Strengthening A Lexan Body

Over time, the lexan bodies we use for our cars and trucks can become damaged in a multitude of ways. However, there is one failure that is more common than all others. The body being ripped or torn around the mounting post holes themselves. This is usually caused by the body clips being pulled through the body during a bad crash.

To help strengthen the body around the body body posts, I use some scrap lexan that was trimmed away from the body after it was painted. I cut out a rectangular section of lexan that will stretch across the body and reinforce both holes, as shown in the pictures below.

I use Shoe-Goo to glue the scrap lexan to the body, after I have made matching holes in it. It is very important that you also allow the paint to fully cure before you start applying Shoe-Goo to the inside of the body. You should keep in mind that cured is not the same thing as dry and, depending upon the paint, it may be best to allow the paint to cure for a day or two. I reinforce all holes in the front and rear of the body in this manner.

If the body is designed in such as way that you can't use a long rectangular section of scrap lexan to tie the two holes together, you can use smaller individual pieces around each hole instead. Whenever possible though, you should tie the two holes together with one piece as it helps the rigidity of the body as a whole.

To help strengthen the body further, you can also reinforce the corners of the body, or cutout areas using Shoe-Goo as well. Simply apply it to the desired area and allow it to dry. The dried Shoe-Goo will help make that section of the body less prone to becoming torn or cracked. I also suggest the use of body washers between the body and the body clips. If the hole in the washer isn't big enough for the posts found on larger trucks, such as the Maxx or Revo, a body hole reamer can quickly enlarge them.

Any, or all, of the steps above will greatly strengthen your freshly painted lexan body. A little time spent on your body before you run it, will provide you with a body that lasts much longer. It will also provides a lot more protection to the truck components that reside under it.