noodle85yoda

so if you live by water or your truck spent a good part of its life near it you probably have rotted out rockers, doors, body panals etc... you have 3 options to fix it, first is to weld new metal in and call it done, second, bondo the f*&$ out of it(a bad bad bad idea) third... fiberglass,

these are the steps for fiberglass rocker replacement/other body parts that i have found work well, will not rot and is as strong as oem.

you will need these items before continuing

-fiber glass resin kitty hair
-hardener
-box of rubber gloves
-mask or respirator
-orbital sander
-a steady hand(or helper)
-a putty knife or other spreading device
-patience

1st step,

cut out all rot in rockers
*****ALL RUST MUST BE REMOVED IT WILL GET WORSE!!!! *****,
inbehind rockers there will be a support structure, MAKE SURE THIS STRUCTURE IS SOLID!!! if it isnt you will be wheeling and your body mount will hit you in the a$$... literally, if its rotted out get a welding buddy, or a new cab...

2nd step

wash out all debris and clean thoroughly with wire wheel, apply a generious ammount of **epoxy based primer** (this will seal off all moisture and air from backside of metal you have cleaned)

3rd step

now cut your sheet metal or filler of your choice, fiberglass supporting foam, sheet metal, cloth, (i dont recommend cloth as it requires alot of work to get straight) to fit the hole or holes you have cut, test fit them. if you using sheet metal like i have coat the clean sheet metal with the same epoxy based primer as before, be generious.

4th step

test fit your custom made piece into the hole in rocker, it has to fit snugly!!!!! no hacks!

5th step

now it gets messy, go to your local body shop and ask for a tube of hardener and "kitty hair" fiberglass resin. this is fiberglass resin with strands of fiberglass cloth in it, gives it strength to adhere and hold.


step 6

now, get your gloves and something to mix fiberglas on, cardboard, wood anything, place something on the ground to catch the runoff. follow instructions on can to mix proper amount of hardener into mix. once you have a good ammount of fiberglass start applying to edges and inside of patch, place fiberglass all round the open wound in the rocker, now place the patch in there, holing it with one had (or a assistant) and place a generous amount of fiberglass over the whole area. be carefull as when the fiberglass hardens your fingers will become stuck, do not pull away, you will pull the patch with you!!!!

step 7

wait a hour after you have placed patch and first layer of fiberglass on it.
take your orbital sander and some rough sand paper and smooth out the panal, it will not be perfect... yet, get it so it is flat, all you are doing now is shaping it

step 8

now make up another batch of fiberglass and slap on a thick layer with your putty knife or equivalent, keeping it flat and relatively smooth.

step 9

wait a day or so and let it cure completely, take your sander and rough paper and get to work, it will take a while but when your done you wont know the difference.

step 10

place a thin ammount of bondo over any pits in fiberglass or low spots. Sand with fine paper and re create body lines as you go. Make it as smooth as possible and put some primer on it, the primer will show you ware you need to add or take away material. once its done paint it however you wish, spray can or professional, it will look good either way





and there you have it, replacing rockers, this method can be used on almost anything on these trucks, cab corners are tricky, requires cloth and allot of patience to re create a flawless rotted out piece of your dear old yoda. i have successfully used this method on 3 trucks of mine, im currently still on the 3rd, ive used it on the a piller to fill in some small holes around windshield and doors, cab corners and the box (box is fiberglass had damage) i am apposed to welding because on the backside of the steel that you cant see is exposed metal and will rot within a couple of years....

hope this helps!!


RC