yay! my rockers don't fit! - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

68_GMC_910 · 03-16-2003, 01:01 AM

LOL

so i ripped the driver's side apart today (first day of the year warm enough to work without freezing my arse off) to put the new panels on it and YAY! there seems to be a gap between where the rocker and the panel it should weld against... something like a 2"? gap almost right where the sill plate bolts onto. I was thinking this may be related to me taking the door off that side but i looked on the other side with the door still on and it looks like i'll have the same problem on that side.

the other problem seems to be one rocker is slightly smaller than the other... it seems to taper down...? there's definitely a difference in shape between the two rockers... weird. maybe someone just stepped on the little one and i just gotta bend it back?

oh, and i tried to take the rear bumper off today with a nice big impact wrench my dad got from work and much to my surprise, even with the help of a lot of WD40, the bolts holding the bumper on will not even turn a little. it's insane. i was worried this wrench was gonna rip my arms off (or at least cause some kind of pain or blood when it rips the bolt from the frame) but it seems to be really wimpy in the face of the mighty GMC 910... LOL, i mean really, really wimpy. it ain't got shi*t on those little bolts.

well, out comes the gas-axe i guess.

orange72 · 03-16-2003, 01:26 AM

or out comes the 1/2in wrench with a 4ft cheater bar on the end of it.

JHickson6 · 03-16-2003, 03:19 AM

Hey another Winnipegger, good to see, but I can't offer you much help for your rocker panel problem. Can i ask where you got them from?
Thanks Good Luck

Jared

bigvinnie · 03-16-2003, 03:59 AM

you shouldn't be having the fitment problems you describe... there seems to be a lot variance in the quality of replacement panels... I would see about returning these and finding better ones... the place I got mine from had cheap ones and expensive ones... I tried the cheap ones and then returned them for the expensive ones, big difference in fit...

Southpa · 03-16-2003, 04:21 AM

I think there are 2 kinds of rocker available, one is a partial which is welded to an intact sill plate area (outer edge) and the other is the full rocker that includes the whole top surface. Take it back and get the full one. Bumper? I managed to snap half the bolts getting mine off. A solid length of pipe on the ratchet handle usually gets things moving.

**COBALT** · 03-16-2003, 04:43 AM

Screw the 1/2" drive breaker. Go with the big-dog 3/4" drive. Heat the bolt up with a propane torch, and whack it a few times with your hammer, then put pressure on it. Repeat until the bastard moves...soak it with some lube first the night before and let it sit for a while (I wouldn't bother with WD-40. There's some WAY better alternatives, but I'm at a loss for names right now. Anyone else???).

For my trailing arm bolts I actually used my floor jack to push the handle up on one, and for the other I used a bottle jack to push the handle down. It was the only way I was going to get enough pressure (no leverage) to get them loose.

Good luck.

greasemonkey · 03-16-2003, 10:34 AM

Some people swear by PB Blaster (?) I've never tried it but it's supposed to break stuff loose.

TODDS 72 · 03-16-2003, 10:47 AM

PB Blaster is the best imo...and i've tried them all..but with bumper or frame bolts nothing beats the blue wrench.....lol

lunatic · 03-16-2003, 10:52 AM

I had the same problem taking my back bumper off,I cut them off with a grinding wheel....

*racedvl* · 03-16-2003, 10:59 AM

I had the same problem with my replacement rockers, and being I was 3 hours away from home to do them, and didn't wanna drive it around without rockers at all, I put them on, and the ends with the gaps look like hell. But I figure, I can go back and fix it later down the road.

68_GMC_910 · 03-16-2003, 12:55 PM

heh... i should have mentioned that the rockers came with the truck... they look pretty cheap. I totally can't return them...

well, I guess I could still use the big rocker on one side and get a new one for the driver's side.

Southpa · 03-16-2003, 04:42 PM

Another option is to weld a patch panel into the sill area and then weld the small rocker onto that. Or copy the full size rocker by fabricating and welding a patch onto the little rocker. Any clean scrap metal will do and the sill plate will cover any imperfections anyway.

03-16-2003, 01:01 AM	#1
68_GMC_910 what would Neal do? Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Posts: 150	yay! my rockers don't fit! LOL so i ripped the driver's side apart today (first day of the year warm enough to work without freezing my arse off) to put the new panels on it and YAY! there seems to be a gap between where the rocker and the panel it should weld against... something like a 2"? gap almost right where the sill plate bolts onto. I was thinking this may be related to me taking the door off that side but i looked on the other side with the door still on and it looks like i'll have the same problem on that side. the other problem seems to be one rocker is slightly smaller than the other... it seems to taper down...? there's definitely a difference in shape between the two rockers... weird. maybe someone just stepped on the little one and i just gotta bend it back? oh, and i tried to take the rear bumper off today with a nice big impact wrench my dad got from work and much to my surprise, even with the help of a lot of WD40, the bolts holding the bumper on will not even turn a little. it's insane. i was worried this wrench was gonna rip my arms off (or at least cause some kind of pain or blood when it rips the bolt from the frame) but it seems to be really wimpy in the face of the mighty GMC 910... LOL, i mean really, really wimpy. it ain't got shit on those little bolts. well, out comes the gas-axe i guess. __________________ 1968 GMC 910 Long Step 250/3onTree* 1969 Chevy C10 longfleet, 350/350

03-16-2003, 01:26 AM	#2
orange72 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: huntington,texas,united states Posts: 399	or out comes the 1/2in wrench with a 4ft cheater bar on the end of it. __________________ 1972 chevy long bed. Currently under construction!! Bagged, 383/700r4.

