Fixing Bedside Rust

[ryans69chevy]

Not sure if this belongs in the paint/bodywork side or here.

I just recently bought an 01 Sierra it looks pretty clean except for the bedside quarters above the wheels. I now understand why they make fender flares! Curious what you guys have been doing to repair this issue as it seems to be a common problem on these types of trucks.

One body shop I called said they haven't had good luck with the patch panel that is available since it causes rust to come back within the year in some cases. So they said to find a better box or else they would replace the whole bedside. This would be more than what I would want to spend on it.

The other body shop I called said they would prob just end using the patch panel, but they would most likely glue it to avoid the heat of the weld. This would be cheaper of the two.

What have you guys been doing to fix this issue?

[ryans69chevy]

Here is the rust issue, it is the same on both sides...

[ryans69chevy]

Maybe this needs to be moved to the paint and bodywork section? Might be a better spot for it.

[Flying Hamster]

Paint and body is probably the right section, but that being said, the rust that you see looks like rust-through from the back. What you see on the outside is only a small part of the rust. When it does get fixed, it will need to be cut back further to make sure all the rust is gone. Patch panels shouldn't be a big deal, whether welded or bonded. As far as rust returning, getting all the rust and then sealing/painting the back as well as the front should stop the rust.

[ryans69chevy]

Interesting... I think one of the body shops told me that too that it was coming from the back. Thanks for the input. Wondering if anyone else has used the patch panels and how it went...

[KP Jon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj8p5upXHfU