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I've been lurking on this forum for a while and want to start out my first post by saying thank you to all of the contributors on here. You've saved me a boat load of cash and frustration fixing my '01 Ex 7.3 by myself. That being said, my ex is a midwest one which has the inner and outer rocker panels rusted out so bad I can't even mount running boards on it. I purchased frame mount nerf bars just to realize that I don't want my kids legs falling between the step and the rusted out outer panels. My wife's one condition on owning this thing is that I put running boards on it. So my questions are:
Inner Rockers(Floor support)
1.)No one sells inner rocker panels(floor support) anymore. Would a straight piece of sheet metal suffice(with some drilling for appropriate holes) work or are there some complicated bends that I'm missing? Looking underneath mine of what's left, it doesn't appear so.
2.)Since I don't have a spot welder, would I need to do a long seam weld along the whole cab?
3.)Is there a risk of collapsing the body once I get the inner rocker off?
a.)if yes, then should I replace it in sections and then weld the whole thing together or any suggestions on how to support it?
Outer Rockers
1.)I've found the rear outers on rock auto and other places. For those that have replaced the front outers, a pillar and b pillar. Which cab is most like the excursion for replacing those? I realize none have anything like the c pillar.
2.)Do the outer rockers over lap and bend over the inner rocker?(yes, it's rusted that bad.)
I realize to many of you, I should just sell it and get a different one to save the headaches. This decision isn't just a financial decision but something I just want to do.
Thanks in advance to any responses.
This pic may help you visualize what's going on. Unfortunately, I didn't take any better pics when I replaced the outer rockers and quarter panel. My inner rockers were fine - they don't appear too difficult to fabricate.
Not sure about the inners....I'm hoping I don't find major issues when I tear mine apart. Here's a few good threads showing some good work done by others specific to rockers:
I hadn't noticed the b pillars before. Thanks! I won't start this project till the end of the month, but I'll definitely post a follow up with pictures.
I have started working on mine. Got the front driver rocker off. I have to repair the inners also. I was hoping to get a SD crew cab inner but looks like only supercab and regular cab inners are made that I can find. I guess flat stock 16 gauge will have to do.
Stitch welds would be fine, do a 1/2-1" weld every 8 or 10 inches. Or you can pop a 1/4" hole with a drill and then weld the hole shut, so it would be like a factory spot weld.
The bottom where it meets the inner is just flush, the inner and outer just push against each other and have a few welds holding them together.
As to replacing the inner, some 12, or 14, ga. sheet metal is perfect. It would just be a flat piece coming straight down, inner is an easier fix than outer.
I just picked up some outer rockers for a crew cab to fix mine. I thiught the seamless look of one piece across the entire rocker would look a little cleaner.
it is made for a crew cab so there is some trimming needed, as it is a little longer overall.
I got them from amazon as it was $40 each side delivered to the house.
I hand-built the doglegs and the inner rockers/used SD rear outers. Check my build thread for more info. Very little welding was done, most of the stuff was riv'd/screwed, and panel bonded in place.
This is the best looking part of the rockers. Pax front
pax rear
This is what I'm up against. I'll try to get some better pictures of the outside loaded.
Wow, thanks for all of the info. I guess I had just made the assumption that I HAD to weld all of those points back together. If I can just rivet, screw, and glue those things back on, that would save me a lot of money that I can then dump into the engine.
Last edited by M3rc; Aug 2, 2018 at 12:16 AM.
Reason: text
The easiest way to go is to buy a good used rear quarter panel and or lower inner and outer rocker.
Lots of places sell them. I got lucky and found a non rusty rear quarter in Oregon that was dented on rear portion of quarter. It was cheap because of dent. I did not need the dented part but wanted the front part of quarter.
I used structural epoxy body adhesive instead of spot welds to install. It's great stuff and really helps prevent future rust too.
I fabricate inner rocker panels for super duty trucks along with outer rockers, cab corners, inner door jambs, and floor pans. They are listed on Etsy, SEMichiganAutomotive if you’re still looking for them.
I don't know if I'm going overboard on this, but the way my body sits right now. The front two center of hub to fender heights match, but the rear two fender to center of axle heights are off by an inch. If I pull up on the low side fender I can get them to match. Am I wrong in thinking those need to match before welding the inner rockers on? I'm imagining some type of body twist in combination with a shot body mount or two. Is this a valid approach or unnecessary?