03-16-2003, 03:19 AM	#3
JHickson6 I Love This Stuff! Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Posts: 739	Hey another Winnipegger, good to see, but I can't offer you much help for your rocker panel problem. Can i ask where you got them from? Thanks Good Luck Jared __________________ My Rides 1967 C10 In Pieces for now 1985 Ford B700 SourPuss Bus - BIG BLUE 2003 Silverado CITY WORKER YELLOW!!

03-16-2003, 03:59 AM	#4
bigvinnie Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: escondido, ca 92026 Posts: 1,222	you shouldn't be having the fitment problems you describe... there seems to be a lot variance in the quality of replacement panels... I would see about returning these and finding better ones... the place I got mine from had cheap ones and expensive ones... I tried the cheap ones and then returned them for the expensive ones, big difference in fit... __________________ '72 short step, 350, 700R4, tilt, ps, pdb, a/c, lowered coils, etc., other work in progress... San Diego, CA 72 Stepside Project

03-16-2003, 04:21 AM	#5
Southpa Registered User Join Date: May 2000 Location: Victoria, BC, Canada Posts: 2,410	I think there are 2 kinds of rocker available, one is a partial which is welded to an intact sill plate area (outer edge) and the other is the full rocker that includes the whole top surface. Take it back and get the full one. Bumper? I managed to snap half the bolts getting mine off. A solid length of pipe on the ratchet handle usually gets things moving. __________________ 1970 GMC 1500 Custom Original 350/TH350 Victoria, BC, Canada You can wish in one hand and crap in the other. See which one gets filled first. Last edited by Southpa; 03-16-2003 at 04:26 AM.

03-16-2003, 04:43 AM	#6
COBALT Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Seattle, WA, USA Posts: 5,817	Screw the 1/2" drive breaker. Go with the big-dog 3/4" drive. Heat the bolt up with a propane torch, and whack it a few times with your hammer, then put pressure on it. Repeat until the bastard moves...soak it with some lube first the night before and let it sit for a while (I wouldn't bother with WD-40. There's some WAY better alternatives, but I'm at a loss for names right now. Anyone else???). For my trailing arm bolts I actually used my floor jack to push the handle up on one, and for the other I used a bottle jack to push the handle down. It was the only way I was going to get enough pressure (no leverage) to get them loose. Good luck. __________________ '69 3/4 ton C20 2wd-350ci/TH400 '69 3/4 ton Custom 20 2wd-350ci/4sp Manual '99 2wd 5.7 Chevy Tahoe Seattle, WA.

03-16-2003, 10:34 AM	#7
greasemonkey Registered User Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Pace, FL Posts: 2,155	Some people swear by PB Blaster (?) I've never tried it but it's supposed to break stuff loose. __________________ 1942 Master Deluxe 1969 C/10 1985 Blazer CUCV 1987 Jimmy 2004 Tahoe 2005 Silverado 1500 2005 Silverado 3500

03-16-2003, 10:47 AM	#8
TODDS 72 Not the nightly winner Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: CHARLEMONT MA.USA Posts: 763	PB Blaster is the best imo...and i've tried them all..but with bumper or frame bolts nothing beats the blue wrench.....lol __________________ 72C10SWB BLUE 350/350 86K10LWB BLUE 5.7 700r4 7.5' fisher plow 93S10XCAB4X4 BLUE 4.3 4L60e 69gmc c10 v8 3 on the tree yellow 72k10 swb 350 3 on the tree green 86k15 swb5.0L 4spd brown

03-16-2003, 10:52 AM	#9
lunatic Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: BC Posts: 929	I had the same problem taking my back bumper off,I cut them off with a grinding wheel....

03-16-2003, 10:59 AM	#10
racedvl Account Suspended Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Woodstock, IL Posts: 7,020	I had the same problem with my replacement rockers, and being I was 3 hours away from home to do them, and didn't wanna drive it around without rockers at all, I put them on, and the ends with the gaps look like hell. But I figure, I can go back and fix it later down the road.

03-16-2003, 12:55 PM	#11
68_GMC_910 what would Neal do? Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Posts: 150	heh... i should have mentioned that the rockers came with the truck... they look pretty cheap. I totally can't return them... well, I guess I could still use the big rocker on one side and get a new one for the driver's side. __________________ 1968 GMC 910 Long Step 250/3onTree 1969 Chevy C10 longfleet, 350/350

03-16-2003, 04:42 PM	#12
Southpa Registered User Join Date: May 2000 Location: Victoria, BC, Canada Posts: 2,410	Another option is to weld a patch panel into the sill area and then weld the small rocker onto that. Or copy the full size rocker by fabricating and welding a patch onto the little rocker. Any clean scrap metal will do and the sill plate will cover any imperfections anyway. __________________ 1970 GMC 1500 Custom Original 350/TH350 Victoria, BC, Canada You can wish in one hand and crap in the other. See which one gets filled first.

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