Rocker Panel Repair

[afranzy]

Hey guys!! I have browsed over a lot of useful information here after purchasing my first 4runner a few weeks ago!! So I decided to join! I have a 96 SR5 manual. My problem is that my rocker panels have some rust on it... I live in Minneapolis so salt is the first thing every city pours out of dump trucks at the first site of ANY bit of snow. I'm assuming if you have gone wheeling without any armor you may have damaged your rocker panel and fixed it somehow, possibly haha! Anyhow, I'm wondering how you guys have repaired them? Is there a company that makes a weld in replacement panel? For those of you that have make your own... like from a pipe or steel tubing or whatever I would love to hear what you have done!! Thanks guys! you rock!

(if my thread is in a bad category, i apologize)

 

[KidVermicious]

You'd better define "some rust". You can clean it off and skim it with body filler, or if it's eaten holes you can cut a patch panel off a junkyard truck and weld it in, but if it's that bad I bet it's taken hold elsewhere too.

 

[afranzy]

sorry, yeah "some rust" one side has just surface rust, and the other side has one hole. As i was looking the vehicle over it hasn't really spread away from the rockers, so i can repair just that and be fine. I have thought about the junkyard. I guess if I were to do one side in a 'custom' manner i would do the other side the same way to make them look the same.

 

[KidVermicious]

In a custom manner, you're thinking something like boatsides? I wouldn't do that on a street truck in the rust belt. I'd go for a factoryish repair.

 

[afranzy]

Yeah anything, boat sides would be one example. Isn't that more of a Jeep thing? The reason i ask is because to do a factory repair i would have to find junkyard rocker panels that are in good enough shape. (unless and aftermarket company makes them for the 3rd gen runner) I weld and stuff like that, but without an actual 4runner rocker panel i don't have the equipment to bend my own sheet metal. For example, redneck style, has anyone cut, say, a 3 inch pipe or something in half and welded that in instead? any ideas or things you have done to repair a rocker panel.

 

[afranzy]

Here we go! Something like this...

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/classic-t4rs/111132-rocker-panel-repair-fraime-slider-air-tank.html

anyone done something similar with good results??