Question about a 2018 F-150 aluminum bed side replacement

Honestly, I thought swapping a dented bed side on a 2018 F-150 would be a two day job, but the factory adhesive and hidden rivets turned it into a full five day nightmare. Ngl, I spent over 12 hours just on the drill-out and prep before I could even think about the new panel. Anyone have a better method for those hidden structural rivets besides a lot of patience and a steady hand?

2 comments

2 Comments

janac591mo ago

Man, that sounds brutal. Five days is a huge chunk of time, I feel your pain. Blake's tip on the right angle drill is solid, it's the only way to reach some of those spots. The factory glue is a whole other level of awful to deal with too. Hope the new panel went on smoother than the old one came off.

blake_smith1mo ago

Yeah those hidden rivets are the worst. I used a right angle drill attachment with a good cobalt bit. Lets you get in there without wrecking the panel behind it. Go slow, let the bit do the work. A sharp center punch first helps keep the bit from walking. Still took forever but saved my knuckles.