Rusty Rotted Rocker! How to Replace a Truck Rocker Panel!
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New Rocker Panel Set from 1AAuto.com 1aau.to/ia/1ABPR00126
Salty wet roads and water build up are nightmares for body panels on any car or truck, especially here in New England, where we get our hands on older vehicles. When rust and rot strike, some folks send their ride to the scrap heap, or trade it in. But with a few tools, time and elbow grease, you can repair damage and decay on your vehicle you'd rather not part with! Watch this video to see how Andy replaces a rocker panel on our GMC Yukon. The techniques you'll learn can be applied to any steel bodied vehicle!
Check out the other body repair videos we have done!
• Body Repair - Dents, D...
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⚠ DISCLAIMER:
While 1A Auto strives to make the information provided in this video as accurate as possible, it makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or applicability of the content. No information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. All do-it-yourself projects entail some risk. It is the sole responsibility of the viewer to assume this risk. 1A Auto is not responsible or liable for any loss damage (including, but not limited to, actual, consequential, or punitive), liability, claim, or any other injury or cause related to or resulting from any information posted in this video.
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Jjjmk
i want you to do my job
Awesome job properly done ✔👏👍
Great video, RIP anyone who was wearing headphones
🤣
No joke, voice volume - 6 Tools + 6000
No headphones and I can barely hear it. Lower your volume.
It was soquiet untill he used the air chisel
NO KIDDING. EAR RAPE MUCH!!!????
No wonder the body shop is so expensive. That is alot of work them guys do and that was just one side. Im gonna attempt it. Great video. Appreciate the material.
Thanks 👍
How did it go ?
Cheaper then a phone # $ cost of a new truck for sure 👍
I know this video and most like it it is not a restoration, but you can't simply cut and weld new panels when the sub panels look so rusty. I guarntee u look at this in 1 year and it'll be rusted. Spraying primer on rusted metal won't cut it. Kill the rust. It's hard to sandblast newer autos cause the metal is so thin and flimsy so I use a Ospho type product. If you use it PROPERLY, it will kill the rust and last a long time. Putting new panels over rust is useless. And you can use weld through primer so it won't rust. The reason why this looks rusted, rotted like it does is because it's not protected from factory. A 94 Toyota on Scotty Kilmers channel has no rust, at all in 28 years. It was dipped and has a zinc coating. Zinc will be a sacrifice so the metal won't rot. Gotta protect your work. I've seen so many good body and paint folks do a great job, but not protect with cavity wax, or whatever you want to use. It's as simple as using a bottle of mineral oil for $2 that you pour into the rockers, plug the drains and let sit for awhile. Buy a few bottles and do this and I mix with trans fluid and it'll not rust, ever. Repeat once a year. I know your just showing how to replace panels and do a fine job but if u try this at home you've got to KILL ALL THE RUST. Then protect your new panels. There's many products to use but if cheap is your thing, Vaseline heated and melted, mineral, baby oil, trans fluid etc is cheap and easy. I work in the restoration field and I can tell you that if you let rust live, whatever you work on will NOT LAST. Even if it's a free whatever, kill the rust. I replace air bags on towncars, tractor trailers, trailers etc. I'm the only one I know who uses something like 303, Vaseline etc to protect the rubber. Use SOMETHING. We spend so much time and money on whatever we work, fix, restore so please think or ask what can I do to make it last. I've saw so many good videos that do this and not tell viewers to get rid of ALL the rust. If not you might as well not even do this. Use an acid to kill it and do your work. Use whatever you want or like to get rid of rust. Just do it. It's easy, cheap and takes lil time. You can mix toilet bowl wax rings, 1 tube of grease, 1 quart of new, used trans fluid, 1 quart of oil and heat it all up and mix it. Spray, brush etc and I promise you it will never rust. If you have the money I use internal frame coating and frame coating from eastwood. Or any that's along same lines.
@@jasonchristopher2977 my inner panel and outer panel are rusted and i bought the outer panel but would could i do about the inner? I want to show you pictures and tell me what you think
Please don't stop doing these videos. I just bought parts from you guys instead of Rockauto just cause I know you guys put a lot effort into this.
