Beating your pinch weld flat with a sledge hammer. --Let's discuss!

Water is either coming from an unseen hole from hammering or an unseen split in the pinch weld.

 

I understand that but what kind of water. A passing shower as you're on the highway and water comes in? Or crossing a river and the wheel well/pinch weld area is fully under water and water comes in?

Which one?

 

Here's mine. Never had an issue

 

If he broke a cast steel sledgehammer beating on some folded sheetmetal he probably got it from HF in the first place...

 

Hahaha, no no. It was an old sledge that I had found somewhere. Used it for fishing for the past 15 years so im guessing the saltwater and sun took its toll on the handle, it blew the fuck up. Pieces everywhere.

 

What the hell are you fishing for that requires a sledge?

 

Brahda, it's Hawaii, you use it to hit da' sharks in the face, show em' who's boss.

 

Fishing for ulua (giant trevally).
You use the sledge to pound stainless spikes into the lava rock. The spikes have rings welded to them to hold your rod.

Pound spikes.
Cast rod.
Rod goes in spike.
Drink beer.
Wait for bite

 

Gotcha. I was thinking you had an uncooperative boat engine or something.

 

That's what I love about this forum. Learn shit from all over the country and beyond.

 

Incredibly simple job.

The pinch weld is 14" long. It's 1&3/4" tall at the bottom and heavy duty there. It's 1"tall at top and much softer.

It took 5 minutes to make flat, beating the whole thing to the outside.

I pad wrapped my 2.5 lb. sledge, zero paint damage. No need to paint, no need to seal anything.

I reformed the plastic fender liner with heat gun to make flat.

Thanks a lot for all the input.

Will update later with more pics.

 

Was waiting for this to happen lol

 

Came for the thread name, subbed for carnage

 

Hey @Crom what ever happened to more pics? I'm going to be doing this real soon and everything helps. How easy was reforming the liner? Did you remove the liner, hammer weld, then mount liner and reform?

 

Check his build page for the updated pictures and video of him beating pinch weld

 

Thanks!

 

Has anyone ever considered or actually tried welding it rather than flattening it?

I have not seen it with my own eye yet, pics are often deceiving.

I've been wondering if you could cut it in sections like some do to fold it, but grind 2" and leave 2", weld the grinds then grind the rest and fill the stitches.

Is that not possible? If you bend something that is painted the paints is cracking, might be on the underside where it can't be seen.

 

@EatSleepTacos

Cross posting from my build thread...

Beating the pinch weld flat with a sledge hammer.

I put this task off for the longest time...

It turns out this is a very easy task and it's necessary to clear 33" tires at full stuff, lock-to-lock steering. It takes longer to remove the stuff in the way than it does to flatten the pinch weld out.

Before undertaking this task, I solicited input in this thread here: Beating your pinch weld flat with a sledge hammer. --Let's discuss!

The thread was helpful to my understanding and my take away from that there was there is no wrong way to do it, as long as care as taken. I will say that I went with @Evenflow 's advice. I beat the pinch weld flat to the outside to gain the most clearance. Thanks Jason!

Also special thanks to @GHOST SHIP @nfs257 for other advice, and @MonkeyProof for his pics and description in this thread.

I pad wrapped my 2.5 lb. sledge and had zero damage to the truck paint. No need to paint or seal. It worked superbly, and I gained a lot of clearance. After the beat down, I used a heat gun to reform the plastic fender liner. Heat it up and push back with piece of wood.

The pinch weld itself is 14" long, nearly 2" tall at the bottom and 1" tall at the top. It's much more robust at the bottom. Still a very easy task, just go slow.

These are pics with the fender liner moved out of the way, I pulled the clips and pushed it to the front of the truck.



Top of pinch weld.

Bottom


My tool of choice, 2.5 lb. sledge, blue 3/16" PVC, and duck tape

All wrapped up and ready for beat down.


Here is a video I made using my left hand to swing, and right hand to hold phone. lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oehq5vEiLyg


Lastly, I used an angle grinder and cut the mudflap a lot. This was necessary because I wanted to retain the trimmed mud flaps which help prevent rock damage to the doors.

I cut the mud flaps and did a radius cut on the fender trim.

The mud flaps ended up with holes that needed covering, so for the time I used some Gorilla tape to seal them up.



Field testing.




I'm quite pleased with the outcome after field testing! There is only a very little left to trim from the mud flaps, but the bulk of it is done.

 

Is this easier to do after your tires have 'marked" the pinch weld or could you do it before. Stepping up to 285s from 265 sometime next week and thinking about doing it this weekend or should i just wait

 

Do it anytime you like , no reason to wait.