seam sealer vs. body filler in sheetmetal beds

Remember to apply any seam sealer to only bare metal! it will lift if you put it over prime. Good Luck Have Fun!

Is there any chemical you can spray on the welds to make sure there is no rust or anything left in there that will make it rust?

---------------------------------------------Originally posted by envyshane2009Remember to apply any seam sealer to only bare metal! it will lift if you put it over prime. Good Luck Have Fun! ---------------------------------------------Not true!! read the instructions for the brand you buy each one is  different. Some will only stick to primer not bare metal. And I use SEM (think the number is 39477) Works good and sands nice if you screw up or want to clean it up more once it hardens. and i recomend a two part product because it cures it doenst dry.

also, if your gona have it line-x'd, im pretty sure they dont want you to seam seal it, as the liner should fill up the gap.

i fully welded up everything , grinded it down , used bondo hair and after i sanded it down i used finishing putty and it worked out amazing...didnt really give me any hassle either but just my opinion though

---------------------------------------------Originally posted by sadisticiron3m fast and firm seam sealer if theres no flex. flows really well and you can feather edge with just laquar thinner. ---------------------------------------------Im with Bobby,that 3ms stuffs good shit.and with laquer thinner and an acid brush or some rubber gloves,it totally flows out.

---------------------------------------------Originally posted by bagged85also, if your gona have it line-x'd, im pretty sure they dont want you to seam seal it, as the liner should fill up the gap.

---------------------------------------------I got ripped off by the local line-x company. I seam sealed it myself and got everything ready for them to line-x. I masked off all the seams so I wouldn't have excess seam sealer everywhere. They told me they didn't like my seam sealer so I had to grind it all out and let them do it. They told me that line-x would not stick to the "bare metal" because of the coating so it had to be sand blasted off so it would stick to the "shiny" bare metal and then they would have to prime it so it wouldn't rust. The charged me $52 an hour for their labor for 8 hours, $90 for two tubes of 3M seam sealer, $150 for sand blasting and $70 for primer. I got it color matched in red which cost another $250 on top of the $450 it costs to shoot a regular black liner... I asked them why they couldn't just prime my bed to begin with and they said it wouldn't stick to the bare metal and it had to be sand blasted... but somehow my tubs that were scuffed with 80 grit and body filler was fine to shoot over... When I got it back you could see some excess seam sealer, and some of the seams are still visible and the red is completely splotchy. It looks like the side panels have been dented because of the wavyness in the panels... Along the top edges of the rails, the liner is a different thickness from one end to the other. I took it back and asked them to "fix" it and they said they can't do anything about it now... Did I mention I left them my truck for a whole week... "When it rains it pours, and when I FAIL it hails" FML

Edited: 11/29/2009 4:57:13 PM by NtotheIZZATEDOG

---------------------------------------------Originally posted by bagged85also, if your gona have it line-x'd, im pretty sure they dont want you to seam seal it, as the liner should fill up the gap.

---------------------------------------------I recommend making sure all of your work is finished as if you were going to paint it. I've had Line-X reveal all sorts of details such as things like small head rivets. Hard to believe but true. Even had the Line-X guys add more thickness and still couldn't make them disappear!

---------------------------------------------Originally posted by Jance Customs---------------------------------------------Originally posted by bagged85also, if your gona have it line-x'd, im pretty sure they dont want you to seam seal it, as the liner should fill up the gap.

---------------------------------------------I got ripped off by the local line-x company. I seam sealed it myself and got everything ready for them to line-x. I masked off all the seams so I wouldn't have excess seam sealer everywhere. They told me they didn't like my seam sealer so I had to grind it all out and let them do it. They told me that line-x would not stick to the "bare metal" because of the coating so it had to be sand blasted off so it would stick to the "shiny" bare metal and then they would have to prime it so it wouldn't rust. The charged me $52 an hour for their labor for 8 hours, $90 for two tubes of 3M seam sealer, $150 for sand blasting and $70 for primer. I got it color matched in red which cost another $250 on top of the $450 it costs to shoot a regular black liner... I asked them why they couldn't just prime my bed to begin with and they said it wouldn't stick to the bare metal and it had to be sand blasted... but somehow my tubs that were scuffed with 80 grit and body filler was fine to shoot over... When I got it back you could see some excess seam sealer, and some of the seams are still visible and the red is completely splotchy. It looks like the side panels have been dented because of the wavyness in the panels... Along the top edges of the rails, the liner is a different thickness from one end to the other. I took it back and asked them to "fix" it and they said they can't do anything about it now... Did I mention I left them my truck for a whole week... "When it rains it pours, and when I FAIL it hails" FML---------------------------------------------

Definitely not the same experience at the dealer I used. They were very accommodating of my requests. It did cost more, but they sure didn't make me go through the hassle you did. Sorry to hear. It's good for people to see there is a difference and they should shop around for a Line-X dealer who is willing to relax a little.

Its been my experience that the best way to do this is to epoxy prime the bed and and use some rage gold on the seams if you desire the bedliner look i just rough it in with 80 grit and prime it . However if you want to put in the work into it finish it with metal glaze in 180 and prime . The only time ive ever had it crack is if the weld cracks or is not welded. Ive done 9 beds this way and driven 120,000 miles on them no problems . just my advice. good luck jamey