Yo. I feel like such a baafoon right now. I'll definitely be ordering from 1a next time. Those friggin ads on podcasts really work. Rock auto advertised on so many shows I listen to. Just realizing how effective advertising is buuuut this video I'm commenting on is an ad? I'm way too high rn wtf
@@mattmatt222333 The President of this company seems like a good guy. He was trying to run for Governor of my state of Massachusetts. Lol.
Good clear explanation. I always wondered how a rocker panel replacement is done. This helps a lot. Big job, so the rest of the car better be worth saving!
+Bob McL Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c
Great job! What I like the most is that you did it with fairly basic equipment and canned spray paint. Just shows what you can do without investing a ton of money into tools, welders, and paint spray equipment.
If you do this and there is rust on the inner rocker panel you should replace it at the same time. Leaving the rusty inner panel will cause the new panel to rust out in much less time than it would otherwise. Most vehicles have inner and outer panels.
Agreed lol. This is exactly what I was thinking when he said he was gonna prep the surface. Like what surface 🤦🏻♂️
True, whatever rust is left behind will keep rusting. Painting over rust will not stop it, it ALL has to be removed even if ya gotta fabricate a part to put in there. Doesn't need to look perfect on the backside, just needs to be rust free.
Napa makes a soecial paint that if you knock the loose rust off and clean the surface, the paint will contain the rust by adhering to it and by doing so starves the rust from oxygen. I use it on my semi-truck tractor.
thought the same. very bad rust treatment. body filler over rust and so on.
Awesome job properly done .not a hack job with foam and body filler
I always use weld thru primer on the spot and butt welds. Especially underneath.
Finally a real world example. I’m watching this for it doesn’t have to be perfect perspective... thanks for showing how a guy in his garage could do it to help his vehicle rather than a perfect pro doing it at a shop!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
As an owner of a rusting NY '02 Avalanche this video was excellent for an amateur guy like me. You did a great job explaining. Sorry some of the comments had to be from "Pros" who want to critique welding and such. No matter, maybe they can find a welding channel to go and compare their rod sizes... Thanks!
Let me guess, its only the rear that's bad. I have an 02 avalanche as well that's originally from NY. Thinking about getting these done and the other rust spots. Is this work justified on the old 200,000 mile Vanche?
I bought the rockers from 1A for my ‘04 GMC Yukon XL. I was impressed with the panels. The gauge was heavier than the stock metal. This was my first time doing body panels and welding. I’ll do better on the opposite side because of what I’ve learned. (I forgot to spray the inner rocker before installing the panel). Thanks for this great video
Not your typical A-1 Auto video. 👌
Thanks for the info! You convinced me to let mine rot on!!!
Why?
@@MrLaker9900 Not enough vice grips
Very good, detailed rocker panel removal and replacement. Even used the flux welder which most DIY home mechanics most likely have.
Thanks 👍
Impressive work. I wish this guy was near me. Need more mechanics/body guys like this.
Don't ever leave primer without paint, most primers will soak up water and cause the metal to rust even faster
Really detailed and nice video. Doing these kinds of jobs myself, I appreciate the common sense and craftsmanship in the video. A car this old does not have to be like brand new and it would not be cost effective to treat it in such a way. What I especially enjoy is how the amount of work is shown here. Bodywork is very labor intensive, especially when the goal is to have good results. Most people think you can do it quick and dirty and complain on the expense of bodywork. This vid shows well how much is entailed in such.
Okin Arierom this video shows many poor ways to do a job like this. Never use gasless mig on bodywork. Never put bondo over paint. Your welds should be complete enough to seal the area from water intrution from behind. At best a very beginners attemp at body work
Yes! Some times body shops do not want to work on rusty cars so the only way to get it fixed is to DIY. Thank you for checking out the video. If you need auto parts go to: 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-Now
How much this job cost ?
Alot of people are fixing their old trucks and cars because it IS cost effective when compared to the overpriced new and used vehicles that are for sale right now.
