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Having the same problem as many of our trucks, my rockers were starting to rot out. I didn't notice it until the rust had already penetrated and made a few holes on both sides, passenger much worse. I knew I had to do something. After quite a bit of reading and research, I decided to do a DIY job, with the hope it will last a few years at minimum. I ran my plans by a friend who worked in a body shop and he said it was rather unorthodox, but would probably work how I expected. So, let's do it.
The plan was to use an angle grinder to take off most of the paint and as much rust as I could. I was able to get all exterior rust removed. For the inside, that was handled in step 1, pictures below. I used Eastwood Internal Frame Coating to spray soak the inside of the rockers first. I did 2 coats to make sure it got into every little nook and crevice. The can come with a flexible 24" hose with a conical spray head, so it sprays a nice fine mist in all directions. I stuck the extension in each of the rocker drain points and sprayed until it was coming out, while pulling slowly from front to back. 2 days, 2 coats.
Step 2 - Removing paint and rust. This is part that freaked me out the most. But it had to be done.
Step 3 - Remove burrs, wipe and clean - The holes had some sharp edges, so I wanted to smooth them out a bit, and in the process I wound up opening the hole even more because the metal was so weak. Better to do it now than have it fail later.
Step 4 - Fill the void. I used Great Stuff Big Gap Filler. With no signs of rust down the rocker towards the front, I concentrated on the back only with the foam. I used a flexible drinking straw taped to the end of the Great Stuff nozzle for a reach of almost 24". I also used two straws, as the first popped off and is now embedded in the foam, inside my rocker. Next straw got more tape and I also held it until too popped, but thankfully not inside the rocker. By that point, the regular nozzle was long enough to get the last few inches. The can says to fill no more than 50%. I filled about 75% of the void, knowing there was plenty of room to expand going up. There was a glob of foam hanging out of the hole when it cured. I used a steak knife to cut it off and then sanded it down. Cure time is 8 hours. I wound up waiting until the next day.
Note - Use gloves with Great Stuff. If it gets on your hands, it sucks to get off. Acetone and Lava soap helped, but my hands were still tacky and dirty looking for two days.
Step 5 - Final sanding and clean wipe and prep. I used a rag with a 15% IPA solution to remove dust in between grinding and sanding. Then a metal brush to remove any lint from the rag. I used sandpaper in the tight areas as well.
Step 6 - Patch the hole. I applied POR-15 putty over the sanded foam of the damaged areas with a small brush. Gloves are also a must here, POR-15 will stain your skin for days. I then put down a layer of POR-15 fiberglass mesh sheet, and applied more POR-15 putty over that while smoothing it out. That had to dry for almost 2 hours. I then applied another light coat with a brush. I only used the fiber sheet over the big hole. The other holes were small enough to be ok with the foam behind it and a double coating of the POR-15 brushed over to fill them in.
Step 7 - I then taped off a bigger area with plastic bags to keep overspray off the rest of the truck. The final product was Rustoleum Truck Bed Liner rattle can. I did a light coat all over and let it sit for 15-20 minutes, then I repeated that 3 more times. I made sure it went up high enough to cover the paint removed, but not high or thick enough to get in the way of the door closing. I wanted to make sure any water from the door would hit the bedliner and roll off, and not get stuck in the jam area.
The loose ends of the fiber mesh were trimmed and heated down smooth after it all cured.
This is the line on the inside of the jam. Not perfect, but straight enough and no one ever see it anyway.
This is the final look. I can't tell unless I really look for it, and the liner blends as well, hard to see. Overall I think it's damn good for a first time body work project other than Plastidip.
That was just my passenger side. Driver side wasn't as bad, but it did need to be done as well. I did the Driver side a few weeks later.
Things I wish I knew... Great Stuff is a one time use product. So I had to go out and get a 2nd can for the driver side. Wear better gloves, they kept ripping.
Things to share - I used a 3M 36 grit wheel to do most of the rust removal, and a 120 grit wheel for the rest of the paint scuffing, along with 120 grit sandpaper in a block. This would have been easier if on a lift, but I just laid on the ground. Doing this on a 90 degree day sucks. It was hot, and a few times I had to stop grinding because of the sun.
Final thoughts - Not as difficult, but not as easy..if that makes any sense. I have zero bodywork experience, so I took my time and skipped a softball team cookout so I wouldn't be rushed to finish. I'm glad it's done, and if it lasts 5 years before it shows any signs of failing, I'll be happy as I don't plan on having the truck in 5 years. Next owner can't complain if he has to replace the rockers completely on a 15 year old truck. I did what I could to keep them intact and keep it not looking like total crap IMO. Being a black truck also helps keep it out of view.
Now.....the waiting game begins. The wheels are in my shed already, tires being ordered tomorrow... If those don't get here in time, I might just do the next part of clean up, a full paint correction and detailing with Menzerna and Wolfgang products. I'll be using a heavy cut to remove some bad marks in a few areas, and then moderate cut all over, along with a final polish and sealant. I might also put a wax on top of the sealant. I'm also in the process of removing the Plastidip from my truck. It did it's job and I like the look it gave me, but I'm going to be replacing it with a better looking high gloss enamel on the bumper and moldings. The Plastidip has to go before the detail, as I don't want stuff that removes Plastidip running down my freshly detailed paint.
A long day, a long weekend, and a sore head and back from laying on the ground. But nothing a fat plate of steak tips and fresh homebrewed IPA can't fix.
