Mk7 Transit SWB Front Wheel Arch Liner Question

[sharpie75]

Hi everyone, hope everyone is keeping well.

I’ve been cracking on with my Transit bodywork this last week making the most of the decent weather. Just done the drivers side step, out rigger, inner sill and wheel arch.

My question is for those who have done this job themselves, what have you done to replace the wheel arch liner piece that goes between the arch and inner wing? Mine was shot, and was cut out, along with the wheel arch. Looking at it, it appears to have been spot welder on the inner wing, but bonded with some kind of black dense foam on the wheel arch side?!

I’m in a few minds at the moment, whether to make a new piece from metal and spot it on both sides, or to leave it out but extend and fill the inner wing down then blank off the sill, or see if I can make a plastic liner and bond it in place?

Just curious how others have tackled it?

Currently doing all arches, steps, plus inner and outer sills all round, as I am planning on converting it into a camper and want it 100% before fitting it out. Already fitted a Bongo roof end of last summer, which gives a lot more space and standing room when up!

I’ve attached a couple of pic's to show where I mean. Thanks everyone.

[andz327]

should be welded in place before arch goes on

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

[colingo]

Nice work, im currently welding my LWB mid roof mk6. I have started with the front inner wings and arches as these ares failed the mot. Not sure how bad yours are But theyre as rare as hens teeth. I managed to get a r/h one genuine ford Not realising this at the time. 2 weeks ago i decided that while it was all striped down i would replace the l/h side only to be told theres no more. Fortunately i hadnt removed it. I made a large repair section for the lower half of it.Ill try tonight to get some photos up of the area. Have you got the piece of foam in a bag hidden in the upper chassis arm. In you first photo above where youve paint red oxide there a rubber bung remove it and check inside. mine had it both sides and was wet. This is the cause of that area rotting from the inside out. and yours looks to be the same. Colin.

[colingo]

So like andz327 says you should have this panel , also the curved arch closure panel which extends fwd and upwards which central panels dont appear to show strangely as this is the first to rot out and so starts the chain reaction for the rest.
Re my my soggy sponge in a bay comment have a look in the larger open hole above where i discribed as looking at it today i think it may well be in there both sides. Colin

[colingo]

IMG_2056[1].JPG

Hi, so hopefully withe the aid of ned you should see a photo fingers crossed its one of a r/h arch area and not a holiday pic in Cambodia. yay just previewed it, not that i did anything dodgy but dut didnt want people say whats this Temple got to do with etc. So the Body section you seem to be missing is the part protruding past the outer section with the hole in it. All is not lost as i think you could possibly leave the outer arch panel in place and spot weld the inner in. Re the soggy sponge, After having a look at mine it may be in the open whole above the one shown with the rubber blank over it. Hope this helps, Colin.

[andz327]

Get the grinder oot with a super thin cutting disc 0.5mm or 1mm and run it down your spot welds mate as it's a strengthing section

ANDZ

[sharpie75]

should be welded in place before arch goes on

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

HI Andz,

Yes this piece was welded in first (well second actually after the new step and outrigger repair). Its the piece that infills the arch to this piece but also goes up past this. If you look at the second pic of the inside of the arch, its the piece that should fil the gap between the arch and the inner sill/inner wing I am referring to.

(apologies for late reply. I didn't receive any notifications, so didn't think anyone replied)

Thanks, Craig

[sharpie75]

So like andz327 says you should have this panel , also the curved arch closure panel which extends fwd and upwards which central panels dont appear to show strangely as this is the first to rot out and so starts the chain reaction for the rest.
Re my my soggy sponge in a bay comment have a look in the larger open hole above where i discribed as looking at it today i think it may well be in there both sides. Colin

Hi Colingo,

Yes its the central panel to fill the gap as you stated i am missing, which is what the question was, what other people have used. I see on your pic its there. Did you make this entire piece? The top section of it looks new, cannot tell if the bulk of it is your old section or one you have fabricated??? Like you stated. I cannot find a panel to replace this anywhere. Same as the inner sills (but have sheet metal to make the sills, these are straight forward enough. This looks a bit more complicated, unless i just use a bent piece of steel and weld in either side. But wouldnt be the same as the original shape, as its curved on all planes when you take a proper look at it! I still have my original one, but its to far gone to do anything with it.

Thanks, Craig.

[sharpie75]

Nice work, im currently welding my LWB mid roof mk6. I have started with the front inner wings and arches as these ares failed the mot. Not sure how bad yours are But theyre as rare as hens teeth. I managed to get a r/h one genuine ford Not realising this at the time. 2 weeks ago i decided that while it was all striped down i would replace the l/h side only to be told theres no more. Fortunately i hadnt removed it. I made a large repair section for the lower half of it.Ill try tonight to get some photos up of the area. Have you got the piece of foam in a bag hidden in the upper chassis arm. In you first photo above where youve paint red oxide there a rubber bung remove it and check inside. mine had it both sides and was wet. This is the cause of that area rotting from the inside out. and yours looks to be the same. Colin.

