• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Frame stiffeners w/ 3m panel adhesive a terrible idea?

Hey all, humor me as I'm really just dreaming a for a moment. But while looking into floor pans for my xj, I decided I might try panel adhesive to install since I am not a welder. I mean, I can weld, but it isn't pretty.

So I got thinking about what if I used this to install frame stiffeners?

How terrible of an idea is this? I figure seem sealer and primer/por 15 after the fact would be wise.

Somebody please shut me down before I do sometheing stupid? :wow: Tips and tricks also appreciated.
 
For panel adhesives to work, the stiffener needs to sit flush to the existing unibody frame rails.
I have installed two sets of stiffeners and neither fit tightly without needing to be persuaded into close contact using floor jacks and c-clamps.
This would be next to impossible to do just using an adhesive unless it has large gap filling properties, while still retaining its full strength. Prepping the metal for the adhesive is another set of problems to solve.
Even if you solve all the above problems, you still have the cost of a large amount of expensive adhesive to buy.
It could be cheaper to prep the metal yourself and pay someone to weld the stiffeners in.
 
Panel adhesive has the best results when it is used on pinch seams or overlapped seams as a replacement for spot welds. IMO frame stiffeners, like frames, should be stitch welded or rosette welded due to the irregular fit-up between the two parts.
 
Back
Top