Rocker panel paint for my forever truck.

[jjeff]

Not looking to win just mitigate the damage as much as I can. With me putting a reasonable amount of my time in it. I grew up in a rust belt I've had three Tacomas bought back or frames replaced, Fortunately the cab mounts and corners are solid still. There was mud on that one cab mount not much rust that was mentioned earlier. I ran a pick in some of the rocker bubbles with streaks of rust coming thru the paint the pick didn't penetrate thru the steel. I think it's at least worth my time taking the rocker paint off and cleaning it up and putting something like bedliner on them. But I shall see I may be surprised one way or another how involved this may be once I see it stripped.

 

[Hay Dude]

Ahhh so you were going to sell me a truck with a CP-4 annnnnd rocker rust????

Con-artist



j/k

 

[jjeff]

Ahhh so you were going to sell me a truck with a CP-4 annnnnd rocker rust?

Con-artist

ill be putting over 1k miles on it
In the next few days sure hope I don't fall thru the floor boards or the cp,,4 doesn't blow.up .

 

[dodge man]

The rust is almost certainly coming from the inside out. If you just clean up the outside it will look better for a while but not long. If you’re going to do something I’d get something on the inside to slow the rust down. I wouldn’t use fluid film because that isn’t very compatible with paint. POR15 or a similar product would be best. Once you get the inside of the rocker treated then fill the outside and paint.

 

[Topzide]

You could drill holes and spray in some, Black Star - Gallon

You can spray with a garden sprayer or squirt bottle. I've used this stuff and is easy to work with and needs no top coating.

 

[jjeff]

Boy did I open a can of worms as others implied and warned, started sanding bubbling rocker panel paint and next thing you know sanders going right thru rocker and I'm I'm cutting perforated rust sections out of outer rockers on both sides especially near the back. Removed door weather seal and started sanding that rust away on door bottoms fortunately not perforated yet. The hf fastener removal tool is invaluable removing the plastic fasteners holding weather stripping in. so I'm getting it down to bare metal cutting out the rusted parts fortunately the inners seem salvageable after sanding and eventually I'll be over spraying it with rust converting/ preventive paint. Anyways this is quite the process I didn't expect I'll be covering the rockers with abs slip rockers covers you use both rivets and adhesive to attach, instead of welding patches on. Figuring the heat from even short spot welds from a mig gun might start a fire or bubble inner protective coating im planning to use. Since bottoms of doors are just starting to rust noticed only after I removed weather stripping after everything is prepped and treated I'm thinking of running a coat of bed liner on rockers bottom of doors following top of lower plastic bed corner on both sides front to back. Definitely not a body shop tech but I do want my work I'm doing to last for the foreseeable future and not look overly backwoods redneck, without completely cutting out/ removing inner and outer rockers. Surprisingly like I initially assumed both front and back cab corners are solid with little to no surface rust on either side. Will be removing perches for running boards and sanding around them next. Helpful experienced insight is greatly appreciated not involving cutting out both inner and outer rockers. Pics suck cuz I was busy cutting and sanding but can get better ones for further insightful ideas first pic is what I'm currently planning to use to treat inside and outside of rockers. Thanks and happy thanks giving.

 

[dodge man]

It sounds like you are going to put some kind of cover over them. Keep in mind it will keep rusting underneath that. From your description of the rust I seriously doubt you will stop it completely. If you do a so-so job at what you’re doing now you will get a couple of years. A good job will get you 5 or 6 years. Like I said earlier I hate to be pessimistic but I expect it’s going to pop out somewhere else on your truck separate from where your repairing now.

 

[jjeff]

Thanks for the reply and I Understand, however I spent a lot of money bullet proofing the fuel pump and front end to plow. I've read horror stories on folks that hired others to do inner and outer rocker replacement and within a few years it was rusting thru again. My solution is costing me a few hundred and my time instead of 3-5k plus I get to learn a thing or two and somewhat enjoy doing work like this when I find the time. If I get five years out of it I'll be content more than five I'll be happy provided that trucks still roadworthy. My brand new GMC half ton with a blown transmission is unfortunately a different story and I could make a 6' complaining snow drift out of that truck .

 

[jjeff]

Also the inside and outside of existing outer and inner rockers will be treated with various snake oils to help prevent or reduce further rust.

 

[jjeff]

My goal before applying various rust preventives and primers and eventually rocker slip cover is to finish cutting out rust perforations addressing inner door skins with rust converting primer and truck bed coat it where weather stripping was. Do similar with inner and outer rockers after pressure washing insides, using a blow gun, and spraying down everything liberal with acetone. Instead of using 3m double sided tape Ill Problaby use a decent polyurethane adhesive spreading it over rocker covers than attaching it to what's left of newly primed and painted existing rockers. Using rivets also. I don't mind using extra rivets provided they are spaced somewhat straight and uniformly. Everything not covered by slip covers at box corner plastic level will be scuffed and painted with truck bed coating. Both the cab and box front to back. I'm kind of hoping this will keep the truck looking presentable somewhat flowing into current metallic silver factory paint job that's in decent shape still being ten yrs old even. Further suggestions are really appreciated if my plan is ok or terrible for reasons I can't see.