oliver foster

What are you going to do for the drip rail?
Nice looking work so far.

KRB

Planning on fixing those cowl cracks too while you're at it?

1stgendodge

i just have the skin sitting on it right now. Going to take the drip rail off of the donor roof and put on

bannerd

I honestly don't think I've ever seen a roof that bad! wonder what happen.

oliver foster

I have seen them much worse. I had a truck I picked up from upstate NY that you could poke your hand up through the inner and outer roof skin behind the glass. You just had to be careful with the jagged metal everywhere. I wore sun glasses when I drove it as the metal flakes rained down when you shifted gears. You literally had to dust yourself off after driving it around the yard.

1stgendodge

i know what your taking about, but what is the benefit to fixing it. I haven’t figured that out yet

Fordzilla

Stress cracks are weaknesses in the metal...Unless they are repaired, they will expand...Structural failure is not pretty, and always occurs at the worst possible time......Ben

1stgendodge

maybe I don’t know what your taking about. Are these cracks on all trucks, or did you spy them in one of my pictures?

1stgendodge

maybe I don’t know what your taking about. Are these cracks on all trucks, or did you spy them in one of my pictures?

Fordzilla

Ask KRB...He brought the subject up...I only explained their importance......Ben

BHD

I thought all the cracks were designed into the truck to make it absorb bumps and swing and sway like an old Lincoln floating down the road........

1stgendodge

So I found the cracks you guys are taking about.


Can I just re-weld them, or do they need braced?

honobiahunter

Check these links out and you can also google “1st gen cowl cracks” and find plenty reading. I don’t think it’s advised to just weld em back up because they’ll crack again fairly soon. I think Dodge used to sell the patch panels but quit producing them. Several folks have made their own. Good luck

https://wiki.dieseltruckresource.com/wiki/Cowl_Fix

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1994/23-63-94.htm

KRB

What they said.

If you don't patch them, they make a lot of irritating noise and squeaks.

oliver foster

Not only do they make creaks and popping noises, but they also let water leak into the cab in the corner where the window seals meet up.

I weld the cracks up, THEN make two custom patch panels for each side and weld that on over the weak spots. Then I RTV the last of the crack that leads under the windshield trim where the factory uses that waterproof stick on pad like roofing Ice and water shield.