Thread: Rear wheel tubs

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I need to fashion tubs for the interior of the bed on our '37 Dodge P/U, but I want the tub edges to be radiused an inch or so. I can't find any commercially available tubs other than the ones with a square rolled & crimped edge.

Are there tubs available with a radiused edge, or does someone know of a commercial object (lightweight air tank, ???) than can be cut apart to form the tubs. I need around a 34" diameter and would prefer something fabbed from 16 ga crs.

I thought about rolling a piece of 2" dia tubing into a semicircle, then quartering it lengthwise and filling it with sheetmetal. But I'm sure I'd get too much distortion in it before I was done.

Thanks for any suggestions, Mark

Check out a few "trailer fenders" at your local farm or RV supply. Weld a piece of flat sheet to close off the inboard side. OR.... Make a hammer form from a piece of MDF and make your own like this guy...
http://www.project40.net/repairs/wheelwell-replace.html
Mark

I've used inner fenders from older cars and trucks. They are radiused and are generally made of a heavyer material than the store bought tubs.

Great ideas guys, thanks.

Cheers, Mark

Use your own inner wells and add a strip to make up the differance.

What I think would work is to make a wooden buck out of 3/4 inch plywood of the radius you need and hammer the sheet metal over the wood buck. the wood needs to be very accurate in shape and radius would need to be sanded smooth, this is timely and alot of work but ifstart with a large hammer and finish with a small / flat sheet metal hammer you will be surprised at the results. It could be finished in metal with enough work or you could body work it .

You know,

I am just about finished with the Tubs in my '35. I thought the HammerForm way would be the best also, so I made one up using MDF, locating pins, and clamped my 18 ga. CRS to it and bent it over. When I got it out, i had a LOT of deformation (I used a Slapper and was gentle as I could be). I straightened out the deformation with a Hammer and Dolly, and had to use a Shrinker to pull it into line, but just wasn't happy with the results. So, I have a HF Bead Roller and got a set of Tipping Dies from Hoosier Pattern, rolled in my Beads and then tipped the angle (it's actually easier to do than to try and describe the process here). Then I helped it over at about 10 degree intervals so that the curve was at 90 degrees-took 1/4 of the time that a HammerForm did and a bunch less deformation.

Now, if I were to form the Flange you are looking for I would get a set of Round Over Dies from Ron Covell and make the transition you are looking for-just my .02 worth-