Need help finding rocker panels for my 01 sport

[Devan]

As im sure most of u know the rocker panels on most explorers b4 05 06 rust out bad. I have an 01 explorer sport 2 dr and im looking for official rocker panel replacements. Im not lookin for knock off slipons. I can find rocker panels for just about every kind of explorer except for the 01 to 03 2 door sports. The 01 to 03 2 door sports came with running boards from the factory and i havent seen any 01 to 03 sports on the road with the running boards still intact in like the last decade and if i did see one with running boards, they were pretty much rdy to just f pop off. Ive called junkyards down south like florida cali etc and either i couldnt find any in good shape or the junkyard didnt wanna ship body parts or they didnt want to cut it out from the vehicle like i wanted. I would want the rockers to be cut off at where the rockers meet the floor pan and to the bottom of the vertical door jambs. Ive also been thinkin about gettin sport trac rocker panel replacements which are readily available and modifying them to fit. I mean the sport tracs are identical to the sports from the front door foward. So if anybody can find me official rocker replacements whether they be brand new or from a junkyard and still in good shape id be willing to give tht person money just for finding them for me. Also does anybody know if the 96 to 2000 explorer sport 2dr rocker panels will fit the 01 to 03 sport tThat insight would be invaluable. Im also curious if rocker panels for the 96 to 2000 2 dr sports wuld fit. I think somebody told me they wuld but i dont see how.

Im sure alot of ppl wuld say just get another truck but i have hours on top of hours of modifications. Tbird m90 Supercharger with intercooler system and methanol injection, dual alternator, home made quad gauge pod, custom snow plow and custom built controller nd much more. It has 300 000 miles on the original motor and no ive never opened the motor up or removed the engine to take care of the timing drive but i did buy the truck with 160 000 on it so who really knows about the timing drive. I was a tech for a ford dealership for more then 3 yrs so i was able to lookup the warranty/repair history for my truck and nothing is said relating to the timing drive. Im pretty sure its original as well. And the motor is still running way strong.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’m pretty sure none are available for the Sport. This has been asked several times, and I don’t think anyone has ever sourced them. You’ll likely need to cut them off another truck, form them yourself, or box them in like a slider.

 

[Devan]

Yeah I figured it had been asked and mentioned quite a few times on this forum. And it's also just about impossible to find a donor 01 to 03 2dr sport that has rockers in good shape unless it's been garaged the last 17 years and even then if it has been garaged for the last 17 years it ain't no donor lol. but if I did find an 01 to 03 2dr sport for sale that had been garaged I'd probably buy it immediately if the Rockers were intact and I'd probably go across country for it if I had to as well.

But anyways I think I may have come up with a solution. I think I'm going to get official rocker panel replacements for the 4 door Sport Trac because the Sport Tracs are pretty much identical from the rear of the front doors forward. Then I would cut it down to size where I need it to be. Then I would buy the rear lower door jamb dog bones for an 01 sport and cut out all my rust and weld everything in place. If somebody can confirm that this is a viable solution please let me know immediately.

 

[Hacra]

Not sure, but are these what you are looking for?

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/ford,2001,explorer+sport,4.0l+v6,1366679,body,rocker+panel,1092

 

[Devan]

No those are just knock off slip on panels. I physically need the whole rocker panel because mine's completely rusted away. On these trucks there's like an inner middle and outer part of the rocker panel, those knock-off slip-on panels just cover the outer rocker panel to make it look nice. Slip-on Rockers are not a structural piece or anything like that. And then I would also have to go and drill holes in slipon rockers probably to get the plastic side skirts on properly. I've searched high and low all over the internet for official rocker panel replacements and I can find official rocker replacements for every kind of Explorer except the 01 to 03 2 door sports which really makes no sense because just about every 01 to 03 2 door sport has serious rust going on, on the rocker panels. I just don't understand why some body part companys dont make them cuz like I said just about every 01 to 03 2 door sport is prone to rust at the Rockers. so I'm sure if some body part companys out there made 01 to 03 sport official rocker panel replacements they be in high demand, probably more so than other kinds of explorers.

But anyway like I said in my previous post what I'm thinking about doing is getting official rocker panel replacements for the four-door Sport Trac and cut it down to where I need it to be and then I would buy the front door rear lower door jamb dog bones because they attach to the rear of the rocker panels. Based on the photos I've looked at I do believe this could work. But I'm really hoping that a bodywork guy that's very familiar with Sports and Sport Tracs could post to this thread and confirm for me if that is in fact a viable solution.