Cab mount chop without welding a plate

Like the title itself, has anyone done the CMC on their tacoma but didn't weld a plate to cover it?

 

You're not welding the plate on as a cover...it's structural.

 

I've seen pics here on TW, without the plate welded on. I'm sure there is structural sacrifice not having it, then again the engineers that designed it would argue about the sacrifice of cutting it at all. That being said, the ones without the plate claim it's only for aesthetics. Personally I wouldn't want it open either way, just to keep crap like mud and debris out of there.

 

Don't make a hack job out of it, do it right. As others said above, that plate is welded in for structural support, not just aesthetics. Leaving it open allows all kinds of water and crap to get in there, rust it away from the inside out, and make it that much easier for the already compromised structure to buckle/break off. On top of just looking hacky and gross.

It's a complicated cut/weld to make look good, so get a good welder to do it right. Or you can spend a few bucks on a mount relocation kit, so you can lop off the stock mounting points altogether and have a simpler, cleaner solution.

 

My question is, why not? It’s a straight forward project. Order the plates @ $25, chop, weld, then paint.

 

Mud, dirt, crap will get in there. And it does look unfinished. Also, when any car guy looks at it unfinished it kind of sets the pace for the whole build like nothing was done right. Just my opinion, sometimes it makes sense to cut corners, sometimes no no. This is a corner not worth cutting.

 

Welding a cover over the hackjob with your $299 harbor freight Flux core machine does not "restore the structural integrity".

Fill the cavity with body and paint it black.

*edit: meant to type body filler

 

That's what I was gonna do.. how come those welders won't do it?

 

Relocation is the only option for my 35s coz even with the hack job that I did leaving it open, if I weld a plate on it, for sure it will rub again

 

I'm genuinely curious. Two real points of opposition have been brought up.
1. Structural integrity
2. Collecting debris
I guess the first point could be argued, but there are thousands of people that have cut the mount and drive it without welding a plate. I've never heard of any sort of flex or breakage. I'm no expert, just bringing up a point. The debris problem really floors me though. There is a huge hole right there from the factory. If anything, the open cmc would give the ability to actually clean it out.
The last objection is the way it looks. After the pinch weld smash I don't think anyone is going to notice a clean cut cmc, but that is definitely opinion

 

I see what you did here

 

I have a welder from HF. Its good enough to weld damascus billets together for.forge welding, but thats about it. I wouldnt trust it for mahor structural stuff on my truck. Ive made some tools stands and things with it, but thats it.