Removing the front Pinch Welds from wheel wells

Liberty for All · **Posted:** Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:36 pm

Thank You incubus for your methods used in removing the pinch welds.
Has anyone else done this? How did you do the job?

Why were the welds built to jut out so much and would cutting them off affect frame integrity?

Did Jeep do it this way so you would buy only certain size tires?

2005 Sport, manual, light khaki, K + N filtercharger, Magnaflow exhaust, RSX Rancho, Pro Comp rock crushers and tires, Sirius Sat Radio, Extreme white headlights, Desing Tech 50 W back up lights, Thule roof rack, tow hooks and hitch.

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:42 pm

They are more or less part of the whole frame structure, best is to just bend it over, with a BIG hammer. Just part of the design of the KJ not limiting tire size.
I did the inner fender sort of like incubus but its all still there didnt cut anything out

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2008 4:30 am

My (metal) pinch welds are history. They are cut off and welded over. It may make for a mess if I ever need extensive body work but that would be a problem for a body shop to figure out. I believe that if you cut it out and weld a flat piece of steel over it, after you have welded over the pinch weld, the strength is as good or better. I also did away with the front wheel liners.

Terry

CD · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2008 7:07 am

Fulltimer wrote:

My (metal) pinch welds are history. They are cut off and welded over. It may make for a mess if I ever need extensive body work but that would be a problem for a body shop to figure out. I believe that if you cut it out and weld a flat piece of steel over it, after you have welded over the pinch weld, the strength is as good or better. I also did away with the front wheel liners.

Terry

Terry, have you got any pics of the work?

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:10 am

Definently don't cut them off and not re-weld the seams. The body panels use that seam as structure..

The reason for the extended flange is for manufacturing. The process of placing to objects together and trying to weld a butt joint is much more time consuming than lining up two flanges and pinching them together.

MNKK · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:16 am

But, which of those is stronger? Or are they equal?

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:50 am

Strength wise they would be near equal. The custom weld could be made stronger of course but that takes time and effort. Plus as FullTimer mentioned, when or if you need body work - that whole panel would need to be chiseled off.

callaway · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:50 am

tommudd wrote:

best is to just bend it over, with a BIG hammer

bfh ftw

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:56 am

bfh is a term I use daily on my job inspecting housing units...means "boy friend hole" the area maybe a door/wall/ etc most times a fist size hole somewhere, woman lives there boyfriend comes in and gets mad and boom............ BFH :lol:

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:13 am

CD wrote:

Fulltimer wrote:

My (metal) pinch welds are history. They are cut off and welded over. It may make for a mess if I ever need extensive body work but that would be a problem for a body shop to figure out. I believe that if you cut it out and weld a flat piece of steel over it, after you have welded over the pinch weld, the strength is as good or better. I also did away with the front wheel liners.

Terry

Terry, have you got any pics of the work?

I just checked and for what ever reason I deleted the pictures. The guy that did the work for me would only go a few inches from the bottom because he didn't want to cause any damage to the front integrity. One interesting thing we found: just inside the pinch weld, toward the middle of the KJ, where the wheel well ends. There is a space BEHIND that metal that is 1.5" to 2" deep. I am now using some of that space buy cutting a wedge shaped piece out and pounding IN the edges of that hole. He then cut a piece of flat metal to fit into that area and welded it all up. Finished it off with a grinder, nice and smooth, then painted it. I do have some of the pictures from that.

Terry

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:18 am

sleeve84028 wrote:

Strength wise they would be near equal. The custom weld could be made stronger of course but that takes time and effort. Plus as FullTimer mentioned, when or if you need body work - that whole panel would need to be chiseled off.

That is all true. I figure it this way. If I am in need of that type of work it will be because of an accident. The insurance company will be paying to have the work done not me. If it takes extra work for the body man to fix it...I don't care. :lol:

Terry

jerbacher · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:45 pm

tommudd wrote:

bfh is a term I use daily on my job inspecting housing units...means "boy friend hole" the area maybe a door/wall/ etc most times a fist size hole somewhere, woman lives there boyfriend comes in and gets mad and boom............ BFH :lol:

when i started reading this post, i was not on the same page as you with the definition of "boy friend hole"... :twisted:

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:26 pm

jerbacher wrote:

tommudd wrote:

bfh is a term I use daily on my job inspecting housing units...means "boy friend hole" the area maybe a door/wall/ etc most times a fist size hole somewhere, woman lives there boyfriend comes in and gets mad and boom............ BFH :lol:

when i started reading this post, i was not on the same page as you with the definition of "boy friend hole"... :twisted:

BFH....way different meanings ....all depends on if I am working and getting paid for it on my regular job or working for the fun of it in my garage! :wink:

Removing the front Pinch Welds from wheel wells

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