Expert: William Forster - 10/4/2006

Question

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Followup To

Question -
My 15 year old son and i are repairing a 79 chevy truck he saved money to buy. We sand blasted whole truck and have primered it we are in the process of repairing rocker panels where they meet the floor and hump for seat.have taken out outr rocker panel cut off part way up curve just 1 inch below where door hinges are didnt cut into support piece behind it trhe inner rocker piece is spot welded in 2 place up near front should i drill spot welds out completly through or just thickness of sheet metal? Or should we use air hammer to pop welds and also bend support plate then pound back straight? can send pictures of area if need to better show area.to another e-mail site if helps.sons advice.

Answer -
Use a spot weld cutter bit, and only try to drill thru the outter panel. Center punch the spot weld first, then use a 5/16 spot weld bit. I try to avoid using an air hammer to separate panels, it makes a mess. Sometimes, you just don't have a choice, I know. I put in plenty of these panels. It sounds like you are on the right track, Be sure to put plug welds back into the new rocker in the exact number that there were before, its very important for maintaining strength should the vehicle be wrecked. hope this helps! Bill helped a lot thanks for encouragement. shold i first put door back on hinge before finally welding panel in to place to test for correct fit should i maybe use a rivet gun to temp hold panel replacement pieces into place for thest and prior to welding.

Answer
Yes, absolutely DO put the door back on for final fitting. I personally like to use sheet metal screws to hold panels in place while fitting up, but rivets will work. Problem with rivets is, if you want to re position the panel, they have to be drilled out. Also, if you use rivets, be sure to remove them once the job is all welded up ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE ALLUMINUM!! Alluminum causes corrosion when coupled to steel. Also, take your time when welding this up. Excessive heat will distort the metal, and pull the panels out of allignment. Bounce around with the welds, and let the panel cool off after every 3 or 4 plug welds. Only run a seam weld a half inch at a time on sheet metal. Follow this advice, and you will do great. I have to put rockers and cab corners in my 84 Chevy step side, so I have the exact same project ahead of me! Now, get out there, and get her done. It's getting late, and winter's coming. Hope this helps. Bill