@@korndawggy1801 facts greedy dealers always overcharge
My rocker panel on my Colorado just rotted right through, talked to my grandpa and he suggested I just cut off the old panel and put in a new one. I didn't even know that was a thing, so now I'm here, and now I'm a lot more educated on it. Time to fix up the rust on my truck 😏
Thanks ! I'm going to try this on my truck. Never welded, added bondo or painted a car lol. Due to the cost I'm deciding to learn something new. 😂
Great video as always but this one was really above and beyond what you typically see. Doesn’t seem like a single step was left out. Once again great job!
Your team does a fine job of producing helpful videos. I hope someday you will set up a distribution network for Canadian customers! In the meantime I appreciate your how to videos:) Keep up the great work!
A very honest approach at this repair. Nice result and nice video
+Stephen Groenenboom Thank you! We love empowering our customers and showing how to perform DIY auto repairs with our high-quality auto parts. 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c
Stephen Groenenboom this repair wont last. Too many holes in the weld to let water in behind bondo. Bondo over paint wont adhear to the paint. Inside support for the rocker should have been replaced
@@holmes1956O It will stick if it was sanded good with 40 grit first, also his first coat was fiberglass to fill in any holes
Good tutorial.... Not sure if it was mentioned but >> Don`t forget to Disconnect The Battery as not to Destroy (think of it as an Emp ) the Computer from the Welding
+Pin Ball Thanks for the feedback and the tips, much appreciated!
Awesome video. I'm mulling the thought of doing this with out a large enough garage. I do welding and have a really good multi process welder. I would definitely use solid wire MIG.
You get the rough idea with this guy,not his real trade! Good for you DYI res
Thank you for the video, it really helps. And let's thank the guys critiquing it too, it is not hate, but good information. It is good to get their professional opinion, especially in regards to extra steps that can be taken to make sure the job lasts.
Great job on this and showing all the steps. Best one I have seen, yet.
Great job on scoring and lining up the rocker! Thanks for the pointers
What would this cost on average at a shop?
you did a awesome job fitting every thing together
Great video. Thank you. The only critique I have is the waxing at the end. I'm pretty sure you should wait at least several weeks before waxing after paint, because that paint has to breathe to cure. When you cover it with wax. it doesn't allow that curing process to take place. That said you did a really good job. When I need help figuring anything out inside my garage, I look for your videos first. You go step by step, you articulate well, and make things much easier.
My 1992 Silverado Pickups body is rust free because when new the Dealer gave me a lifetime rustproofing warranty and once a year I take the Truck in to have the under carriage and Body checked for rust.. I bet the Dealer thought I would get rid of it in a few years. Now the Truck is 30 years old with 116,000 Miles on it...
This video is a wealth of knowledge. Thanks for all the effort!
Nicely done👍Good walk-thru of the process
Just what I needed.. about to do both sides of my '97 Jeep Cherokee. Great video
Glad I could help. Good luck, and if you need parts, please visit 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-Now
1A Auto. Gentleman, Thank you so much, as an Amateur I did follow your ecact work as you explain step for step; I did learn more as a lot and did make me easier decision buying a classic Project similar conditions- wish You *Simply the **Best for MMXXI and Health and Luck. Greetings from Germany.
Thank you. Glad you liked the video!
Wow,,,, that was pretty awesome!!! I’m guessing you have done this before! Lol well I don’t trust myself to tackle something like that but was very interesting watching you do this!! I have some bubbles starting around wheel well, but don’t know if I can tackle that either !!! But thank you very much!!
Thanks for watching!
At 4k total for a shop to do it, you'll trust yourself
The sooner you tackle the bubbles, the less work you'll need to do to repair it. I just purchased a truck with full grown holes in the wheel arches.
Nice infotainment Andy. With the amount of gm rust buckets out there, you would never run out of customers.
