Help me do this HACK job

[bradleyheathhays]

So I've got a decent looking survivor jeep and the only obvious body problem it has is the driver side rocker panel. The panel itself is rusted through and although the overall plan is to completely replace it, for now I just need to fill in the hole and keep it from being what draws your eye. Doesn't have to look good at all, just filled and red would make me happy.

Although it's a little hard to make out the panel is fairly solid other than where it's rusted out. I'll end up removing anything that's thin and go from there. My best idea is to get some kind of back support (wire sheet or whatever) and insert it into the hole and secure it with some kind of adhesive/epoxy. After clearing out the rusted metal, this support piece I'm imagining would be about 18" long x ~5" tall with a break down the long dimension for where the bottom of the rocker panel bends under. If I get it to the point where I have a backer panel secured I have just enough experience to build up the bondo, sand, prime and paint without any much more advice.

2 questions...what kind of supporting (metal?) sheet am I looking for? and

what kind of adhesive/epoxy should I use inside the rocker panel to secure the backing sheet?

Also, any general advice on securing this support panel with adhesive would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[cvairwerks]

Why not simply fix it correctly the first time, instead of screwing around and doing the job twice? It will probably take less time to replace that section than it would to mess around with temp fix.

 

[ez-duzit]

Why not simply fix it correctly the first time, instead of screwing around and doing the job twice? It will probably take less time to replace that section than it would to mess around with temp fix.

This. Do it right or let someone who knows what he is doing.

 

[Tools4Me]

If I wanted to temporarily make something like that look nicer until I could fix it correctly, I would think more along the lines of painting the existing rust with a product like POR-15 (to keep it from getting worse) and then buying or making my own aluminum diamond plate rocker covers, drilling a few holes, and riveting them over the existing rusty rocker panels on both sides. That way you would have a temp fix that looks good, it would be pretty cheap and fast to do, and it would also be easy to remove when it's time to fix the rocker panel correctly. The diamond plate could even be painted red if you want everything to be body color.

 

[Jswain]

A can of expanding foam and some fiberglass strand bondo. Then paint

Sand down the paint on the rocker panel/remove anything loose. Spray the foam in and let it do it's thing, once fully cured cut it down to shape with a large bread knife. A few layers of the bondo w/ fiberglass strands, sand & paint.

 

[charbar]

A can of expanding foam and some fiberglass strand bondo. Then paint

Sand down the paint on the rocker panel/remove anything loose. Spray the foam in and let it do it's thing, once fully cured cut it down to shape with a large bread knife. A few layers of the bondo w/ fiberglass strands, sand & paint.

Had a buddy that did that to his old beater Mercury Comet. It looked fine for what it was. Only lasted a few years before it looked worse than it did before, but by that time it had already been parked to never see the light of day again.

There are some companies that make plastic 'covers' that will fit right over the old sheet metal and hide the rust. I've seen them advertised for lots of Chevy and Ford trucks. Not sure if any of them make something for a Jeep like that.

An actual patch panel that was half *** welded in/over that spot would probably be quicker/cheaper/easier than trying to cobble something together.

But as a few other have said-if you have the time and funds right now just do it right the first time. Anything half assed and cobbled in there now is just going to make it twice as bad to fix when you get around to doing it the right way.

 

[toolenthusiast]

The correct fix is much easier than the bodge you’re describing. There’s a Hack From Way Back on youtube who will show you various ways to fix this. Look up Lakeside Auto Body.

 

[2oolhound]

Not sure of your model/year but a common fix for the rock crawlers is to cut the whole front and bottom out and replace the whole thing with square tubing running the full length between the wheels. Saw a youtube video on this a while back. By cutting the front and bottom out you are left with the original back and top of the tube and there is a flap at the back wall that can be folded under the new tube to aid in welding it in.

 

[XJSuperman]

Just replace the rocker. It needs done. Rockers are cheap, and can be done in a weekend. If its really a clean GC, then do it and be done.

 

[Wolley]

Get a slip on rocker panel and screw or rivet it on.

