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I’ve looked around and haven’t see a thread for what I am asking. Sorry if this is a dupl. I have rusty outer rocker panels and underneath also. It’s gotten soft to where I can poke my finger through on the bottom. How big of a deal is it to fix/replace these, and am I looking at a significant amount of money? I also have some bottom door rust. I still love this truck after 18 years and would just prefer to repair and keep structurally intact. Thanks.
Cut, grind, drill spot welds, weld, grind some more, bondo/seam sealer, undercoat, prime, paint.
I am guessing you dont have the neat tools since you ask how big of a deal it is to pull off. Gaurantee the rust goes deeper than you think. Doors and wheelwells doing the same thing? Cab and bed mounts?
I just sold my 01 because the repairs were rotting out again.
Yeah it's not difficult just time consuming if you have the tools and a good hand with a spot welder. If you don't a body shop can fix it but it's gonna cost you some cash because their labor rates aren't cheap.
Once repaired, treat it with a myriad of rust prevention. I like lanolin based products like Fluid Film, Wool Wax, NH Oil Undercoating (not lanolin but similar product) and Surface Shield by PB Blaster. These oil based coating stay pliable and creep into existing rust and every crevice imaginable. The downside: you have to reapply often (at least once a year) and it makes the underside of your truck a greasy mess to work on. After a few years the dirt and grease becomes caked in. It can really get gross. But it will slow the cancer down to a crawl.
I did mine the unconventional cheap way. I didn’t spot weld them, I used rivets. I also coated the backs with PL construction adhesive prior to riveting. Getting them shaped properly was the hardest part. I’m hoping the PL helps keep water and rust from getting in between the old and new metal. Drivers side cab corner will be next at some point. I’m not looking forward to that.
Nice work!. Looks a lot better than before for sure.
The nice thing on these trucks is once the door is closed you never see them. My paint is a dark green, but I painted the panels black. Definitely looks better than the rusty holes. Now keeping the lower door seams and bed seams looking good? Thats a whole other ball of wax.
Didn't know we were going full redneck. Just glue an entire panel over the existing, seal it, and paint it. Buff it with a pine cone and polish it with a brick. Used car lot special.
Didn't know we were going full redneck. Just glue an entire panel over the existing, seal it, and paint it. Buff it with a pine cone and polish it with a brick. Used car lot special.
You act as though body panels aren’t glued or otherwise adhered now a days. What, have you been freeze dried, or doing hard time?
$150.00 a year Krown treatment would have prevented all of that.
You’re correct. I only really heard of this type of “rust proofing” after replacing the box and getting it paint matched for about $4k. Rust wasn’t that big of a deal until the brine and massive amounts of salt used below the Maryland line. Looked into fluid film, but the past few years been using the PB Surface Shield. Never heard of Krown, but see there is a Krown rust proofing shop in York PA.
