47-55.1 Straightening front bed panel

[51 3600]

I took the front bed panel off my 51 3600 today. It's a 54 box btw. The panel is bellied out from years of people throwing 4x4s, fence posts, blocks, trees (you get the idea) into the bed. It's to the point where the bed panel rubs on the back of the cab.This will remain a patina truck so I just want to straighten the panel so it looks halfway decent and doesn't rub on the cab anymore. Were I to paint the truck I'd buy a new panel. I'm not a body man but I think I'm well beyond hammer and dolly work here. Have thought of laying it face up on the garage floor and jumping on it but figured I might get better suggestions from the knowledgeable here.

[sack54]

just support and step on the back side a lot will push back out.

[mongocanfly]

id agree ..if your not worried about how it looks

[mr48chev]

Well you can't really hurt it unless you put and extra bend in it.

I'd say lay it on the shop floor or flat surface and lay a 2x6 or 2x8 that was longer than it is wide across it and stand or jump on the plank . You may have to stick it under something like a higher off the ground late model truck and use a jack on top of the plank to put more weight on it. I think I'd support the ends to push the middle down.

[51 3600]

Thanks for the input. Kinda thought it was gonna be brute force over finesse. Still will exercise some caution so I don’t make it worse.

[dsraven]

bolt the flat edge to a 2x4 to keep that edge from getting bent inadvertently. then lay that edge on the floor on top of another 2x4 or maybe a 4x4 post, something good and strong but straight. that will keep the straight bottom edge straight but also just up off the floor. lay the rounded top edge on another 2x4 or a 4x4 post so the top and bottom are both the same distance off the floor and not able to bent the opposite way too far ()lay it down so the bulge is pointing to the sky). then, using another long not easily bent item like another 4x4 post laid across parallel to the other posts, start working your way across the bent part. you could lay some stoppers on the floor so whatever you do the panel can't get over bent. imagine reverse engineering. start at the least bent spot and work towards the most bent spot. by the time you get to the worst bent spot it will likely be less bent and the steel won't be all stretched outta shape from whacking an already stretched part. the long helper 4x4 post will spread the weight of whatever you use to push with, be it body weight, a jack or a bug hammer.
the irony would be using the same item(4x4 post)that made the bend to help get the bend out. using a hammer without something between it and the panel may result in more, isolated, damage unless you have done this before and understand how it works.
just my "use what you got" mentality.

[mick53]

Just put it on backwards for a couple of years.

[51 3600]

Originally Posted by mick53

Just put it on backwards for a couple of years.

I like it!! Alas, I would lose working length and volume of the bed.

[dsraven]

when doing the bending be mindful of the stamping of the metal, the indented part, as it has stretched so when you straighten it you may need to use some hammer/dolly technique to keep it from buckling on the stamped part as it straightens out.

[mr48chev]

I'd say Dsraven, post 6 for the win this time. I think I have a front panel in the same shape out back and may give that a go if I can find it.

[51 3600]

Couple hours following dsraven's game plan with pieces of 2x and BFH and panel pretty much melted back into shape. Not perfect but serviceable. (Whole time felt like I was in a machinery shed somewhere in Nebraska, truck's home, massaging damaged farm implements.)
Thanks all for the bodywork lesson.

Stradling the channel and hammering seemed to work best.



Then a little finesse work with BFF



Pretty straight/flat. Little left at bottom but didn't want to push my luck.



Before.



After

[dsraven]

Looks pretty good. Be carefull or you'll wanna start banging dents outta everything.

[Driver_WT]

Nice job. Not everything has to be expensive LOL

[vics stuff]

Good job. Looks great.