 

[bradleyheathhays]

**** didn't even know there was a thing as slip rockers! Ugg yeah that would've been much easier and better looking. At least I know how to 'replace' it properly in a year when this all goes to ****.

Well here's where I am now. There's bent 1/8" diamond plate aluminum riveted in for support and this is what it looks like after two good layers of bondo. I'm gonna end up with more than the max 1/4" bondo recommendation but I don't guess that's a surprise to anyone.

Question now is...how do I go from the janky bondo section one the right to a paint ready rocker panel shape likes on the left.

I've got both rattle can color matched red and thick build primer on the way now.

 

[Shocker]

Good googley moogley.

 

[pizza]

Well here's where I am now.

hell yeah

 

[Big Bad Dad]

You do realize that Cherokee XJs are a unit body vehicle, and that the rocker is part of the structural strength of the vehicle?

 

[2ndGearRubber]

You do realize that Cherokee XJs are a unit body vehicle, and that the rocker is part of the structural strength of the vehicle?

Eh kinda. The inner rocker sure. The outer skin is some pretty thin sheet metal. I think you'd be hard pressed to find real world differences if you took two clean chassis, and just zipped the outer skin off one of the rockers

I'm sure that jeep has numerous areas with compromised structural strength. Based on that rocker panel. I'd be confident the inner rocker panels are looking rough.

 

[XJSuperman]

This thread gives me flashbacks of Jeep forum days. Someone comes on, asks how to fix their Jeep, the whole forums says to do "this", and the person then proceeds to do "that" instead. Then they come back asking how to fix or finish what they did.
While this still applies widely to this forum, the specific jeep topic here is what gets me.


First, you should have listened.
Second, you should have applied waaaay less bondo and made it kinda smooth when you applied it.
Third, seeing as coulda/shoulda/woulda is all past tense now, the HACK way of dealing with it now is to buy a store out of sand paper and get started scrubbing. Or get an orbital sander and a roll of discs. PPE is up to you. Someone else here will surely describe what you need there.

 

[JRC3]

Only one proper way to fix rusted rockers...

 

[jwilson645]

**** didn't even know there was a thing as slip rockers! Ugg yeah that would've been much easier and better looking. At least I know how to 'replace' it properly in a year when this all goes to ****.

Well here's where I am now. There's bent 1/8" diamond plate aluminum riveted in for support and this is what it looks like after two good layers of bondo. I'm gonna end up with more than the max 1/4" bondo recommendation but I don't guess that's a surprise to anyone.

Question now is...how do I go from the janky bondo section one the right to a paint ready rocker panel shape likes on the left.

I've got both rattle can color matched red and thick build primer on the way now.

Is there a cake under all that icing? WTF?

The only thing that filling rust with bondo does is hide the continuously growing rust. I would rather SEE rust hole than my whole damn rig break in half.

 

[m6z]

And now you've got a moisture trap..

 

[dougf]

Get yourself a can of fluid film, spray everywhere inside those rockers to prevent further corrosion, and replace when you have the means. Any recommendation to stuff something in there and bondo over will probably collect moisture and rust the inner rocker and make the situation worse.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Only one proper way to fix rusted rockers...

You need the BIG FILL version for a proper PA repair.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

You need the BIG FILL version for a proper PA repair.

Sounds good and was wondering if anyone makes duct tape in red. Otherwise, could use black to jazz it up a bit as a trim.

 

[JRC3]

Duct tape is only needed for the initial proper molding/forming of the foam.

 

[subroc]

How much does the rocker panel actually cost? $80.00? $100.00? Buy the panel.

 

[crewchief888]

How much does the rocker panel actually cost? $80.00? $100.00? Buy the panel.

check out quadratec

 

[ChefRex]

That is one of the worst "repair" attempts I've seen, not the worst but you're in the running.

 

[Wrench97]

Yep spray foam, cut and buff.

 

[jpaw]

I think he should spring for a professional closed cell job. It will finish much nicer.

 

[jpaw]

Probably gonna take a angle grinder to knock that down, then just keep cutting until the rust is gone and the new rocker fits.