Thread: Tree Crushed 2500HD Silverado Crew Repair

Originally Posted by Slab

Way too complicated, I'll stick with roller painting with tractor paint, and then if I don't like the orange peel from that I can sand down the orange peel and get a Maaco paint job on top it all. Heck, it's only a Jeep, gotta look rugged anyway, right. dono

I don't know if CDC members know how good tractor paint is. That is what I used on the Skeeter trailer. Tractor paint is fantastic.

I sanded and sprayed Raptor Liner on my Nissan Titan about 8 years ago instead of worrying about getting another paint job when the clearcoat and paint faded on the horizontal surfaces, with even a little surface rust in some areas that needed sanding and priming anyway. Aside from a few paint drips (first timer here) and a few small paint chips, it still looks pretty good in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Rojo

I don't know if CDC members know how good tractor paint is. That is what I used on the Skeeter trailer. Tractor paint is fantastic.

Does take forever to dry. Don't try sanding it in a day or two, you'll gum up your sand paper real quick.

Raptor Liner sound interesting. I'm always afraid of painting over unseen rust with thicker liner type paint, and having that rust fester underneath it all. My preference is to leave it accessible and treat it with other techniques including fluid film. But I'm talking about underneath and unseen area. Rhino liner on surface areas and the protection it offers is a great idea particularly for rough and tumble jeeps, right! Make it look military like!

Just a quick update the Roof is cured hard and back in the shop for welding prep. I hope to have it welded on by the weekend.

I spent the better part of the day prepping either the Roof Pillars or Truck Cab Pillars for welding today. I used drop cut metal from the trimming process to install inside flanges to tie the two parts of the Cab back together. Since the cracker box MIG was short on start amps I'm using my Hobert Handler 210 with .024 filler wire in a spool gun to do the welding here. We had a scare with our Rat Terrier and had to run her to the vet and of course go back and pick her up so I'm waiting till tomorrow to weld the Roof on. Doing another picture post, you can see the progress.

Hope the doggie is OK.

And dang, that's going to be "strong like bull", stronger then original for sure. Built in roll cage from the inside. very nice

Originally Posted by Slab

Hope the doggie is OK.

And dang, that's going to be "strong like bull", stronger then original for sure. Built in roll cage from the inside. very nice

Pup turned out to have injured her neck and we can't figure out how.

The backing metals had to be riveted in due to the fit up earlier if I welded them in the puddle would prevent the roof from fully fitting. I watched a video yesterday of a guy using his Mini-X to pull the cab of a truck damaged like mine so after the roof is welded up on the front 4 pillars I'm going to try using my Backhoe to pull the back of the Cab back where it can be straightened. Stay Tuned.

After carefully working the replacement Roof onto the backing metal pieces in all 4 pillars the roof sat down well. Welding commenced. I've got to say it went very well, to make sure the CO2 had not settled to the bottom of the cylinder I removed the cylinder from the welding machine and rolled it back and forth across my shop floor to thoroughly remix the Argon/CO2 blend before beginning to weld. I put a new unopened spool of .030 steel filler wire in the gun, cleaned the MIG gun Barrel, replaced the tip and just overall got it ready for work. Another "Picture Post" so you can see the progress. I used a Copper Shoe to fill the gaps with or Bump welded the gaps I couldn't get the copper behind.





















Now I can hang the rear passenger door on to line up the C Pillar.