Sorry Colingo missed this one. Yes I removed the bag, and like you was absolutely shocked why it was even there! Its a shambles how these are put together. Some of the gaps on my panels where they should have been together was over 1cm, and they had just been filled with seam seal from factory. Just shocked really. There is a also a plastic piece which is mean to stop (i assume) water between the lower sill and upper wheel arch gap/box section when its closed off. Again stuck in place by what looks to be nothing more than expanding foam. Not sure why its there really as to me would be better left open as water drains downwards! Not impressed with how these Transits are put together. Its like they designed them to trap water and rot. I didnt go with genuine panels for mine, as i wanted galvo ones, so all mine came off ebay. All reasonable, but a fair bit of work to get them to fit properly. They weren't bad, but weren't great either. Hopefully worth it and will outlast the original panels with a bit of luck.

Cheers, Craig.

[sharpie75]

Nice work, im currently welding my LWB mid roof mk6. I have started with the front inner wings and arches as these ares failed the mot. Not sure how bad yours are But theyre as rare as hens teeth. I managed to get a r/h one genuine ford Not realising this at the time. 2 weeks ago i decided that while it was all striped down i would replace the l/h side only to be told theres no more. Fortunately i hadnt removed it. I made a large repair section for the lower half of it.Ill try tonight to get some photos up of the area. Have you got the piece of foam in a bag hidden in the upper chassis arm. In you first photo above where youve paint red oxide there a rubber bung remove it and check inside. mine had it both sides and was wet. This is the cause of that area rotting from the inside out. and yours looks to be the same. Colin.

Sorry Colingo missed this one. Yes I removed the bag, and like you was absolutely shocked why it was even there! Its a shambles how these are put together. Some of the gaps on my panels where they should have been together was over 1cm, and they had just been filled with seam seal from factory. Just shocked really. There is a also a plastic piece which is mean to stop (i assume) water between the lower sill and upper wheel arch gap/box section when its closed off. Again stuck in place by what looks to be nothing more than expanding foam. Not sure why its there really as to me would be better left open as water drains downwards! Not impressed with how these Transits are put together. Its like they designed them to trap water and rot. I didnt go with genuine panels for mine, as i wanted galvo ones, so all mine came off ebay. All reasonable, but a fair bit of work to get them to fit properly. They weren't bad, but weren't great either. Hopefully worth it and will outlast the original panels with a bit of luck.

Cheers, Craig.

[colingo]

Hi, have you tried talking to central panels about that section. That section i should think is as equally prone to rot and accident damage as the rest of the sections in that area. Leave the outer arch section in place for the time being because if you need to fabricate a section youll need a decent Datum.
Ok, i think ive found a source for your missing arch inner section and inner cills.email, info.lcs@gmx.com his name is Tim, also a member on here but not frequently.
When you think that sponge in a bag was installed in mk6 vehicles then continued through mk7 production does make you question the thinking.
Cheers, Colin.

[sharpie75]

Hi, have you tried talking to central panels about that section. That section i should think is as equally prone to rot and accident damage as the rest of the sections in that area. Leave the outer arch section in place for the time being because if you need to fabricate a section youll need a decent Datum.
Ok, i think ive found a source for your missing arch inner section and inner cills.email, info.lcs@gmx.com his name is Tim, also a member on here but not frequently.
When you think that sponge in a bag was installed in mk6 vehicles then continued through mk7 production does make you question the thinking.
Cheers, Colin.

Cheers for the email address Colin, will look into. I've searched for them online but nothing came up.

[ned]

Try Tim on here dieselhead123 he makes several repair parts of these vans.

[colingo]

Hi, have you tried talking to central panels about that section. That section i should think is as equally prone to rot and accident damage as the rest of the sections in that area. Leave the outer arch section in place for the time being because if you need to fabricate a section youll need a decent Datum.
Ok, i think ive found a source for your missing arch inner section and inner cills.email, info.lcs@gmx.com his name is Tim, also a member on here but not frequently.
When you think that sponge in a bag was installed in mk6 vehicles then continued through mk7 production does make you question the thinking.
Cheers, Colin.

Cheers for the email address Colin, will look into. I've searched for them online but nothing came up.

PM sent.

[sharpie75]

Try Tim on here dieselhead123 he makes several repair parts of these vans.

Thanks Ned, Col is passing on his details to me. Thanks for reply.