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Thu Nov 27, 2014 10:41 am

Anyone have any tips for repairing trim mounting holes that are slightly enlarged by rust? The rockers are in excellent shape with no visable cancer. Just enough rust around the holes to have thinned them out.

Thu Nov 27, 2014 7:18 pm

jmunster wrote: Anyone have any tips for repairing trim mounting holes that are slightly enlarged by rust? The rockers are in excellent shape with no visable cancer. Just enough rust around the holes to have thinned them out.

I'm not an expert on this. I would think a couple coats or dabs of POR15 on it might make the holes tighter to hold screws or else use larger screws.

Thu Nov 27, 2014 7:48 pm

Rockers rust from the inside out. If the screw holes have been compromised due to rust, then you have a bigger problem than you think you do.

Thu Nov 27, 2014 8:21 pm

I agree with Thom, what you should try is mig weld the holes with a low voltage setting, if it is so thin by rust you keep chasing the hole even low heat, you need to do a rocker replacement. If it takes a good weld you have new metal to put skrews into, but even doing than try to cavity wax the inside of the rockers to slow down the rust if the weld method works.

Fri Nov 28, 2014 7:11 am

EmpiGT wrote: ry to cavity wax the inside of the rockers to slow down the rust.

Cavity wax?

Fri Nov 28, 2014 9:17 am

Breckskier wrote: jmunster wrote: Anyone have any tips for repairing trim mounting holes that are slightly enlarged by rust? The rockers are in excellent shape with no visable cancer. Just enough rust around the holes to have thinned them out.

I'm not an expert on this. I would think a couple coats or dabs of POR15 on it might make the holes tighter to hold screws or else use larger screws.

POR15 makes a GREAT product called POR Patch™. It's POR15 in a paste that sets up like steel. I use it in many applications.

Fri Nov 28, 2014 9:34 am

thom wrote: Rockers rust from the inside out. If the screw holes have been compromised due to rust, then you have a bigger problem than you think you do.

In general, I would agree with this.^^

However, we don't know exactly your situation. It is quite possible the rust is simply limited to the holes for the mounting of the rocker trim as moisture can enter from behind the trim and wick/settle into the holes where the screws are. Unless your entire rocker has been compromised by holes in the wheel well openings, for example, it is quite likely the screw holes are the only problem area. Only you can make that determination.

With the above in mind, you haven't let us know if you plan to remount rocker trim. If you do plan to mount trim, larger screws are out as the holes in the trim will limit the diameter of the head unless you drill out each mounting point. You will need to repair each rusted hole area and, ideally, that would mean eliminating all the rust, closing the hole, and re-drill each hole. Depending on the extent of the rust around each hole, you could grind away the rust and braze each hole with brass, cover with epoxy primer, paint, and drill each hole (regular paint doesn't adhere well to brass.) You could spot weld each hole closed, grind flush, and repaint and re-drill. Or, depending on the extent of rust around each hole, you can take the POR-15 suggestion, following all pre-application directions.

Whatever you choose to do, it will be tedious and you should eliminate all rust in the area of each hole--that means sanding down to bare metal around each area to find the extent of the rust.

Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:42 am

OK, so 20 years ago I stripped and blasted the exterior, washed with acid and DP40. I agree I have no idea what's going on inside the rocker without cutting a hole, which I don't want. The rockers are solid, no rust except for loss of metal around 1/3 of the holes. I was hoping I could weld grind and redrill but I do worry about inside. If I globbed por15 on the hole would it hold up to the mounting of the trim? Thanks for the help.

Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:54 am

Poke an awl into few holes and see if it hits into decent steel. If so, there are specialty fastener places that sell same size head but larger screw screws. Then drill your spears' holes a smidge bigger. Use some epoxy on each thread as you set them to ward off invasion and help the faster stay.

Fri Nov 28, 2014 11:01 am

You could use NutSerts in the same hole. It would need a slightly larger diameter hole to install. But it would be less dicey than welding or glopping filler of some sort in the hole which may or may not hold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz2yZNqGNqo

I usually use a step drill if there is an existing hole. Works much better on sheet metal than a regular drill bit.

Fri Nov 28, 2014 11:35 am

jmunster wrote: OK, so 20 years ago I stripped and blasted the exterior, washed with acid and DP40. I agree I have no idea what's going on inside the rocker without cutting a hole, which I don't want. The rockers are solid, no rust except for loss of metal around 1/3 of the holes. I was hoping I could weld grind and redrill but I do worry about inside. If I globbed por15 on the hole would it hold up to the mounting of the trim? Thanks for the help.

It really sounds like the rust is limited to the holes, from the outside. Regardless, you should eliminate all rust in the area and that means grinding away around the holes until the metal is clean and bright. Then, and only then, should you try a permanent repair, IMO.

Since not all the holes are rusty and the spears are solely decorative, there is no reason why the POR-15 solution wouldn't work as long as you prep the areas properly. If the metal around the holes is thin, you can even soak fiberglass bits in POR-15 and that will strengthen the thinned area and bond solidly to the surrounding metal. This type of repair should be long lasting but I, personally, would not consider it a permanent repair.

Using inserts to repair the holes will leave a gap between the head of the insert and the back of the trim piece as the inserts will not be flush with the sheet metal of the rocker.

Fri Nov 28, 2014 6:58 pm

Breckskier wrote: EmpiGT wrote: ry to cavity wax the inside of the rockers to slow down the rust.

Cavity wax?

Check this out
http://www.goferauto.com/ruforinpacaw.html

Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:00 pm

EmpiGT wrote: Breckskier wrote: EmpiGT wrote: ry to cavity wax the inside of the rockers to slow down the rust.

Cavity wax?

Check this out
http://www.goferauto.com/ruforinpacaw.html

Good to know. Thanks