Removing Running Boards: How do I fill holes without welding?

I'm now convinced that the stock running boards on my 2000 Mounty were put there by the Dockers slack company and 1 Hour Martinizing dry cleaners in order to ruin my pants!

So, off they come!

Question: How do I fill the resulting holes in the rocker panel to prevent moisture from getting in? Rubber plugs? Plastic fasteners? Plastic inserts and screws?

I'm going to paint the area black to make the car look lower, so black rubber plugs of some sort would be ok with me.

Ideas?

Thanks,

Gerard

 

[jtmx101]

the right way to do it is have someone weld up the holes and grind them down, then either bedline it or sling some bondo, but you dont want to have the bondo any more than 1/4in thick

 

[Axial32]

If you use the bondo with the metal tape the bondo is less likely to crack that's why my instructor would tell the quick trick... with the bondo you can sand it and get it perfectly smooth and you could paint it to match.

 

[soon2bsick]

Took my running boards off today, Take a look:

Post #20


http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2380024#post2380024

 

[red.EDDIE.4x4]

i have the same deal with the holes and junk. i vote that if you have access to a welder then just weld them up. ill be welding mine in a few days when it gets warmer outside and fixing some rust issues as well. good luck!

 

[torinoscj429]

Some Explorers have a smaller rocker cover. My Mounty is a 2000. Do the smaller ones fit, and if so what years are they?

Thanks,

Gerard

Are they called "side skirts"? If so, that's what I need to replace my steps!

Do they attach to the holes left by the steps?

Gerard

 

[voss24]

I took my running boards off, no rust at all (FLORIDA!)

I went at the body with a brillo pad straight across, only up to the door from wheel to wheel. Primed and painted flat black.

Then filled all the holes with pins and black sealer. Looks good, cant even notice the black pins. I think it makes me look a little higher with the black paint too

 

[reallychelseawow]

I did mine with fibreglass and sanded that down, then a layer of bondo, sand and paint. I covered mine with spray rubberized guard and painted over it. Looks great and has held up amazing.

 

[Curtis]

You could do the opposite of what I did when I added running boards.

The small flares that were on my explorer had the exact same holes that matched up with the running boards. So you should be able to put the smaller flares on to cover the holes.

You just do the reverse.
I have the smaller flares just sitting out by the side of my house that you could have.... but shipping something that long would cost a bundle. Im sure you should be able to find a set locally for pretty darn cheap.
I paid $15/side for the running boards at a u-pull yard.

If you have a u-pull yard close, you could take off the small flares / side skirts with just a Phillips screw in each wheel well, and then pull them off, no other tools needed.

My Before

My After

 

[Curtis]

Are they called "side skirts"? If so, that's what I need to replace my steps!

Do they attach to the holes left by the steps?

Gerard

Yes the running boards and "skirts" use the exact same holes. See my post directly above this one

 

[Jaymez]

Sorry for the thread bump, but, holy hell do you guys give some bad advice when it comes to body work!

The RIGHT way to fix those holes would be to weld them shut. There really is no alternative. You don't use metal tape and bondo to patch holes. That's some hack-ass backyard BS that gives the hobby a bad name.

You ESPECIALLY do not bondo rocker holes. Bondo absorbs water like a sponge. Even if you put metal tape behind the bondo so it it was "sealed", metal tape is nothing but ever-so-slightly-thicker tin foil that can tear at any moment.

The OP mentioned wanting to keep the holes in place in case a buyer for the truck wanted to reattach the boards. That's fine, especially being in California. Dab a little paint inside each hole to seal up any bare metal and use friction plugs/Christmas Tree plugs, similar to the clips that hold most door panels and fan shrouds in place. You MIGHT consider adding a dab of silicone to each plug to hold it in place and prevent vibrations from rubbing more paint off.

 

[BrianDye]

Not trying to be an ass, but read the title man,

"Removing Running Boards: How do I fill holes without welding?"

Obviously welding would be the single best way to fill them in the right way, but not everyone has access to a welder, or could afford to pay someone todo the work, OR maybe he just didnt want to put that much work into it.

 

[Jaymez]

Not trying to be an ass, but read the title man,

"Removing Running Boards: How do I fill holes without welding?"

Obviously welding would be the single best way to fill them in the right way, but not everyone has access to a welder, or could afford to pay someone todo the work, OR maybe he just didnt want to put that much work into it.

