Where to start with rotten rockers

[Bolt snapper]

To begin, let me say that I have zero body work experience.

I recently purchased an '04 Eddie Bauer 'midwest special' with rocker panels that are half gone. At this point, the threshold portion is fairly intact, but as it makes the bend to go past vertical downward back under the car, the rust has overtaken the length of both rockers, such that you could literally poke holes all along with your finger, or at least without much more effort than that.

I have looked at the slip on covers, and will probably tackle that in the coming months. In the mean time, in order to slow or stop the progression of rust, I'm wondering if it would be of any advantage to take a grinder and cut out the super rusty side of these rockers and try to apply some primer? Would doing so slow the rust any, or would it hasten the deterioration by removing what little bit of support the rusty portions still give?

I'm kind of looking for a starting point. I hate walking out to the car every day and seeing the little pieces of rust hanging out below the doors and staining the running boards.

 

[Black]

You will want to cut out all of the rust. It will only keep expanding. It is a lot of prep work to really do it proper.
YouTube rocker repair to get an idea. There are tons of videos for early to mid 2000s Silverados.

I have a 2000 Silverado Z71 with 95k miles that the rockers are the only issue. It is getting treated to new rockers as we speak. I wanted it done proper and left it up to the pros and did full rockers and not slip ons.
Truck has tons of life left so while a bit expensive it will be well worth it.

 

[John Christopher]

You will want to cut out all of the rust. It will only keep expanding. It is a lot of prep work to really do it proper.
YouTube rocker repair to get an idea. There are tons of videos for early to mid 2000s Silverados.

I have a 2000 Silverado Z71 with 95k miles that the rockers are the only issue. It is getting treated to new rockers as we speak. I wanted it done proper and left it up to the pros and did full rockers and not slip ons.
Truck has tons of life left so while a bit expensive it will be well worth it.

Can you tell us the cost of replacing the rockers? I know it isn't a cheap repair. Thanks

 

[Black]

Dealer wanted $3000 (OEM full rockers)
I am having an independent shop do it for $1200 aftermarket full rockers and not the slip on types.

 

[John Christopher]

Dealer wanted $3000 (OEM full rockers)
I am having an independent shop do it for $1200 aftermarket full rockers and not the slip on types.

That's a good price.

 

[Bolt snapper]

Oh, man..... So I crawled under there last night to take a closer look and it's quite depressing. I spent several minutes on both sides just pinching and breaking off pieces of the rockers like they were a taco salad bowl. Underneath, the inner rockers are of course rusted, too.

I'll try to get a picture or two on here showing the extent of the damage.

My goal is to get another 3+ years out of the truck. Realistically, it is 14 years old and has 167k on the clock, so it's going to be near the end of it's super-dependable season of life by then, anyway. It doesn't make sense to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on bodywork on a vehicle where the cost of doing so would approach the total value of the car. But at the same time, I don't want slush and road spray coming up into the cab from the bottom of the doors. Aside from the rockers, the rest of the car is beautiful - paint is deep and glossy and looks really nice.

So my question is: If I take a grinder and cut off the vertical portion of the outer rockers (which are all but gone) and then buy some rocker covers, prime and paint (or bedliner) those and weld, screw or rivet on, is there any product that could be sprayed underneath on the rusty portion of the inner rockers, floor pan, and whatever else is there (I'll try to first wirebrush as much as I can) that will retard the advance of the rust so that I might be able to get by for that 3-4 year period?

I've never tackled bodywork, but it sure looks like a nightmare of a job to totally do this right. I'm looking for a passable method somewhere between the right way and the "great stuff" method.

 

[Plati]

IMHO ... from my own Rustbucket ... Just Let it Be
no probs! no worries! Its waterproof (for now & several years)
Spray some Fluid Film on the rust if it makes you feel better

Consider it a badge of honor, better gas mileage, efficient use of funds, Mad Max, Rat Patrol, milk it for all its worth, etc.

See that hole on the right?
Thats the problem RIGHT THERE
I'm plugging mine up this weekend on my 2014 EL

(the taco salad thing was very funny, good one)

 

[Bolt snapper]

I sure like your way of thinking and I'm trying to convince myself it's ok to think that way! I tell myself it took it 14 years to get to this point; it's surely not going to disintegrate in a year or two.

With respect to dousing it with Fluid Film, I'm wondering if it might make sense to go head and cut away some of the rotten part so that I can get "inside" those rockers to treat them with this product or a rust converter or something ?

 

[John Christopher]

IMHO ... from my own Rustbucket ... Just Let it Be
no probs! no worries! Its waterproof (for now & several years)
Spray some Fluid Film on the rust if it makes you feel better

Consider it a badge of honor, better gas mileage, efficient use of funds, Mad Max, Rat Patrol, milk it for all its worth, etc.

See that hole on the right?
Thats the problem RIGHT THERE
I'm plugging mine up this weekend on my 2014 EL

(the taco salad thing was very funny, good one)

View attachment 27364

It's hard to believe there is that must rust on a 14. I know NY winters can be bad but damn. Am I missing something. I just figured it out your talking about the 03 right.

 

[Plati]

Started the fall "coat & plug rockers" job. Hard to roll around under the Expy and work. Sprayed anti corrosion stuff inside rockers and plugged as many holes as I could with improvised plugs. Sprayed until it would drip down. Going back later to hit several locations underneath with more Fluid Film. This has to help. I dont like rust.

