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VwDubber
Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2012
Posts: 144
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 Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 6:32 pm Post subject: Need Rocker Panel Repair Info |
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I searched and was surprised that I didn't see any documented pics of the notorious rotted drivers side Rocker Panel replacement / repair.
Anyone gots any Pics of the left Drivers side Rocker Panel Repair?
I'm about ready to cut that section open just curious what's behind there before doing so?
BTW yes I do intend on removing the kitchen to access the inside area and rust proof it from the inside. But regardless the lower Rocker is badly rotted and will need to be replaced, just looking for a little heads up before cutting into it.. Or a link of any similar repairs.
Also I plan on using one of the Bus depot repair panel. It seems very thin but not sure who has heavier weight sheet metal. I remember seeing ones a few years ago that if I remember correctly were about twice the weight of what I got from Bus Depot..
This one.. ==> http://www.busdepot.com/9557001
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insyncro
Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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I get much thicker panels....from Germany and about 10 times the price  |
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Syncroincity
Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2007
Posts: 1557
Location: New York City
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Jeffrey Lee
Samba Member
Joined: February 04, 2014
Posts: 1488
Location: Wisconsin
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17153
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2015 5:43 am Post subject: |
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VW dubber. I am working on that area of my syncro project at the moment. The bottom seam is actually where the outer rocker panel skin meets the side panel. The after market panels I have seen have a "fake" seam stamped into them and are only the skin.
The part that gets most of the rust is actually the return of the top of the rocker towards in the inner floor inside. It makes more sense once you get after it. I imagine at least one of the links above probably has a picture of repairing the actual top of the rocker or floor section with sheetmetal not part of the repair panel.
Anyhow, I am actually using used panels from a donor vanagon. I am replacing the outer rocker skin including the return. It is a ton more work using used panels, but I should end up with a more stock repair. If all you want is something to hold paint, the after market repair panel should work fine.
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dobryan
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Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16503
Location: Brookeville, MD
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BavarianWrench
Samba Member
Joined: January 18, 2004
Posts: 1045
Location: Oceans Edge
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2015 7:58 am Post subject: |
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I have yet to purchase and hold the aftermarket panels. I'm curious about the approach. The aftermarket panel with the faux seam will not have a seam to rust in the future. I feel you need the structure behind the panel too. That support was in the original bends forming the seam. Those bends created the strength of the van. If I went aftermarket and then braced it, could I actually make a better then factory repair? My reservation has been the repop steel is a lot thinner? I need some clean donor steel or I have to go repop.
Last edited by BavarianWrench on Mon Feb 09, 2015 5:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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delta9007
Samba Member
Joined: March 17, 2008
Posts: 106
Location: Arcata,CA
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2015 8:10 am Post subject: |
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I'd suggest getting a section of what you need from a donor vehicle. Figure the area required and add 6" in all directions. As a unibody design, this area IS structural so don't go cheap. Professional welding required.
Check out "CountryHouseGent" 's videos on YouTube to see some fun rust in these vehicles and making good repairs.
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'89 2wd, 4spd, 2.1 Westfalia. |
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Home Team Van
Samba Member
Joined: January 02, 2008
Posts: 465
Location: wilmington, nc
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2015 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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Here's a couple pics of what I did. I also used the SEM weld bond. You can't see it in the pics but I also added a piece on the inside since that was pretty rusted too.
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17153
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| You can't see it in the pics but I also added a piece on the inside since that was pretty rusted too. |
That was the point I was trying to make. The strength in the frame rail comes from the triangulation of the inner and outer rocker along with the top or floor section. Your picture shows very well how bad that floor section can get. It would have been nice if you could have grabbed a few pictures of how you reinforced that area. Here is the rocker from a donor vanagon installed. Not for rust, but accident damage. The B and C pillar were also spliced. I will be replacing the entire middle skin to the window and a half of the rear panel to the window. It's what I ended up with.
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ksheban
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Joined: March 14, 2022
Posts: 10
Location: Athens, OH
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| Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2022 7:36 am Post subject: Re: Need Rocker Panel Repair Info |
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Restarting this thread with some questions, as I'm tackling this project myself. I got my kitchen/cabinets out, and feel like compared to some of the pictures I've seen of others' vans mine is in pretty good shape (no holes at least).