+tony monastiere Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c
Body by Fisher, some believe to be the best. Not myself
Looks great, need to do that on my 1997 Ford F-150 great to learn how to do it thanks for keeping it basic
Great DIY repair hope it's sealed well enough to see the truck out. Finish is pretty dam good for a rattle can
Wow this is a lot of work! Glad to know it’s not impossible though~ thanks for such a comprehensive video :))
That turned out better than I had expected. Well done buddy. I m looking at a similar repair soon. Ny rust is no joke
Yes! We are in MA same problems. It just takes some time and effort. Good luck! Thank you for checking out the video. If you need auto parts go to: 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-Now
Yeah. NY is def tough on rocker panels. Going on the second truck I've had to fix them
WNY here. Best thing honestly to do is wash your vehicle constantly. Even if you feel lazy, go through a simple car wash. Make sure you undercoat the entire vehicle too. I'm on my second Tacoma, '08 and now '18. My '08 had barely any rust build up since I took care of it yet I beat the piss out of it. If you feel and see rust building up; just clean it down to bare metal, prime it, paint it, undercoat it. I know how it feels to have rust on your vehicle and it looks like crap. Vehicles won't ever complain about being maintained compared to women hahaha.
@@nxtc77 vermont is worse
you put back dirty plaxtic back on the door jamb? why not wash it then armor all it first,rocker panel metal is good work.
This is the best rust repair video I’ve seen hands down.
Canada. Rusty car heaven!
Man these trucks you demonstrate on are gonna be mint in the end I wish I could do the panel replacement unfortunately I don’t have the tools nor the welding skills.
That's a surprisingly good result.
Good and informative video but it's definitely a learning experience if you've never done it before.
Somebody buy this man a masking paper machine
Im adding 1A Auto University to my resume
pro tip, paint the inside of your rocker panel with some good paint b4 you weld her on
Not a pro at body work but am a welder by trade and I agree but also crawl under and re pair around were you weld because the paint will blister off because of the heat
@@jeremybrown9785 yes but i would think there is alot more protection for the remaining inside against rust... no?
@@shawntracey yes on everywhere but where's been welded .Heat from the welds ... pretty much completely get rid of the paint underneath it ... and sometimes lights a bunch more of it on fire ...paint is flammable even after it has dried I agree with him 💯 but 1 definitely make sure your checking for flames more than normal 2 still a good idea to crawl under and repaint the spots that burnt away
LOVE all these 1A Auto videos. This one was too good for Us. Redoing a 03' S10 rockers and a couple of other panels but this video explained SOOOOOOOO much. Only question I have is about primers. How do you know what color primer to use? Black? Gray? White? Finishing with a dark green metalic and the truck actually has a couple of different primer base coat colors. Totally confused as to which color to use. The VERY BEST part of this video was at 40:52 I call it "the Slide of Victory!" lol...GREAT JOB - VERY professional job.
Primer is only colored to save on finish coats of paint. The closer the primer color is, the less top coat you'll need to hide it
The answer to your question of what color primer to use, is to use the same color primer that the factory use. If they used Gray, you should use Gray And let's face it most factories use Gray It's very easy to tell what color primer they used, just look at an unpainted part of the car like in the engine compartment or something where the paint would be thin here and there and you will be able to see what color the primer was
Best explanation out there! Thank you!
Fantastic video. My beater GMT800 Escalade EXT got me through years up in Buffalo and earned her rust. Mechanically she's been pretty much perfect (full fuel lines and pump replacement plus normal maintenance is all she's needed) but the rust is horrific. Once getting the whole body intact, what would you recommend regarding the rusty frame and other problematic things underneath the truck aside from just trying to shave off all the surface rust from every surface before a proper undercoating? At that point it might not even be worth it fi it's the only option
Great video Awesome work and information Thanks 👍💪🏻
Glad you liked it!
I honestly think if i got all the tools i could do this on my crown victoria definitely saving this video great job @1a auto
I wish I never got rid of the 1986 Crown Vic I owned. KZhead wasn't around in the year 2000. I replaced the timing chain and gears on it when I bought it cuz it had erratic idle and lower p.m. performance but fine medium and high RPM running running. The 302 V8 and trans and differential we're all in order and running great if the bidy just didn't start disappearing to rust
Man, you were awesome in In The Line of Fire and Burn After Reading.
