How To Fix A Rusted Old Rocker For Less Than $100!

This is how I repaired the rusted out rocker panels on our 1996 Toyota 4Runner, and we did it as cheap as possible. I had all the supplies in my shop to do it for free, but all supplies can be found for under $100 if you are following along at home!
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[@JBizzle822]

The flat rocker panels actually look really cool.

[@DirtGarage]

Thanks!

[@jsvallee567]

i bought rocker panel for a 1990 to 95 toyota pickup to fit on my 2001 tacoma it did the job pretty good but next time i'll do it the same way you just did way easier and it look's great !

[@DirtGarage]

Nice! I figured if I could not get the correct one I would just make something else if I had to mess around anyways.

[@seanfrank4158]

One thing I might suggest is when welding, just do a couple of tacks in one particular area then move on to a completely different area. That way you're not dumping too much heat into one spot.

[@fishhuntadventure]

But you dump a lot of wavy warping into it if you don’t weld in progression

[@tj_offroad]

As a respiratory therapist, for the love of god, please use a mask or respiratory when grinding, sanding etc. You are doing long term cumulative damage to your lungs that is gonna bring issues down the line. Stay safe man.

[@spannersautoandcomputerser1649]

at a minimum, wear the stupid COVID masks. N95 is best for particulates like sanding and such. Even the doctor masks are better than nothing

[@BadDad420]

Agreed. It is common in the car community to not use ppe in their grinding, painting, welding ect

[@marcdewey1242]

Yeah,my uncle worked more than forty years in a metal shop and wound up with severe scar tissue in his lungs after breathing dust from metal grinding.

[@josholdaker8684]

When you're rockin' a mullet and a gunship tshirt, you don't need safety equipment. That would defeat the whole experience.

[@asderocher]

Thanks for this video! Just got myself an obs k1500 and the rockers and cab corners are nonexistent, this gave me hope. Will be doing some sheet metal work soon 🙌

[@hv4285]

Nice job once again man! I have single garage and i live on a gravel dusty road so I used to complain and whine about working outside during the rai ny Oregon fall & winter. But I stopped all that after seeing how much you can accomplish in your videos while having fun. Thanks man keep it up 🤙

[@jamieforrester7108]

for next time if you want a curved piece you can always just bend it around a chunk of drain pipe to add that curve. Also after the wire brushing the inside hit it with some rust converter and then the primer and it should help things last longer. Beyond that it turned out great

[@DirtGarage]

Yeah I was out of POR15 or I would have done it! I'm gonna spray a bunch of fluid film in every once in a while from now on to help.

[@fishhuntadventure]

Rust converter is different than POR15 “Extend” or the rustoleum Rust Reformer is what he meant.

[@nulcable]

Wow it came out great! Nice job! Sanding bondo, that dust is hard on the lungs. Glad you did that outside.

[@jerrychan1471]

You make it look so easy

[@MCgrease08]

I recently picked up a '97. Same color as yours. Same rusted out rocker panels. At the start of the video I thought, this looks way beyond my skill level, but you made it look pretty easy. I might have to try something similar. But first I have lots of rust underneath the truck and on the frame that has to be addressed.

[@marcdewey1242]

I have a 2001 Chevy tracker zr2 with rust on both rocker panels but not quite as bad as your fourrunner. I've just been checking out different videos to get some pointers on how to fix mine,l.

[@CB-hr6zs]

Man your the king of resourcefulness u make do with what you got and pretty much anything and then u create something out of scraps amazing work love the content keep it coming can’t wait till this 4Runner is fully complete

[@spannersautoandcomputerser1649]

Did the same thing with a 1990 Isuzu Trooper due to same situtation and it looked good honestly. Did as many spot welds as I could, then layed coat of 3m Panel bond to seal it up.

[@mikejensen-fogt4662]

rust repair is my lease favorite thing to do for work lol... looks great man!!! 👍👍👍

[@cmac956]

Hi , great job ,I like the way you just go after what your working on , its fun to watch .

[@eulalio02]

Good video. You make it look doable for many of us beginners. Definitely saving this video for future reference.

[@nemesis851_]

Like the time lapse format with breaks

[@randyjohnson3712]

looks good. You might try using a filter mask when welding and grinding. Other then that good work and all that with a flux core 110V machine.

[@fishhuntadventure]

Crap! I’m pretty good at this stuff but dang I use a mig (gas wire feed). It’s way too touchy and time consuming to use fluxcore imho

[@billymunroe-williamson8840]

My dad needs this done on his 3rd gen

[@adrianjay1972]

Nice work! Great content and videos man! Cheers from Vancouver Island!

[@zackeryeckenrod6549]

Eastwood makes a product called internal frame coating you could drill holes in the backside and use that frame coating it works great iv used on jeeps an my 4runners and they have plug kits also thanx.

[@danlboot2047]

Hello Dirt garage, I follow you from New Caledonia and I ask you for help. I have a 1989 toyota pickup with a 3vze engine like you before all your swaps. I wanted to rebuild it but the mechanic lost the oil dipstick as well as the tube and the iron plate behind the transmission belt where the pulley passes. So I want to know if you know a site where I can order this because it cannot be found on my island. Thank you for taking the time to read me.

