Old Jeep quarter panel via hammerform...

[Truckntran Bill]

Hi guys.. we have been discussing a hammerform method to reproduce the quarter panels on old jeeps. A gentleman named Brian posted a terrific hammerform tutorial over on the Cj2A page.... His basic method was to use a form and make the entire panel in one piece, no welding, but the rear curved portion of the panel he used his Pullmax to shrink the curve into the flange on the lower edge, then he welded in a forme upper channel.

Here is a pic of a drawing I did for a prototype hammerform lower die.. On this one I was hoping to avoid welding and get it all done in one piece...

http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/1060/2074637760037238516S500x500Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2074637760037238516YCXkWz) Hopefully you can see it well enough, it was the best I could do in a motel room...

Any suggestions to improve the process would be appreciated.. I have not shown the upper hammerform die, which will be a little smaller than the lower die to allow hammer room.. I may need to make the curved die in the rear a removeable piece..

The upper lip on the panel is U shaped, the lower lip is a simple 90 degree bend, which will allow the panel to be pulled off the form without damage..

This will need to be done using basic hand tools, no planishing hammers or pullmax or E wheel available.

[Rick (madera)]

from what I can see should work fine...... I think.....maybe....:confused:I don't know
Just teasin' looks great!

[steve.murphy]

Bill,
Can you provide a link to the forum? Thanks Steve

[James(Western Canada)]

Here are several that turned up in a quick google search......

http://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/

http://www.willysjeep.com/forum/index

http://www.cj-2a.com/ (this one appears to be related to the first one listed)

James

[Truckntran Bill]

Sorry, I didn't get back here with the link sooner...

http://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/how-to-make-tool-indentsmetalshapers-how-to_topic17398_page1.html

look for the posts by "metalshaper" Brian from CT. You will notice he chose to do the rearmost curve diffently than what I am proposing.

If you are in to the flatfender jeeps the 2A page forums are a great bunch of people and some have access to some pretty amazing factory info.

[Rick (madera)]

that guy sure has a shop FULL of metal shapping machines :o

[rexrogers]

A very impressive hammer form defiantly not going to move around on you. A great write up to on the process.

[Astro]

I used to do rust repair for a shop that specialized in old Land Cruisers. I didn't have any metal working equipment other than a big brake and shear, and a cheap slip roll. Nothing else other than hand tools and a welder.

Normally, the boss would order pre-fabbed repair panels. The typical sections being the rear quarters. They are shaped very similar to Jeeps, except they have a stepped area at the top of the panel before it is rolled over the inner structure. Other than that, pretty much the same thing.

One customer asked if I could make the quarter section on his FJ40 from scratch, rather than wait for shipping. He said it didn't need to be perfect, because it was just a hunting rig. And if I could get it done by the weeks end, he'd toss me a $200 tip. The boss tried to talk him out of it, but the customer wouldn't have it, he wanted his FJ on the ranch by the weekend, even if it was just in primer, and the repop panels would take atleast a week to arrive. Eventually the boss caved and said "go for it".

I made a template of the quarter section, and transferred it to a piece of 3/4" plywood, I made two identical pieces from the plywood.

I trimmed the sheetmetal to shape, leaving about 6" extra on the top & sides, and trimmed the bottom wheel arch area to about 1" extra. I sandwiched the sheetmetal in between the plywood sections and started beating the 90-degree wheel arch flange over the wooden buck. I worked my way over on both sides, making the entire bottom flange from where it mated to the rocker panel, and to where it mated to the section under the tailgate.

Now I had a wheel arch and bottom lip. Next, I focused on the curve at the rear quarter. I got a piece of scrap metal and bent a flange on one side. I started slicing the flange with a cut-off wheel and bent the test panel til it fit the radius of the curve. Then I made a flange at the top area of the repair panel (the extra 6" of material helped here). I made the slices on the top and bottom evenly, and proceeded to bend the panel around a 4" pole in the shop.

I then trimmed the top off the repair panel to fit the body side. Since the top of the quarters was still in good shape, I just sliced it about an inch below the stepped upper edge and got it to fit up nice and tight. Trimmed the rocker panel side to fit, and left the overhang at the rear.

Once it was where it needed to be, I butt-welded it up. I spent a little more time on the curved area to make sure it was even and trimmed off the excess at the rear of the body, then hammered it over the inner structure and spot welded it like the factory did it. After it was all welded up, I ground off the weld proud with a cut-off wheel, hammered where it needed it, and then metalfinished the panel.

Total time invested was about 4 days. The customer, boss, and coworker were blown away that the repair looked better than the repops. Usually the repops took about 3 days labor because they had to be tweaked and were never straight or even.

Anyway, I got my $200 and started making all the quarter skins from scratch after that. Later I quit that job for a better paying gig behind the wheel. Ever since I left there, and even still today, I have emails and phone calls from Land Cruiser owners asking if I'll fix the rust on their FJ40s.:p

Here's some pics of the customers FJ when I started stripping the bondo off the body. No pics of the hammer form or finished panel...was too busy making it and forgot to take pics.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/texashardcore/Landcruisers/020.jpg

Yes, that's a license plate patch panel...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/texashardcore/Landcruisers/021.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/texashardcore/Landcruisers/025.jpg

[mcreynoldsair]

I just bent mine by hand and welded the top seam

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j138/mcreynoldsair/SSPX0801.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j138/mcreynoldsair/DSCN0272.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j138/mcreynoldsair/DSCN0274.jpg

[scranm]

bad ass jeep

[Old Tin Rods]

That looks like a fun ride...

[jeep937]

I read somewhere back in the day that a washing machine factory did the bodies on the flat fenders and they used something really really common for the rear tub radius.. I forget what it was though..