Shhh! No one is supposed to know! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-Now
That’s fucked 😂
A note on the use of flux core wire. The flux in the weld will eventually react with the body filler and bubble up. There is no real way around this, it is going to happen. This is why you should always gas welded joints and panels for auto body work. There are kits you can buy for the conversion, or you can buy your own parts and convert your welder yourself.
I watched a KZhead earlier tonight where the host was comparing different type of flux core wires. One of the commenters pointed out that he was using a GS or general service wire on all of them but the Lincoln. The Lincoln wire was rated higher. The commenter pointed out further that GS wire cannot be welded over asda Lincoln wire can be. This was a reason why the Lincoln wire was almost twice as expensive. So I love this video. But according to the commenter I'm referencing, he was going over his spot welds. I hope the host was not using GS wire....😬
thank your for the info. Why you're doing this the hardway I don't know - use the lift!
I use your videos all the time. Your channel would benefit from some more considerate audio mixing. The voice instructions are very quiet and the tools are loud. Who wants to read closed captions on a car repair video? Thanks for the great content!
Great detail info.
+John Brink Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c
This video helped out a lot thanks!
Glad it helped!
Great video. Was wondering.. What primer would you suggest on the grinded area of a welded on rocker panel? I don't plan on paint for several months down the road.
I thought when he was talking about heavy rust he was talking about Dodge vehicles but then I realized it was a Yukon.😂😂😂
This rest will be right back. Without treating the cancer (rust) in the vehicle. It will come back in a few years. He should have used the Master series primer or a P.O.R primer. This will encapsulate the rust
If you painted POR on the rusty inner rocker panel, it would all be burned off from the welding.
@@thommiller9941 you put the POR on the inside to stop the rust from spreading anymore. Then you use weld through were you're welding. Come on man!!
I purchased a few replacement panels (rockers, cab corners and rear fenders) from 1A Auto for my 2005 GMC Sierra and they are first rate quality. Will be welding them on in a few days.
Very nice patient video !
Thank you!
cost wise, what would a repair to both driver and passenger side rockers replacement like this run you these days? Parts and labor?
Use copper weld through primer instead.
Great tip. Thank you for checking out the video. If you need auto parts go to: 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-Now
The weld through primer won't matter near as much it all does the same thing
And use some rust reformer while you're at it. Rustoleum's spray rust reformer works miracles on exposed rust
Nice job it looks good
Thanks for the detailed instruction presented here! Definitely not quick and easy to do it right. How many hours did you put in to complete the one side?
Start to finish you're looking 8 hours a side. Then add paint booth time unless you're fine with a rocker guard finish
It took 20 - 30 hours because we were making a video. It would be a good weekend project. Thank you for checking out the video. If you need auto parts go to: 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-Now
Thank you for this video because I was going to junk my Tahoe bc of the rusted panels.
Those Chevy’s rot like that in the south too. Factory garbage metal and moisture holding spots.
+Alan Sawyer Thanks for the feedback!
I'd love to see your face looking at my 2000 silverado rockers. 😂
very good video my question is from start to finish working straight through how long did it take to do one side?
How much real life time this whole process took?
I'm going to be tackling this next year on my Explorer. I can't find the inner rockers for mine. Could I just trim off the rust if it's bad enough and just we'd in some sheet metal so the outer replacement has something to grab onto?
a little late but yes you could, it’s not like you’ll see it so don’t have to really worry about it looking different
Great video! Thanks for sharing your projects with us. All the haters need to keep their mouths shut. 1A just showed that us DIYers can, in fact, complete a job like this that would cost a couple thousand bucks minimum with pretty good results for a couple hundred bucks. I have a 96 that I use for hunting that needs some TLC but I'm not throwing thousands at it and this will get me on my way to extending its life. Thanks again!
Thanks for watching! Glad you like our videos.