[@MarieArak]

Well, now i´m convinced that i can fix my own rocker panels myself, since it is pretty hard to find rocker panels for my car, and letting someone do it for me is gonna cost around 1k, but now i surely will give it a try, thank you!

[@Gunnl]

please don't 'seal off the rust' ... just fix it proper...

[@Gunnl]

... and use weldable primer in the areas where you are welding ... otherwise rust will come back again, particularly in the sill/rockers areas...

[@Goofygoobers5672]

I need to do this on my truck and have you seen the crazy prices Home Depot is selling scrap steel for.

[@jfloydsea]

Rockers look great! Shop cat’s name is Phoenix? Love it when he has a cameo!

[@DirtGarage]

Yes sir! I figured I'd let you guys know his name on this video haha

[@lucastheriault2787]

Great job bro!!!

[@vb1gbg]

Fun stuff! I'm assuming you don't live in a state with vehicle inspections. The mechanics here in Virginia like to fail vehicles with any rust on the other side of that rocker panel. Well, I guess it depends on if they are having a bad day, you're not a friend or kin, or the coil landed on heads instead of tails. Owning a 3rd gen is not easy here.

[@AaronW315]

We do vehicle inspections in NY. But rusted rockers are a feature here. 😂 passes

[@chrishippeli287]

great video, can't wait to see the finished product out wheeling but really enjoying the build! Are you self taught on the welder? I've been wanting to start

[@michaelcook184]

Vgg would be proud nice job

[@Walkeranz]

Nice work, looks great

[@DirtGarage]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@drewfleming7065]

You need to save your fingers and try using a circular saw with a metal blade to make those long straight cuts, its like a upside down table saw, clamp a edge to run the saw against and you get a really straight cut, safely....also a rust neutralizer works much better then primer....I do think it looks better after your fix design wise....

[@masonpugh3637]

Great job takes time to think and fabrication idea work great 👍 👌

[@BadDad420]

I was looking for a solution to my isssue with my rockers. Love the car to death but that body work $ was scaring me away from it. This is totally managable.

[@nemesis851_]

Lol “flapper wheel time” Thanks for that clarification 😅

[@denas123]

Nice job 👏 which part of Canada 🇨🇦 are you from? The amount of salt they they throw down in Toronto... I may as well of made a truck out of fiberglass

[@atoyotpromod]

Some good wheelin trips all that work those will be caved in.......sliders commin next???? . .

[@DirtGarage]

Sliders are coming!

[@tonygSDWR]

Great video, love your cat!

[@roadsafeties-wg6hi]

Did you think about Adhesive Foam and fill , bondo fill with fiber glass then sand down and all?

[@DirtGarage]

Nope. That's a bandaid fix that just causes more issues later

[@jayrazz8499]

What wire are you welding with?? No gas?? Great video & great work 👍

[@DirtGarage]

Flux core. So no gas

[@michaelwinter9733]

Love your style. Want to do both of my 4runners in Iowa?

[@DirtGarage]

Thanks! And no thank you.. Took me 4 days to just do mine haha

[@mikehopping8059]

Looks great buddy 👍!

[@DirtGarage]

Thanks 👍

[@donaldberneche8860]

Très beau travail 👍👍👍🙂😉

[@ChiNguyen-wf1qt]

What guage sheet metal you are using

[@shaunmilor]

very impressed good work

[@DirtGarage]

Thank you very much!

[@CB-hr6zs]

Shop lion approves

[@clayton203]

What state or providence has the best trial riding or road riding in or close to the Rockies, I know nothing about riding this roads up there, and is there a get together of sorts where people form a group like you guys do going out or is it a loner type thing Would like to go up there and burn some gas up

[@andrewhall5899]

Very good

[@PhatboyHD88]

The only problem i see with the repair is you dont have any vents/drains cut in the bottom of the rockers. See condensation Will form inside of the rockers ,and will need a place to vent/ drain. Or it will build up inside and make quick work of rusting out both the inner and outer rockers.. just cut like 3 , one inch slits in the lowest points of the rocker so the moisture can escape . Also this way you can spray the inside of the rockers with fluid film with the use of a wand which will greatly increase the longevity of your repair👍

[@briizcustoms9543]

My f150 rockers are rusted to hell but some is still left. where should i put drain holes?

[@PhatboyHD88]

@@briizcustoms9543 of there is rust holes in the rockers already there is no sense in drilling holes . All you can do now is try to clean out inside the rockers from salt and dirt , then heavily spray a coating like fluid film inside the rocker , to slow down the rust a bit.

[@briizcustoms9543]

@@PhatboyHD88 I will do that, and there are no holes just chipping and uneven exactly like in the video.

[@aa_ron84]

Best hair award goes to Dirt Garage

[@DirtGarage]

Thanks!

[@RomanBuchok]

Don't bother with safety glasses. It'll probably be fine.

[@BigDub24]

Rip your lungs 🙏🏽🕊️

[@billymunroe-williamson8840]

First😎

[@DirtGarage]

Nice!!