Ideas on how to reproduce body side bead on Chevy

[ShawnLancaster]

I've got a 36 Chevy Suburban and there's about a 1" body bead that follows the fender arch. It was rusted and brazed in the 1970s. Ideas on the best way to fix rusted out areas without body filler? I was thinking a bead roller with a 1" flat bead.  I know there are some magicians here.....

[keiser31]

Maybe a search for a rust-free patch panel is in order.

[Gary_Ash]

I just ordered a bead roller from Eastwood for $139.  I also sprung for the set of extra dies (pricey!). 

 

Your bead profile is probably not in a standard set, but hoosierprofiles.com will make whatever you want. If you have a lathe, you could turn your own from some 4140 bar.. For making just one section on the Suburban body, you can probably get away without hardening the dies.

 

Watch the Lazze videos on YouTube for some guidance on bead roller techniques. See his web site for the list of titles and links. Of course, Lazze uses a very nice powered bead roller...

[ShawnLancaster]

Unfortunately no rust panels are available that I have found. Gary - Thanks for the hoosier link - I have the eastwood kit also and it works well for other contours. 

 

[hddennis]

Never done it but what about bending thin wall tubing to match arch and then cut it in half and welding over damage?

 

Howard Dennis

[jpage]

That's what I was going to suggest. Use electrical conduit and bend it to contour around a tire or something that's close to the diameter. Then cut it in half and if need be you can flare out the edges a little to lessen the roundness of the tubing. Saw an article about 40 years ago where they used the tubing to recreate the fender arch moulding on a '36 Ford. Another solution would be to cut the bead moulding off of another fender that has a bead close to what you need. Off hand, I would say that the bead moulding from a '36 Dodge would probably do the trick if the wheel curve matches. These fenders have a bead that is slightly curved outward and about 3/4 in .wide. I actually have one fender that has a good bead but the rest is shot. there are a couple fenders on Ebay for sale that you could look at to see the beading. Good hunting

[Rusty_OToole]

If the bead is a standard diameter like 1/2 or 3/4 you can make one out of conduit tubing bent with an ordinary hand bender or hickey. I have made wheel well flares this way. You can weld the whole tube into the body, it won't do any harm and will add extra reinforcement.