Sheet Metal Thickness

[1970RTSE]

I need to patch a few areas and rebuild the rear torque boxes.  It looks like the sheet metal thickness in the trunk floor and floor pans is about 18 gage, but its hard to tell.  Does anyone know the thickness of the  metal used?  Also, what thickness metal were the rear torque boxes fabricated from?  When I cut the rear floor pan out I knocked away a 1" by 3" strip of the torque box.  I thought about  just replacing, but I may try to butt weld a patch piece.

Thanks.

[tommyg29]

either no one knows, or maybe there was such variance and quality control issues no one wants to even take a guess.
Try using a caliper and measure?

[Challenger III]

The floors are 18 ga. I don't know on the torque boxes. I don't have them yet.

[Barracudadan]

If the piece you cut away had any good metal left on it try taking it to where you will buy the metal from and compare it to what they have. Any good metal supplier or sheet metal shop should have a thickness gauge on hand to check it. You can pick one up at Sears or a Home Depot there cheap enough. I can`t really picture it in my head right now"the torque box" but I think they are fairly thick when I get outside to my car I`ll look at mine.As for the trunk 16 ga. cold roll steel will be plenty,18 ga. will work too and is a little easier to work with if you have to make any bends by hand.

[shawge]

The ART reproduction torque boxes on my Challenger are 1/16" thick.

HTH.

[brads70]

Torque boxes are thicker than the floor material.

[1970RTSE]

Thanks for confirming floor pan.  I got the mics out and it looks like the torque boxes are 16 ga.  Or at least my measurement comes closest to that thickness.  I need to pick up some 18 gage for floor pan patch.

[jimynick]

16 sounds about right for the torque boxes and rails, but the floors are much thinner and at a guess, I'd say they were 20ga or even 22. I've got a brand new AMD and original trunk floor in the shop and will mic them for you and report.

[1970RTSE]

16 sounds about right for the torque boxes and rails, but the floors are much thinner and at a guess, I'd say they were 20ga or even 22. I've got a brand new AMD and original trunk floor in the shop and will mic them for you and report.

That would be great.  For the first patch I need, I have a good section of floor pan from my parts car.  I may use a piece of that for now.  I will need a bigger piece for a patch in the trunk pan.  Unfortunately, my parts car is rusted in the same spot. 

[jimynick]

OK, both the new AMD and the OEM trunk floor mic out at .047". I don't have my guage card handy, but I'm sure someone here knows it off by heart. Hope that helps

[72cudamaan]

.047 is 18 gauge, and yes, most torque boxes are 16 gauge

[Lunchbox]

I have had good luck ordering from this company for small quanities. You'll pay a little bit more but some of the shops around me want you to buy a whole sheet.

Lunch

http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=14695&step=4&showunits=inches&id=944&top_cat=197