Straightening cladding imperfections

sy2207

sy2207

Donating Member
Most all of the cladding I have seen on sytys has ripples going down the side of the panel behind the front doors.. These ripples are only on the bed pieces where they have the center support structure to attatch to the lower portion of the bed. Im guessing it was molded flat but once it sat out in the sun the panels warped a little bit. Granted it isnt anything major, it's a gentle wave down the panel but I am a perfectionist when it comes to body staightness.

Is the panel still alive or has it finially taken a set to this shape over the years? I just don't want to go through the trouble to fill, sand, and prime the pieces only to find one hot day in the sun the pieces looked like they were flattened out by a wagon. I know that if I take my front wheel arch and set it flat on the ground it wants to take a different shape so this concerns me. Has anyone gone through the trouble of straighening these things out?
 
myclone

myclone

Donating Member
Re: Straightening cladding imperfections

Mine as well as most other trucks cladding is wavey also but IMO as long as the cladding has been exposed to heat/cool cycles and UV its pretty much "taken set" with the waves in it. Filling, blocking, priming would fix it and careful reinstallation would prolly keep it straight once its smoothed.....if you wanted to spend the hour upon hour to do such work. Im a pefectionist when it comes to body work and I decided to live with the waves. :2cents:
 
turbodog

turbodog

Donating Member
Re: Straightening cladding imperfections

I agree that filling and block sanding should prove to be a permanent fix, IF you use the right filler. It needs to be flexible. I would recommend filler designed for plastic bumpers, not bondo.
 
BigBadSmoosh

BigBadSmoosh

Picking fights on I-65 since 2013
Re: Straightening cladding imperfections

turbodog said:
I agree that filling and block sanding should prove to be a permanent fix, IF you use the right filler. It needs to be flexible. I would recommend filler designed for plastic bumpers, not bondo.
Click to expand...

correct... there is actually filler designed to be used on tpo/ppo plastic.. but its sorta expensive and sorta a bitch to work with.. using bondo as a skim coat shouldn't cause any problems. :tup:

the front cover tends to have alot of issues.. because it takes a beating.
 
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