The OP also said he was not looking for a permanent fix. He wanted to cover the holes, but, key them in case a buyer wanted to reattach the boards.

Sorry. Advising to use bondo and metal tape just screams hack in my world and I'm nowhere near a perfectionist. However, I do believe if you're going to do something, it should be done right the first time. I'll keep my mouth shut from now on.

 

[celly]

I'll keep my mouth shut from now on.

Don't. I agree with your assessment.

 

[sean99]

Sorry for the thread bump, but, holy hell do you guys give some bad advice when it comes to body work!

The RIGHT way to fix those holes would be to weld them shut. There really is no alternative. You don't use metal tape and bondo to patch holes. That's some hack-ass backyard BS that gives the hobby a bad name.

You ESPECIALLY do not bondo rocker holes. Bondo absorbs water like a sponge. Even if you put metal tape behind the bondo so it it was "sealed", metal tape is nothing but ever-so-slightly-thicker tin foil that can tear at any moment.

The OP mentioned wanting to keep the holes in place in case a buyer for the truck wanted to reattach the boards. That's fine, especially being in California. Dab a little paint inside each hole to seal up any bare metal and use friction plugs/Christmas Tree plugs, similar to the clips that hold most door panels and fan shrouds in place. You MIGHT consider adding a dab of silicone to each plug to hold it in place and prevent vibrations from rubbing more paint off.

Good advice...a little harsh

 

[Curtis]

Good advice...a little harsh

yes, it is good advice.. but harsh way to put it... alot of guys in this hobby just dont have the "expert tools" or money to do it the ideal way, so we come up with work arounds.

Ideally, if the holes are to be maintained, find a set of skirts from an Explorer that didn't have running boards, and snap'em in place. Uses all the same holes.

 

[sean99]

yes, it is good advice.. but harsh way to put it... alot of guys in this hobby just dont have the "expert tools" or money to do it the ideal way, so we come up with work arounds.

Ideally, if the holes are to be maintained, find a set of skirts from an Explorer that didn't have running boards, and snap'em in place. Uses all the same holes.

I would go with the skirts too. Time to ship him your old ones

 

[Jaymez]

alot of guys in this hobby just dont have the "expert tools" or money to do it the ideal way, so we come up with work arounds.

What grabbed my attention in this thread and other running board threads is that the work around will often cause more problems for the truck than not addressing the issue at all will cause.

Not only will the bondo or expansion foam absorb water which can accelerate rust, but, Explorers are already notorious for having their rockers and dog legs rot out. It's been a few years since I last did body work, but, rotten Explorer rockers were almost as common as rotten Toyota during the 90's model years.

Maybe the guy looking to cover the holes will sell his truck before the rust gets out of control, but, the guy who buys it is gonna be pissed and just might swear off theses trucks.

 

[Axial32]

Sorry for the thread bump, but, holy hell do you guys give some bad advice when it comes to body work!

The RIGHT way to fix those holes would be to weld them shut. There really is no alternative. You don't use metal tape and bondo to patch holes. That's some hack-ass backyard BS that gives the hobby a bad name.

You ESPECIALLY do not bondo rocker holes. Bondo absorbs water like a sponge. Even if you put metal tape behind the bondo so it it was "sealed", metal tape is nothing but ever-so-slightly-thicker tin foil that can tear at any moment.

The OP mentioned wanting to keep the holes in place in case a buyer for the truck wanted to reattach the boards. That's fine, especially being in California. Dab a little paint inside each hole to seal up any bare metal and use friction plugs/Christmas Tree plugs, similar to the clips that hold most door panels and fan shrouds in place. You MIGHT consider adding a dab of silicone to each plug to hold it in place and prevent vibrations from rubbing more paint off.

He never said to not tell him the quick easy(hack) way to do it... it was just an option. I personally wouldn't have done it that way... I know it's not the PROPER way to do it... And I do know what I'm talking about since I'm going through auto collision coarse right now to get my ICAR points and all the OFFICIAL training...

The metal tape and bondo does work, and works better than what you're saying.. I've used it on a rockers and quarters on our beater dune truck, and went through everything at Silverlake and never had any problems...

If you actually think about all that's put on besides the tape and bondo... The tape covers the holes both front and back, then a thin layer of bondo of the front, then the normal primer/primersealer, then the paint then clear, so the bondo(plastic filler) is completely seperated from elements...

So don't jump down my case for the easy way(without a welder) for doing this just because you don't agree with it.