 

[Bolt snapper]

I wish you were the previous owner of my truck!

 

[SEPTIC PROFESSOR]

next time, go on auto trader, restrict search to Florida Gulf Coast, and buy a spectacular absolutely
rust free 03-04 loaded for around $4K. used to live in the Midwest, no more rusted out junk for me
ever. My 03 is absolutely rust free and the original paint still perfect with zero clearcoat peeling.

 

[Bolt snapper]

next time, go on auto trader, restrict search to Florida Gulf Coast, and buy a spectacular absolutely
rust free 03-04 loaded for around $4K. used to live in the Midwest, no more rusted out junk for me
ever. My 03 is absolutely rust free and the original paint still perfect with zero clearcoat peeling.

Now you tell me!

 

[rjdelp7]

I Spent $1400 at a local body shop in 2013. The rockers are part of rear quarters and body structure. Replacing is very complicated and expensive($3000+, a 'southern vehicle" would be cheaper). I used slip on, patch panels. They bend over the bottom. They are welded and seam sealed. The old/bad rockers are in place, minus the rusty sections. Not perfect, but the truck is still looking good after 5 years. I had the rust stop, oil treatment done. That has really helped.

 

[Bolt snapper]

I've been looking at the slip on panels and wondering how they work around those moulded running boards mine has. It looks like their angle of bend is less acute than what I'd need to get them tucked behind the vertical portion of the running board. I'm guessing I would want to attach them along the top with sheet metal screws? Will the door seals get chewed up if I just left the screws there? Or do I need to drill holes and spot weld and then remove the screws?

 

[Habbibie]

IMHO ... from my own Rustbucket ... Just Let it Be
no probs! no worries! Its waterproof (for now & several years)
Spray some Fluid Film on the rust if it makes you feel better

Consider it a badge of honor, better gas mileage, efficient use of funds, Mad Max, Rat Patrol, milk it for all its worth, etc.

See that hole on the right?
Thats the problem RIGHT THERE
I'm plugging mine up this weekend on my 2014 EL

(the taco salad thing was very funny, good one)

View attachment 27364

Damn bro yours looks like a disaster lol. Mine looked more like a happy medium between you and bolt snapper's rockers, I had mine prepainted leaving a 1/4" of the edges unpainted so I can get a good weld on them after installation but I'm not sure that was the best option, I rattle canned the rest once I was finished but it left it very sand paper like... i highly doubt anyone will ever notice it but just me knowing it's there irks me lol, it is a far more cheaper option than dropping off the entire truck for a rocker respray that's why I did it... that and I had initially planned to do far more repairs that day which I did such as the notorious "radiator support"

 

[Bolt snapper]

... that and I had initially planned to do far more repairs that day which I did such as the notorious "radiator support"

I'm sure I'll be starting a new thread at some point to ask you about this. Mine look disastrous just from a quick visual underneath. I hope there's a similar half-@$$ repair for this, short of replacing that whole front clip!

As far as the rockers go: I took a grinder and cut away everything beneath where the door seal hits (by that I mean the weatherstrip on the door - not the one that is on the cab side that seals to the door) . I wirebrushed the best I could (a pretty pitiful job, since I only have about a 2-1/4" window to reach in there, and those running boards limit the angle of access) and sprayed two coats of a rust converter in there. Then tonight, I sprayed two more coats of black paint. I'm debating now whether to buy these slip on covers or try to have some local shop just bend up an L-shaped (not 90-degree -- I'll have to figure out the angle) piece with about a 5/8" horizontal leg and whatever the distance is to tuck behind the running boards. Those pre-made slip-ons look like I'd be cutting off the entirety of the "door thresholds" and maybe trimming the bottom, as well.

Anyone make their own in this manner?

 

[cdahlen]

Dumb question, what is fluid film?

 

[mjp2]

Dumb question, what is fluid film?

I was reading through some older threads and it always bothers me when I see something end with a simple unanswered question.

https://www.fluid-film.com/

It's a lanolin-based coating that you put on metal to keep it from rusting or sticking. Works well and has a lot of versatility. Besides using it on my trucks, I coat the inside of my snow blower with it at the start of the season and never have any issues with clogging.

 

[James McCracken]

To begin, let me say that I have zero body work experience.

I recently purchased an '04 Eddie Bauer 'midwest special' with rocker panels that are half gone. At this point, the threshold portion is fairly intact, but as it makes the bend to go past vertical downward back under the car, the rust has overtaken the length of both rockers, such that you could literally poke holes all along with your finger, or at least without much more effort than that.

I have looked at the slip on covers, and will probably tackle that in the coming months. In the mean time, in order to slow or stop the progression of rust, I'm wondering if it would be of any advantage to take a grinder and cut out the super rusty side of these rockers and try to apply some primer? Would doing so slow the rust any, or would it hasten the deterioration by removing what little bit of support the rusty portions still give?

I'm kind of looking for a starting point. I hate walking out to the car every day and seeing the little pieces of rust hanging out below the doors and staining the running boards.

I just bought an 04 with the same issue. New rockers are about $150 each. Personally I would not waste my money with the slip on rockers. Buy once cry once and get it done right. One of mine is shot and the other can most likely be repaired.