I'm planning on replacing the rocker panel, which has got some visible rust damage from the outside. But I'm still not clear on how others have dealt with the existing rust on the floor where it meets the panel. Since I don't have any holes I was hoping to sand blast the rust off, paint with a rust proofer/converter and then epoxy in the replacement rocker panel (like the one sold by BusDepot). But I have a couple questions:
1) Will I be able to get rid of all the rust hiding under all the nooks and crannies of the existing van floor? Should I just do my best and paint over what's left with something like POR15? Or is it better to cut away a portion of the floor and weld new metal that doesn't have so many places for rust to hide? Or some other approach? I don't have any welding experience so I'm kind of trying to avoid doing that if I don't have to.
2) After replacing the rocker panel, the van floor will no longer be attached to the panel. Is that a problem, either structurally or by creating a gap between the two that stuff (water, debris) can fall down into? I feel like all the photos I've seen of this process don't really show this step.
Here are some pictures of my rust after cleaning the area up a bit.
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leecat
Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2012
Posts: 773
Location: Regina
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| Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2022 10:58 am Post subject: Re: Need Rocker Panel Repair Info |
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IMO that's not much rust to be considering a full rocker cutout and replacement - you'll be removing a ton of good metal. I'd shroud the inner area and sandblast and rust-treat it, then go after the outside with a spot repair. You'd get many years out of that and save yourself one whopping pile of work.
I'm not sure how much bodywork experience you have and if (as you state) you have no welding experience it's a LOT of work to put in a full rocker and make it look like a professional job. |
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16879
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2022 11:40 am Post subject: Re: Need Rocker Panel Repair Info |
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the outer rocker is C shaped so to speak. it's basically a box that attaches into the cargo floor and the long wall panel has a flange that spot welds to the top of that section.
just doing a 100mph search, this panel (although not correct) is basically what the outer rocker really looks like
https://www.tristar-connection.de/en/body-parts-re...single-cab
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| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
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| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
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bobbyblack 
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Joined: May 21, 2015
Posts: 4351
Location: United States, Iowa
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| Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2022 12:07 pm Post subject: Re: Need Rocker Panel Repair Info |
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ksheban, this is the part you should consider. It is that part which is in place of the slider door opening if it were a right hand drive bus, to make the "floor" of that section. Looks like your brace, that sits on top of it, could be used if you are careful removing it. I've seen a lot of pictures of buses repaired with simple sheet metal in that area, and you certainly COULD do that, but from the outside on your pictures, you can see that the rust is coming through under the seam. This is the piece that is the lower section under the horizontal seam, the dreaded "kitchen rot". It is there, and it will haunt you if you think treating the upper side is going to help much. You also need to find a repair panel for above the seam. Many of the aftermarket panels have a fake seam and you just kind of pretend you are fixing it by covering it up. If this is worth doing at all, do it right the first time. Yes, that means getting help with welding.
https://www.brickwerks.co.uk/t3-parts/body/body-an...e-lhd.html
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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Bulli Klinik
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Location: Bulli Klinik, Colorado Springs
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ksheban
Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2022
Posts: 10
Location: Athens, OH
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| Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2022 7:06 am Post subject: Re: Need Rocker Panel Repair Info |
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| leecat wrote: |
IMO that's not much rust to be considering a full rocker cutout and replacement - you'll be removing a ton of good metal. I'd shroud the inner area and sandblast and rust-treat it, then go after the outside with a spot repair. You'd get many years out of that and save yourself one whopping pile of work.
I'm not sure how much bodywork experience you have and if (as you state) you have no welding experience it's a LOT of work to put in a full rocker and make it look like a professional job. |
I’m hoping to repaint as well, and am a little hesitant to do a spot repair and take my van to a body/paint shop only to have them identify $10,000 of additional body work before they want to paint. I’ve been seeing some crazy quotes for body/paint, from $10k - $40k!
Alternatively I could tackle it like you’re suggesting, use body filler on the most rusted area in the outside of the van, generally match the color, and save my money for professional body work/paint job down the road…
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16879
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2022 9:07 am Post subject: Re: Need Rocker Panel Repair Info |
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| ksheban wrote: |
I’ve been seeing some crazy quotes for body/paint, from $10k - $40k!
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crazy?
not really. 1 box of 80 grit 6" DA paper is 150 PER BOX now. it was 50-60 bux not that long ago.
paint in terms of materials have always been pricy. even if you brought a stripped out shell to a shop for a good same color respray you'd have an ez 40-60 hours of prep, so at a 100 bux/hr there is 4-6k
then paint, wet sand and buff another 40-60 hours so right there you're at 8-12k, plus materials.
that is before you even think about rust work or digging out all the old seam sealer
i find it amazing that folks have no problem stroking a check for a deck or bathroom, it's done in 3 days and 40k is no big deal yet when someone has 180+ hours in something plus materials they lose their mind
just trying to put things in perspective here
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| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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