Did you take out the bolts when you removed the doors or did you remove the pins? I’m about to do the same repair and that’s my only concern
good job but to be definitively efficient, you should put grease everywhere. grease et the only thing very efficient against rust. put grease between metal and carpet, inside door, behind bumper, behind (inside the car), behind the repairs you can make (everywhere inside hidden ereas - instead of using paint), hollow areas (necessarily hidden, so no need to be aesthetic). For rear wings unreachable with a paintbrush, use an extender and poor old oil everywhere each year.Handyman Experience - 35 years. From france
Great video!!
Thanks!
Anyone else get the feeling he didn't really KNOW what he was doing and was kinda winging it? I've watched alot of tuts on this process with mostly at home DIYers and their results were 100x better.
Why comment at all if there is nothing constructive about your criticism?
@@noconspiracytheoriesplease.745 to Inform others there are other tutorials with what seems to be more experience and knowledge to be has. Thank you for your constructive criticism allowing me to further explain my thoughts. Have a good night my friend
Yes, a more experienced person wouldn't have been buffing up to the window glass. They would put the weld below the horizontal contour line and faded the paint an inch into the contour where the seam would likely have been invisible
It’s a huge waste of time to go through all that if you were going to leave all that rust on the inner rocker anyway. And priming the rust when you’re going to try to weld it is a waste of time and primer.
@@thommiller9941 what's the better solution -- is there a spray-on rust remover/converter that you recommend for the inner rocker?
One thing that jumps out at me, we didn’t see him refit the doors and checking gaps before he did the welds on the new panels. But I love your guys videos either way but just had me wondering
Great job. I need to do that to mine.
I would certainly use a Naval Jelly Rust Removal solution on the lower frame/body areas that are rusted, but not removed, before I primed/painted are original body areas. Then I would weld the new rocker panel in place, then caulk up any exposed areas, paint in original color, then re-undercoat the vehicle. ......just MHO.... I am not trying to be critical, but a welding course (or more practice) would be valuable for making a nice bead along the straight mating sectionz, vs the spot blobs (just plain ugly)..... But overall i enjoyed watching, as all of 1A Auto videos.....
Just wondering if you got purchased aftermarket parts or Chevy rockers? great job!
Hi, I have a 2009 Pontiac G6 with the same issue on both sides and I wanted to know if this job can be done in my driveway. I notice you spot welded the rocker panel, I do not have access to a welding machine, is there any alternative way or other options available.
Any idea what kinda of settings you would want to run on a MIG welder for automotive sheet metal? I have a Snap-on Muscle Mig and don't wanna blow a hole through it or something
Anything you can do to prevent the rocker panels from rusting in the first place? Nice video. Thanks.
Get some Woolwax or Fluid Film sprayed in behind them. Lots of videos on it.
@@stanlojewski6761 yup, 1-2 times a year. Spray inside your doors and everything
Amsoil HD Metal protector. Wish I would of known about 10-13 years ago.
Y’all need to do an 10 Ram 1500 crew can SLT rocker and cab corners. I’ve gotta replace mine and could use the visual help.
3m 33575 belt sander is a great tool for this job
I was told my 2000 f250 SD crew cab 7.3 with 360k was not worth replacing the rocker panels. Is that true or is it just someone not wanting to do the work? I know this will take me multiple weekends to do (beginner) but...buying a few hundred dollars in panels and spending sweat equity just seems cheaper than buying a new truck.... especially since I've been slowly replacing so much; suspension, new beefier transmission, etc. I would love a video that talks about when are you polishing the brass on the Titanic. Thanks y'all. Your videos are helpful and I've been watching them for a few years now. 🙂
Yes the foam is extremely flammable ask me how I know
Great job
Thank you, I also need that plastic trim piece that runs front to back. Do you have a part number or a name, i can’t find it on you webpage.
I may be able to help. Search my name on Facebook.
that is a very very nice job i wish you were close i would have you do mine also both of them😊
Should you check the door fitment somehow before just welding the panel on?
Great idea to paint over the rust....
Damn running boards are the reason those rockers rust. I stripped mine early on and saved the rockers.