Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/141405
Custom Rigs How To Story/Photos by Bruce W. Smith Make those bolt heads disappear B olt heads aren't the best-looking thing on a truck, and that's especially true when they're sitting atop some other nice custom body work. The trend today with aftermarket work is for body panels, hoods, bumpers and frame rails to be smooth as glass – without unsightly bolt heads, screws or rivets. How do you get that done? Look no further than the instructions below, in which reps from 4 State Trucks of Joplin, Mo., show you the way. What you need • Patience and body work skills • Premium body filler • Dual-action sander and small grinder • Chamfering set; countersinks and deburring • Air drill • Assorted sandpaper; sanding block • MIG/TIG welder 1 Remove fastener to be hidden. Drill out hole with a chamfered bit to accommodate the new countersunk fastener. Use Grade 5 or 8 bolt or screw. Phillips flat-headed machine screws work well up to 5 ⁄16-inch diameter. 2 Insert new fastener. Make sure head sits below the surface of the metal. Weld to fill in recess, turning bolt into a blind stud. 3 Grind and sand surface smooth. Starting with a 36-grit and ending with an 80-grit disc works well on small air drill. 48 | Overdrive | July 2013 How_To_0713.indd 48 6/27/13 5:22 PM