Shell off transmogrification

[nmbosa]

Originally Posted by truckasaurus

NEWS. I've got a confirmed place on an Aircraft Structures course starting this fall so by spring '10 I should be better placed to get the door just right

Sweet, you should be all trained up just in time to come down to Seattle and help rebuild my door.

Have you managed to get the wheel wells lined up yet?

[truckasaurus]

I'm hoping that I might score a little extra shop time at school for a door rebuild session, they unsurprisingly appear to have some cool tools, not to mention the fun I expect to have in the composites lab...All I need to find is a good night class in welding and I should have all my bases covered for the next project trailer.

The wheel wells are still not aligned correctly, a think I'll go and take another look see, maybe I'll find something I missed but if not I'll adjust the template to fit. Part of the problem may be that the curbside panel was bowed out around that wells when I picked her up. I thought the door opening in motion may have not only dented the panel and mashed the stringers but stretched the sheet a bit. Now the panels look straight which is great improvement. I have my fingers crossed that removing the bracing will solve the problem.

[nmbosa]

When we were putting Ryan's shell back down we had a lot of trouble getting the rear street side to line up correctly. Working slowly back and forth, strategically removing bracing and adjusting the jacks on the frame eventually got everything lined up.

I'm expecting problems with my wheel wells - at least on the street side. During the polishing, I realized my streetside wheel well is pushed in at the front of the wheel well. That prompted me to take a look at the inside of the wheel well under the kitchen cabinet and I found it had been shoved into the cabinet framing. So, I'm probably going to need an entire new wheel well for that side. I saw David Winick sells pairs of single axle wheel wells for $275/pair.

[Frank's Trailer Works]

I think this is your door latch... Bargman Lock

[dieseleagle]

Just a quick thought regarding the extent of the misalignment on the wheelwells. Run a stringline the lenth of the frame and see if there is a guz-down in the middle.

[truckasaurus]

At last I've installed the steel bow anchor brackets and whipped out the bracing cats cradle, what a relief, now I can move around without feeling like Forest Gump.

With the bracing out I tried all sorts of techniques involving jacks etc but the gap remains constant and the frame straight so I'm going to go with plan B which is tailoring the replacement side panels to match. On that note I'm getting cold feet about replacing the curb side 2nd up panel, I mean how many people do I need? two? I'll try the street side lower this long weekend and go from there.

[utee94]

Originally Posted by truckasaurus

At last I've installed the steel bow anchor brackets and whipped out the bracing cats cradle, what a relief, now I can move around without feeling like Forest Gump.

With the bracing out I tried all sorts of techniques involving jacks etc but the gap remains constant and the frame straight so I'm going to go with plan B which is tailoring the replacement side panels to match. On that note I'm getting cold feet about replacing the curb side 2nd up panel, I mean how many people do I need? two? I'll try the street side lower this long weekend and go from there.

Man that interior looks clean and fresh. I sometimes wish I had gone ahead and done a full monte as you are.

And then I look at your expected departure date in your signature, and I become a bit happier about my shell-on job.

Regardless, the work you are doing is top-notch, and you will never regret any of it.

-Marcus

[Frank's Trailer Works]

could you post some pictures of the issue you are having? This might help me visualize a solution to this misalignment.

[NorCal Bambi]

Sound like you have tired everything to get alignment. Here is one other thought. When the shell is lowered down onto the floor all the ribs of the shell must slide down into the "C" channel. On my trailer the ribs all touch the bottom of the "C" channel. Maybe the ribs that are next to the fenders have not seated down. This is not enough space to match your misalignment but sometimes every little bit helps. Your trailer work is looking great. Did you put penetrating epoxy on the floor to get that shine or something else?
Don

[truckasaurus]

Hey Don, I used a couple of coats or East System epoxy with aluminum powder on the underside to protect a little better. I don't think I'd go this route again though, maybe automotive undercoating underneath and a sealer topside.

I'm going to take some pictures on Franks suggestion and post them up so maybe that will conjure up more ideas. The ribs between the bows do hover just at the height of the channel but they are not snagged. The trailer seems to be built in a kind of "organic" way, I mean ribs aren't even parallel to each other but I'm really pleased to have got the wave out of the side panel that I can deal with a little massaging.

[truckasaurus]

Quick question #1. If I skin over the doorway can I just run the air nibblers around afterwards to re-create the opening then file to finish?

[truckasaurus]

Here are some shots showing the wheel well mystery. My current conclusion is that the wells were secured to the chassis maybe a couple of inches in from the corners you see butyl taped to the chassis. And that either from day 1 or over time the shell lifted them up at the these corners allowing the lip riveted to the shell panels to elevate somewhat. How does that sound? I'm not totally buying it either but that's all I've got.

On the up side I'm including a shot of my 16' x 4' panel table I made at lunchtime ready for the templating work.

[Jim & Susan]

How about maybe the frame is bent just a bit "upwards" over the wheel wells? My '73 has the plastic wheel wells and they didn't go back in correctly either. Made the roadside outer skin look a little weird. Just a couple of random thoughts.

Jim

[nmbosa]

Truck, you should talk to Ryan about this (and he might chime in as I know they are back from their maiden voyage), but from the looks of your first picture, the rib is hung up on the inside edge of the c-channel which is preventing the shell from coming all the way down. I know Katie and Ryan found several spots around their trailer where this occurred. He just snipped out the inside edge of the c-channel around the rib to let the rib come all the way down into the channel. Check out the photos at the end of this post to their blog: Time to put the lid back on the frame

Norm

[Aerowood]

The only thing I can say is is that things move around. There are many factors that can contribute, how the trailer was setting when it was originally manufactured, etc.etc. The question now is is the frame straight, is there any buckles in the skin, is everything good except this one issue. If it is, redrill it, trim the excess off, and press on.

Kip

[utee94]

Originally Posted by nmbosa

Truck, you should talk to Ryan about this (and he might chime in as I know they are back from their maiden voyage...

Norm

Maiden voyage? Did I miss something, like about 3 months of interior work?

Or, is this one of those "auminum tent" maiden voyages?

[Aerowood]

Originally Posted by truckasaurus

Quick question #1. If I skin over the doorway can I just run the air nibblers around afterwards to re-create the opening then file to finish?

This is one way of doing it. You should have no problems doing it this way.

Kip

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Okay here is what I see... the wheel wells previously had a thick ribbon of putty between the plywood and the wheel well. That would raise you a thick 3/16th right there. I also think if you push up on the inside of the well it will lift that line up so you can cleco and then rivet.

[3Ms75Argosy]

Well, since the wheelwells are under the plywood (right?), it's a bit late to lift them up now... how about putting a bottle jack on top of the wheel, and use some wood to distribute the load, and then jack up the well to line up the rivet lines, cleco, and then you're free! The wheel wells should flex enough to make it work... no?

Is this the reason for the reskin?
Marc

[Frank's Trailer Works]

That is exactly what I was aiming to say. Thanks Mark for saying it better. I would think you can flex that wheel well up to where you need it.