Service, Parts Information and Service Procedure
SERVICE INFORMATIONIf the rear wheel housing inner panel of one of the applied models exhibits rust perforation, use the repair procedure outlined in this bulletin.
PARTS INFORMATION
The following parts are required when rust is present around the shock absorber mounting hole, or has spread and caused perforation in or at the edges of the inner wheel housing reinforcement. Otherwise, remove the rust, treat the metal, seal, prime and paint or undercoat as required.
PART DESCRIPTION PART NUMBER
Rear Wheel Housing Inner Panel (RH) 76750-01A39
Rear Wheel Housing Inner Panel (LH) 76751-01A39
CUT THE TEMPLATE TO MATCH THE REPLACEMENT PART:
MARKING CUT LINES ON THE TEMPLATE:
SERVICE PROCEDURE:
1. Make a paper template, matched to the edge dimensions of the new part.
2. Remove carpeting, side panel, tie-downs, etc. from the trunk area. Move any wire harnesses that may be damaged by the procedure.
3. Remove rear wheels.
4. Remove the shock absorbers and allow the trailing arms to hang. Remove the rear springs.
5. Clean all dirt and debris away from the area that will be cut.
6. Place the template over the rear wheel housing, inside the trunk, and mark the metal with crayon or soapstone. Remove the template.
7. Draw the cut-lines from 1/4" to 1" inside the outer edge lines drawn from the template. This will be the overlap at each edge of the service part. The objective is to retain as much of the original wheel housing as possible, to support the welded-in replacement part.
8. Drill a 1/8" hole inside the cut-line, at the center of the radius where each vertical cut will be made. Use a sharp panel-cutter chisel in your air hammer to make the cuts. Remove the old, rusted sheet metal.
9. Use a rotary wire brush to clean both sides of the panel, all around the cut, 2" or more back from the edge.
10. Straighten all edges with hammer and dolly.
11. Clean the paint off the edges of the new part, to allow for a clean weld.
12. Fit the new part carefully from inside the vehicle. Make sure all edges are touching the metal of the wheel housing with a solid, tight fit.
13. Warning: Make sure all flammable materials are out of the way. Have a fire extinguisher ready at all times. Using your MIG wire-feed welder, tack-weld the new part in place with a 15 mm tack at regular intervals.
14. Finish-weld the entire piece in place--a small section at a time to avoid warpage.
15. Allow the welded area to cool thoroughly.
16. Use a body grinder with a 36 grit disc to remove any excess weld metal or slag.
17. Feather-edge the paint around the welded area with 360 grit wet-or-dry silicon carbide paper.
18. Use metal prep or equivalent to treat the bare metal. Seal, prime and paint the area.
19. Use metal prep or equivalent to treat the bare metal under the rear fender. Prime the area after it is cleaned and prepared.
20. Seal all around the shock tower reinforcement with high quality black sealant.
21. Use undercoating to ring to re-coat all bare areas beneath the fender.
22. Install rear springs, shocks, and wheels.
23. Re-install all carpets, tie-downs, wire harnesses, etc. into the vehicle trunk.