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*LILRED66* · 11-25-2008, 09:46 PM

Brace the door openings and remove both rockers...if one side is that bad, then chances are the other one is not far behind, not to mention, if you are doing a complete resto of your cab, it would be better to have two new rockers.

After the door openings are braced, to maintain structural integrity, size and shape, remove the rockers by locating the spot welds, hit with a center-punch and drill out with a spotweld cutter or a twist drill.

After both rockers are removed, the sandblasting will remove all surface rust that tends to reside inside the rocker panel cavity. My sandblaster always applies a good coat of primer on all bare metal surfaces, unless I ask him not to (if the part is going to be powder-coated). By doing so, you are preserving the integrity of the inner rocker panel or replacing it, if necessary.

If there is other rust damaged sheetmetal in the cab, brace and remove it before sending the cab to the sandblaster. Upon return, you will have a birds-eye view of the usual problem areas and well on your way to repairing them.

Good luck with your project and keep us posted with pictures of your progress.

11-25-2008, 09:46 PM	#15
LILRED66 Account Suspended Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kansas City, KS Posts: 3,906	Re: whats first!!!!! Brace the door openings and remove both rockers...if one side is that bad, then chances are the other one is not far behind, not to mention, if you are doing a complete resto of your cab, it would be better to have two new rockers. After the door openings are braced, to maintain structural integrity, size and shape, remove the rockers by locating the spot welds, hit with a center-punch and drill out with a spotweld cutter or a twist drill. After both rockers are removed, the sandblasting will remove all surface rust that tends to reside inside the rocker panel cavity. My sandblaster always applies a good coat of primer on all bare metal surfaces, unless I ask him not to (if the part is going to be powder-coated). By doing so, you are preserving the integrity of the inner rocker panel or replacing it, if necessary. If there is other rust damaged sheetmetal in the cab, brace and remove it before sending the cab to the sandblaster. Upon return, you will have a birds-eye view of the usual problem areas and well on your way to repairing them. Good luck with your project and keep us posted with pictures of your progress.