Task Force Rear Panel Transplant

[Houston54]

Has anyone removed the entire rear panel from a task force cab by drilling the spot welds?

I am at the point on my current project where I can either take the rear panel off a big window cab and transplant it into a more solid cab or repair the big window cab with patch panels.

The BW cab requires repair above the windshield, the roof skin along the drip rail, insider header panel above windshield, top of door jambs on both sides, A pillars and all the other normal areas such as toe board, hinge pockets and cab corners. All these repairs are within my capabilities but they will take time and patience. I am leaning towards transplanting the rear panel to another small window cab I have that is without all the cancer.

The spot welds along the B pillars and cab floor are obvious and not the issue. The concern is the top seam. It appears the roof skin needs to be removed to access the spot welds at the top of the panel. I have a factory assembly manual showing the general spot weld locations so that much I do know.

If anyone has performed this surgery on a task force cab I would appreciate learning what you learned during this process.

[OrrieG]

Ambitious, I'd find a good cab unless your REALLY want to do this for the experience and challenge. I can see all kinds of things getting out or alignment, curved windshields, doors to start with.

[Houston54]

As the B pillars are not affected the chances of that happening are minimized but there will be plenty of bracing installed between the floor, B pilars and door jambs regardless. That is just good practice.

The costs of finding and acquiring another cab make this process attractive.

The only area of concern is the top of the panel as I have noted. The rest is just spot welds.

[Kim57]

I have seen articles showing this being done (maybe a search on "Classic Trucks" or "Custom & Classic Trucks" magazine sites might have it). I think as long as you brace it well you will have no problem. It may be easier than doing a bunch of patch panels also.
Kim

[dwcsr]

I recently did a roof on a big window and yes to get at the spot welds for the top of the inside window panel you have to have the roof off.
http://www.thehollisterroadcompany.c...forceroof.html
I think if I were doing what you’re doing I would go with new panels. You’re going to make a mess of the donor panels no matter how careful you are just because of the crappy job they did with spotting everything together. Then you may find the inside of the roof and rear panels are almost rusted through but not showing outside yet. If they’re ok then you have major weld clean up doing all the rosette welds in each old spot weld you cut out. If you go new you only worry about take the metal off once the finished job will look much cleaner.
Lastly from my experience with taking many panels off the donor truck for resale, they don't always fit the truck you’re transplanting to. They years of torque and settling can stretch the metal out. So now you have a pile of spots you cut out and trying to fit a panel that’s not fitting well with a lot of time invested, it can get ugly. If money is the issue then that’s what you do but if you can see your way to new panels you will have a much easier job of it and a nicely finished project. The Dynacorn roof I did fit very well with little adjustment.
From the sounds of it you need an inner roof, the roof and a rear panel, inner and outer. The roof would come off first. Do the inner panel, don’t spot weld it around the back yet. Then replace the rear inner panel, spot it around the back on the top, then the outer and then the roof.

[Kateaux]

I did mine. I put the whole rear panel and a new roof on my cab. I still need the inner part just above the glass. I think they make that too but is pricey. Since I did both I did not have to deal with that top seam.

Kateaux