Dreidel

Ok so winter break came up and I have some money to spend and and some time between my two jobs. so˟lets start by saying that I'm tired of having the sh**ty truck in my group of friends. They all have pavment pounders and people look at their trucks like its the most awesome thing around and you know what, I want people (chicks) to look at mt truck that way. Lol so lets begin. Here's where I started on the drivers rocker panel.

Got that all cut out and put duplicolor rust converter on it. Seems to have worked pretty good turned black like it says anyway. My next plan was use expanding foam to fill the old rocker panels up and provide a good working surface and a mold for lack of better works so I could get the shaoe of the rockers right.

Well I have to come up with a better way to hold the expanding foam up in the rocker panel because, huge suprise... gravity still works here in topeka. Also if you guys decode to do it the way I am, do not touch the foam with bare skin. A huge glob fell out and I grabbed it and tried stuffing it back in the panel. Not only did it not work it also lefr my hands very sticky and it takes forever of constanr scrubbing to get it off. My experience with it sucked because while I was trying to get it off I had to poop. Not as funny as it sounds at least while it was happening. Then it was pretty funny. Then I got sidetracked and started working on the hood getting it ready for bed liner while my failed foam experiment dried

Oh here's a before pic

ksti

So after the bogger snot mess how are you going to finish it off?
I take it you don't have access to a welder.
The only way your going to fix it right is to replace rocker panels.

Dreidel

Fiberglass. The problem with new panels is the rust is deeper than just the panels it in the cab and everything so I'm cutting what I can, rust convertering what I can't cut out and then glasaing in new panels. I have access to a welder the problem is I have school and two jobs and the welder is only available 7-3 and I rarley have that time free that's why I decided on glass

scuba

If you're that worried about what people think of your truck, you need some help.

ksti

Take my word for it that fiberglass will not seal out the moisture completely.
It will lift eventually and your repair will be for nothing.
Your only going to delay the rusting process and end up with a bigger job in the long run.

Fiberglass and sheet metal don't do well in these cases.
That is probably the worst place it can be applied also.
If the rust is that bad, maybe consider selling it and finding a more rust free one. I just know from experience that covering rust doesn't work. Good luck

Dreidel

Says the owner of the nicest yota I've ever seen lol

Dreidel

If it comes back than it comes back but at the moment I can't afford both new rockers and the sheet metal to replace the cab where its rusted. I just want to stop what I can and make it look somewhat nice. And it took 17 years to get as bad as mine were if I got 5 more I'd be plenty happy with what I did

Nervo19

The rockers are not supposed to be sealed. They have weep holes at the bottom as do the doors. That's why "mud as a valid paint job" will trash a truck. There is condensation whenever two pieces of metal form a hollow area and the moisture has to weep out or you get rust. You and I have/had rusty rocker panels due to previous owners not keeping the bottom of the truck clean. The Great Stuff foam will absorb moisture in itself. Having it up against "good" metal in your truck is going to cause rust in places you can't see until it's too late.


Treat the interior of the rocker area for rust. Get some sheet metal or some good rockers off a junk yard truck. I hate to recommend them but http://alfaparts.net/toyotapu90.htm has them for $50 each.
You can use rivets or 3M body panel cement to put them in place if you don't have anyone to weld for you. Leave some place where moisture can escape. If you still insist on the fiberglass repair dig out the Great Stuff and bend some metal window screen material to accept fiberglass mat. If you finish with Bondo it needs to be less than a dime in thickness or it will crack. Good luck.

scuba

Some people would argue that my truck is actually a pretty big POS considering the amount of body damage it has as well as a few other things that weren't done "right" (the bed bob being one of them). It is by no means a looker, especially to those who don't know what they're looking at.
However, it doesn't matter to me what they say or think. The truck works and does everything I want it to do including getting me to and from wherever the hell I want to go.

I will take your comment as a compliment, though, and I appreciate that.

One thing you might consider doing instead of the route you've started... Have you considered making the rocker panels out of some heavy gauge rectangular or tube steel and turning them into rock sliders? You could probably pick up some scrap steel from your metal supply shop for under $100. Remove the rust from inside the rocker panel and paint with POR15, cap off the ends of the steel, weld it to the body, and and some legs to the frame..
Two birds with one stone: sliders and repaired rockers.

Just a thought.

Dreidel

Didnt think about screen. What your saying makes sense about holding water and what not. Ill mqke weep holes and dig the foam out cause it didn't work like I thought anyway

As far as rhe slider rockers go it sounds like a good idea however I thought it was a bad idea only because doesn't the cab flex differently from the frame and cause cracking. Not saying your wrong just wondering

Dreidel

Got the hood all sanded earlier today talked to my boss and he is going to help me spray the truck for a better look than roll on

bamaboy13

You know, I hear mayonnaise works pretty good for taking great-stuff off your hands...

Nervo19

If you're really going to go ahead and do this stuff the hole with pool noodles and foam on that. At least pool noodles don't hold water. Most dollar stores will still have a few in the back. I believe it says to wear gloves on the Great Stuff can. It kind of reminds me of this classic thread on the Explorer forum:


http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...5&pagenumber=1