herb

I remember years back when i got my first (01) someone on here advising to never start the truck or let it idle with the door open as the "shaking " could cause this craking. Never did and never had any craking.

Free89W350

Here are some pics of mine: Passengerside


Driverside


The driverside is pretty bad but I don't plan on fixing either side due to the future Crew Cab conversion.

charger 69

I assume you are talking about that white vertical line in the top picture?

Free89W350

If you look about 2 in below the white line you will see a dark line that is has a curve to it, that is the crack.

dieselcarpenter

Here is my little cowl crack at the top on the passenger side. Hope I can fix it before it gets too large! Its kind of blurry, but its almost in the middle of the pic.

Milt

I called local Dodge dealer today to get cowl crack repair kit. He said it is no longer available for either side. Checked the whole country and none to be found.

HAMMER_DOWN

Mine cracked on the drivers side a couple weeks ago when I drove up a loading ramp with one tire to flex the suspension and it started creaking right when I drove away...the next day I sprayed some thick gooey stuff called "RUST CHECK" in there and it hasn't made a sound since

http://rustcheck.com/enlargeproduct.asp?id=88

woodrat

I've got em on both sides as well...

Trooperthorn

Here is a picture of a cowl crack with the door and fender gone. The bolt on the left is the upper door hinge on the pass. side. The crack is just the part below the oblong hole. The whole and above is where the factory sheet metal of the cowl is layed over itself and welded. This often busts loose also. I have also seen movement between the metal that is the top of the firewall and the metal that is the door hinge post. There is a gap here just under the corner of the windshield. The factory was nice enough to put some tape here.



This picture is looking from a more downward direction the bolt on top is one of the two upper fender bolts. you can just see the bottom pass. corner of the windshield in the upper left corner of the pic. You can also see the factory tape. What's that all about?

I plan to submit a photo essay of the fix for this when I get to it in my crew cab build. Since the dealer fix patch is no longer available we need a new fix. I have been thinking about it and may have it figured out. I know you do not want to weld it. The metal of the cowel is very thin and will end up brittle. I think it is a result of the cab being more rigid than the frame.

MunK

OK this is weird....I can't see any cracks at all on my crew cab. If any truck should have them it would be mine. I will be removing the front fenders for the 6BT swap in a week or so....I will look again up close and personal but it looks so far as if it's crack free. The question then on my mind is WHY?

BBrown

Inevitable? Let's see...
1976 4wd 3/4 ton (gasser 440) - cowl cracks both sides.
1991.5 4wd 3/4 ton ctd - cowl cracks both sides.
That would make two times 100%

Odd thing is they are not terminal to the life of the truck (only to the floorboards). On both of mine the squeek was mildly annoying, but the leaks - turned my '76 into a "Flintstone mobile" before I realised what was happening.

The fix used to be easy with factory mending plates. Now we're left to our own designs with welding, metal stitching, fiberglass, rivet mending plates... etc. Because of the location, the fix doesn't have to be pretty, just solid and watertight.

I made the repairs on both trucks without removing the doors, and taking out most of the fender bolts, they can be swung out enough to gain fairly easy access.
Bob

farmer0_1

hey trooperthorn i've seen those before. i think if you could find some sheetmetal with a high lead content to make it more malluable to bend to fit. have to do some asking around on that one. did those cracks extent up into the windshield frame splice.? been watching your blog great job.

Trooperthorn

I haven't studied my new, your old, cab that much yet, Farmer. The gap under the tape below the corner of the windshield looks pretty wide open though. When you tap on it, it doesn't sound solid.