Under rear seat rust, rocker rust ans rear wheel arch rust

[zack1978]

Hi everyone,

The floor boards under each of my rear seats are totally gone because of rust. Has anyone repaired that area? How did you do it? Were the results good? What about the rockers under the rear doors? And the rear wheel arch rust? Any ideas on the fix for each of those areas? I love my 1995 Path, and I am the orig owner but the fawking rust is killing me.

 

 

Zack

[adamzan]

Mine is starting under the rear seats but this spring I will be cutting out the rusted parts and putting in new steel. Just make sure It's sealed well so it doesn't leak.

 

My drivers rear door rocker is starting to get bad and I'm having a body shop fix it in the spring depending on funds. I'm not really experienced with body work so I'm leaving it to the pro's.

 

My frame is mint though, and I live in canada

[jj big shoe]

A good, cost effective way to repair rust is fiberglass. Total mess to work with especially upside down but it'll do the job and you'll never have to worry about rust coming back in that spot again.

Cut all the rusted metal out (1/8" to 1/4" into the "good" metal to be sure), make the repair and sand. Then tape a line above the repair and spray your rockers with bedliner.

If the rust is above the "kink" in the bodyline that runs the length of each side just above the door sill, you could make a mold from the other side of the truck by taping aluminum foil to the matching area and spreading one sheet of f'glass matt across it. When it sets you'll have a good patch that covers the hole on the other side of the truck to start with and build it from there.

[ILoveMyPatty]

What JJ said. I fixed my rocker panel rust with fibreglass and it looks pretty good. I'll get a before and after picture.

 

Pictures

 

Some time, chicken wire, dremel tool with cutoff disc and grinding disc, f'glass, f'glass body filler, and rust prevention paint.

Edited March 4, 2008 by ILoveMyPatty

[GrimGreg]

I fiberglassed my rocker, lasted 2 years then cracked out and rusted larger. Second time around I cut and formed new sheet metal and welded it in place then smoothed the area with normal body filler.

[Mr. Pickles]

Ditto the steel and welding. Fiberglas over a rust repair is a band aid in the long term. The rust may come back, most likely worse that before, and/or the fiberglas could crack, especially at a point where the body flexes. Sand/grind and properly prime and paint if possible if there is still solid metal, or replace it and/or have it done if you're worried about the long term. If the rest of the truck matches with rust, though, well... do what ya gotta do.

 

I'm getting ready to tackle the under-seat area, which will be cut out, new steel welded in, and primed and painted. I did the rockers about 4 years ago, but it was moderate surface rust. I wire wheeled and grinded it down, primed with a rust converter, and painted with a gold Rustoleum spray paint that was close enough to my paint color. All of the above was then covered by diamond plate, courtesy of an idea by 88Pathoffroad. My plating is the bed rails from a mid-90's Chevy S10 found on eBay for like $20 shipped, flipped upside down and cut as needed. Good luck!

 

(you can see them in this pic, a handy solution to avoid the finish body work- sorry, its dark outside right now!)

Edited March 5, 2008 by Mr. Pickles

[Kittamaru]

What JJ said. I fixed my rocker panel rust with fibreglass and it looks pretty good. I'll get a before and after picture.

 

Pictures

 

Some time, chicken wire, dremel tool with cutoff disc and grinding disc, f'glass, f'glass body filler, and rust prevention paint.

 

Can you do a quick write up on that? I'd love to do something like that... same cancer too