Help!!! Replacing my rocker panel and dog leg

[TravisC]

My driver side rocker panel and dog leg is just about completely gone. I need to get it fixed to pass inspection. Luckly I'm not driving it but my brother is and might be driving it to Missouri. He went to an auto body shop and got an estimate of over $1,000 without painting it . They said the labor was over $700, damn, I surely can't afford that. My brother said that there was something like 92 spot welds on it. Has anyone ever had any experience with replacing their rocker panel and/or dog leg. Is this too high of a price? Is there anyway of doing it myself?

I've searched for replacement rocker panels and stuff before, but does it come to where you have to form it or does it just get welded on? I know the rusted stuff has to be cut out but where does it get cut out at? I'll talk to my brother and have him take some pictures and post them of what it looks like. Any help would be MUCH appreciated.

Thanks,
Travis

 

[TravisC]

He started a thread also. Here's the link: Rocker Panel

 

[chris c]

i bought new dog legs and rockers from rustrepair.com

it was under $125 for all the parts if i recall correctly. all you need is someone with a little experience with a 110 welder. cut out the rust, trim the parts you recieved to just cover with slight overlap the area's you cut. spot weld it in.

so, yeah the price you got is crazy!!

 

[TravisC]

Originally posted by chris c
i bought new dog legs and rockers from rustrepair.com

it was under $125 for all the parts if i recall correctly. all you need is someone with a little experience with a 110 welder. cut out the rust, trim the parts you recieved to just cover with slight overlap the area's you cut. spot weld it in.

so, yeah the price you got is crazy!!

Thanks for the reply. I've check on prices for replacements and the prices aren't bad. The thing about replacing them is that on the bottom inside, where they are spot welded (I think) is almost completely gone. I think it's where the rocker panel and dog leg are attacked to whatever it is that they are attached to. Follow me? I'll try to get some pictures.

 

[TravisC]

Anyone know where I can get a rocker panel for a 2DR? Everything I've seen is for 4DR.

 

[chris c]

call rust repair.com

i just went there and saw the 4dr rockers. strange because when i did mine they only make 2dr rockers and i had to modify them to work. i see them listed still but no year next to them...

mine was pretty bad also. the rocker [the replacement] is pretty solid. just weld your dog leg in first and the the rocker. even if the inner lip is rusted away on your truck it will still hold solid. you are going to have welds holding the dog leg on and the rocker up front. you can always cut some scrap sheet metal and make tabs that extend up on the inner side to weld to some solid body.

 

[chris c]

part 40

http://www.rustrepair.com/app2/onlinecat.htm?p=sm-ford.pu-explorer.91

 

[TravisC]

Originally posted by chris c
part 40

http://www.rustrepair.com/app2/onlinecat.htm?p=sm-ford.pu-explorer.91

I don't know why I didn't see those, I looked right at part 40. The 4 DR dogleg will work won't it?

When you cut out the rust do you follow the weld inside the door? I see a weld along the bottom of the door seal. Just cut it out and how do you go about cutting it out behind the door? LIke where the door stops and it's your side panel? Just cut whatever the rocker replacement looks like? Thanks for the help.

 

[chris c]

i cut about 1/2" beyond the rust. so where there is rust just cut 1/4" to 1/2" past where the rust ends toward the good metal.

don't worry about the oem weld. wait till your rockers arrive and hold them up to the truck. cut away your rust and you might even be able to cut the replacement rocker down too.

when i ordered mine i thought it was weird. they sold the rockers for 2 door only and teh dog legs for 4 door only. i don't know how bad your rust is. you can buy the 4 door dog leg but will have to modify it quite a bit to make it work. you will need to cut the door jam area out of it and weld a piece of sheet metal in it's place.

i have some pictures of where cut / welded mine. i never painted it though [so don't laugh at my primer job] but i can e.mail you some picture tonight if you want...

teh paint is actually sitting in my dining room. i'll get to spraying one day lol!!!

 

[JoshC]

Sorry i didn't get any pictures for you Travis. If you have pictures chris, then email them to travis so we can see what you're talking about. I'll see about getting some pictures tomorrow for you so you can help us out some.

 

[chris c]

see if these pics link...

 

[MONMIX]

$700.00 labor is WAY too much.
That is about 17 hours of labor ( give or take )
Plan 1 look else where
plan 2 do it your self

 

[JoshC]

I thought that was to much labor. He said 6 hours labor for each rocker and like 2 per dog leg.

I'd like to try it myself, but i'm kind of afraid. I've never done body work, so i don't know.

 

[chris c]

Originally posted by JoshC
I thought that was to much labor. He said 6 hours labor for each rocker and like 2 per dog leg.

I'd like to try it myself, but i'm kind of afraid. I've never done body work, so i don't know.

ahahahaa...

i had the rust cut out and the rockers and dog legs welded in in just a few hours time. if your motivated, unlike me you can do the whole job down to the paint in a 8 hour day [being like me, not a body man by trade]. the times also call for mixing paint, paint flashover between coats, cleanup, etc.]

for all you guys thinking about doing it yourself, go for it. remember the lower rockers on the explorer have gravel guard on them. you can buy gravel guard and after you do your bodywork re-gravel guard them. it will look fine.

 

[JoshC]

We aren't even going to paint, we are going to Herc

I don't know, it's Travis's truck, so it's up to him.

 

[chris c]

seriously, if you are going to herc you can probably get away with just using metal epoxy to attach the dog leg and rockers. well, if you don't weld.

 

[TravisC]

I only need to replace on side. I'm thinking about trying to do it myself. It honestly can't get any worse . It's bad and it won't pass inspection so I've gotta get it done. Thanks for the pics and do you think you can email them to me? marshallshug@aol.com

Thanks

 

[TheRookie]

FYI thats not even 10 hours labor. Dependiong on the shop its between 7 and 10 hours on average. That is fair for the work involved. I did my dog legs like 6 months ago and it took forever. Welding metal that thin can also be a PITA

 

[JoshC]

Sorry i haven't gotten any pictures yet.

Yes i know welding that thin is tough, one reason i was shying away from this.

 

[MONMIX]

It the welder is set up correct there really is no biggie in welding thin metal.