Cleaning the front wheel well rocker panel through the door jam

[colinnwn]

For years I've been noticing that leaves are building up in that crack in the door jam behind the front wheel well rocker panel. Other than flicking it around with a stick I hadn't figured out a way to get them out.

 

Last weekend I discovered it had gotten a lot worse. It was full, and leaves had even disintegrated into soil. I'd been getting dampness in my driver floorboard and a drip half way up the door frame from the sunroof. I'm hoping this was caused by blocked drains in that rocker panel. Haven't had heavy rain to see if this fixed it yet.

 

But my FIL figured out the perfect tool to clean out the rocker panels. We took a 3/4 inch plastic electrical conduit 90 degree elbow, and taped it onto a strong shop vac. It sucked the leaves and soil right out of there, and the 90 degree bend ended up being ideal to swing around in the cracks to get everything out.

[oaky8]

I Just use a regular garden hose sprayer on a "jet" setting. Get in there through the open door and also from underneath there's a small drain hole that a water stream will fit in. Usually i do have to reach in and grab a few big whole leaves before it really cleans out. So maybe vac is better.

 

Remember to clean your sunroof drain lines too. I usually accomplish this with a length of bailing wire. It only goes in about 2 feet before hitting a block. That always works for me.

[colinnwn]

I was afraid of blowing water and mud all over my interior with a hose. I pulled out 5 large handfuls of compost and leaves from each side of mine.

 

Thanks for the tip on the underside drain hole. I have some nylon electrical fish tape I might try on the sunroof drains if it will fit. As I recall the top side entry is very small. I've gently blown them out with compressed air before. I assumed it was vinyl hose connected to a barb in the sunroof frame. You haven't had any trouble with the bailing wire poking a hole in the hose?

 

 

[oaky8]

Haven't had much problem with water getting on interior. A few tiny droplets on side of dash and on Door jambs, but no fabric/carpet/footwell got wet to the touch. Even when blowing water up from the bottom drain hole the mud and leaves generally just lift up and swirl around in the same space then flow out the bottom when i remove the water hose

 

Yeah top side holes are small, can be plugged with pinky finger easily. Air is probably easier, but I haven't had a compressor. Never felt like the wire even got stuck on the rubber hose. You get a little resistance if theres crud in there, and then you feel it just hits a solid dead end.

[Karmann]

That's a pretty creative solution, sounds like you got it figured out? I had to do the same when I first got my pathy- probably 8 lbs of dirt came out, and yet as far as I could tell it had never been off road, just rotting leaves got everywhere.

[01Pathmaker]

Crafty! Also easy to pull the few screws for the mud flap and fender liner, peel it back a bit and get it cleaned out during tire rotations.