, the heat goes on the cab corner itself, not the frame. The frame rail stays cold. You heat the bent section of the cab until it's cherry red, then the porta-power pushes it straight against the tree. The factory coating is already wrecked on the bent part, so that's not a concern. You just have to be careful not to overheat and warp good metal nearby. It's still a rough fix, but it beats hammering for hours.

sanchez.blake7d ago

Nah man I gotta hard disagree here. Heating up the cab to cherry red is asking for warped panels and a mess that'll never line up right again. @robinson.leo you're smarter to focus the heat on the frame rail where it's thicker, that way the cab stays cold and doesn't turn into a noodle. Less chance of ruining the whole corner.