Having the same problem as many of our trucks, my rockers were starting to rot out. I didn't notice it until the rust had already penetrated and made a few holes on both sides, passenger much worse. I knew I had to do something. After quite a bit of reading and research, I decided to do a DIY job, with the hope it will last a few years at minimum. I ran my plans by a friend who worked in a body shop and he said it was rather unorthodox, but would probably work how I expected. So, let's do it.
The plan was to use an angle grinder to take off most of the paint and as much rust as I could. I was able to get all exterior rust removed. For the inside, that was handled in step 1, pictures below. I used Eastwood Internal Frame Coating to spray soak the inside of the rockers first. I did 2 coats to make sure it got into every little nook and crevice. The can come with a flexible 24" hose with a conical spray head, so it sprays a nice fine mist in all directions. I stuck the extension in each of the rocker drain points and sprayed until it was coming out, while pulling slowly from front to back. 2 days, 2 coats.
Step 2 - Removing paint and rust. This is part that freaked me out the most. But it had to be done.
Step 3 - Remove burrs, wipe and clean - The holes had some sharp edges, so I wanted to smooth them out a bit, and in the process I wound up opening the hole even more because the metal was so weak. Better to do it now than have it fail later.
Step 4 - Fill the void. I used Great Stuff Big Gap Filler. With no signs of rust down the rocker towards the front, I concentrated on the back only with the foam. I used a flexible drinking straw taped to the end of the Great Stuff nozzle for a reach of almost 24". I also used two straws, as the first popped off and is now embedded in the foam, inside my rocker. Next straw got more tape and I also held it until too popped, but thankfully not inside the rocker. By that point, the regular nozzle was long enough to get the last few inches. The can says to fill no more than 50%. I filled about 75% of the void, knowing there was plenty of room to expand going up. There was a glob of foam hanging out of the hole when it cured. I used a steak knife to cut it off and then sanded it down. Cure time is 8 hours. I wound up waiting until the next day.
Note - Use gloves with Great Stuff. If it gets on your hands, it sucks to get off. Acetone and Lava soap helped, but my hands were still tacky and dirty looking for two days.
Step 5 - Final sanding and clean wipe and prep. I used a rag with a 15% IPA solution to remove dust in between grinding and sanding. Then a metal brush to remove any lint from the rag. I used sandpaper in the tight areas as well.
Step 6 - Patch the hole. I applied POR-15 putty over the sanded foam of the damaged areas with a small brush. Gloves are also a must here, POR-15 will stain your skin for days. I then put down a layer of POR-15 fiberglass mesh sheet, and applied more POR-15 putty over that while smoothing it out. That had to dry for almost 2 hours. I then applied another light coat with a brush. I only used the fiber sheet over the big hole. The other holes were small enough to be ok with the foam behind it and a double coating of the POR-15 brushed over to fill them in.
Step 7 - I then taped off a bigger area with plastic bags to keep overspray off the rest of the truck. The final product was Rustoleum Truck Bed Liner rattle can. I did a light coat all over and let it sit for 15-20 minutes, then I repeated that 3 more times. I made sure it went up high enough to cover the paint removed, but not high or thick enough to get in the way of the door closing. I wanted to make sure any water from the door would hit the bedliner and roll off, and not get stuck in the jam area.
The loose ends of the fiber mesh were trimmed and heated down smooth after it all cured.
This is the line on the inside of the jam. Not perfect, but straight enough and no one ever see it anyway.
This is the final look. I can't tell unless I really look for it, and the liner blends as well, hard to see. Overall I think it's damn good for a first time body work project other than Plastidip.
That was just my passenger side. Driver side wasn't as bad, but it did need to be done as well. I did the Driver side a few weeks later.
Things I wish I knew... Great Stuff is a one time use product. So I had to go out and get a 2nd can for the driver side. Wear better gloves, they kept ripping.
Things to share - I used a 3M 36 grit wheel to do most of the rust removal, and a 120 grit wheel for the rest of the paint scuffing, along with 120 grit sandpaper in a block. This would have been easier if on a lift, but I just laid on the ground. Doing this on a 90 degree day sucks. It was hot, and a few times I had to stop grinding because of the sun.
Final thoughts - Not as difficult, but not as easy..if that makes any sense. I have zero bodywork experience, so I took my time and skipped a softball team cookout so I wouldn't be rushed to finish. I'm glad it's done, and if it lasts 5 years before it shows any signs of failing, I'll be happy as I don't plan on having the truck in 5 years. Next owner can't complain if he has to replace the rockers completely on a 15 year old truck. I did what I could to keep them intact and keep it not looking like total crap IMO. Being a black truck also helps keep it out of view.
Now.....the waiting game begins. The wheels are in my shed already, tires being ordered tomorrow... If those don't get here in time, I might just do the next part of clean up, a full paint correction and detailing with Menzerna and Wolfgang products. I'll be using a heavy cut to remove some bad marks in a few areas, and then moderate cut all over, along with a final polish and sealant. I might also put a wax on top of the sealant. I'm also in the process of removing the Plastidip from my truck. It did it's job and I like the look it gave me, but I'm going to be replacing it with a better looking high gloss enamel on the bumper and moldings. The Plastidip has to go before the detail, as I don't want stuff that removes Plastidip running down my freshly detailed paint.
A long day, a long weekend, and a sore head and back from laying on the ground. But nothing a fat plate of steak tips and fresh homebrewed IPA can't fix.
