Inner Rocker Panel Question

[JJSZABO]

I've started to replace the rockers on the 86 C-10 and have a question concerning the inner rockers.  I understand how the factory made the inner and outer rockers but am confused on the replacement inner rocker.  Please see:



Does the horizontal piece support the replacement floor pan?

Is the back vertical piece make up the pinch weld or is it part of the raised seat section?

Sorry for the stupid questions but I want to do this right the first time.

I think this is the way it goes - yes?!?




Thanks for looking,

Jeff

[JJSZABO]

Update:

Here is where I am right now:





Front of rocker completely removed - Metal good just rusty - Need to sand blast:



Cab supports are solid, just rusty - need to sand blast:



All rotten metal removed from driver side - ready to sand blast:



What do you think?  Any advice?

Thanks for looking,

Jeff

[Blazin]

Been there done that a few hundred times!
 in the pics you have it clamped in the correct position etc.
First off, keep in mind that your a pillar / door post is not supported. You might have to jack it up as they tend to drop when the rust mongers are cut away. I have had them drop as much as a 1/2 inch.
 Second finish cutting off the outer rocker. Leave the inner rocker / floor part under it.
 Screw it all together including the outer rocker, then mount the door, use the roof and cab corner as a guide, make sure the rocker line is good gap wise and flush with the door the whole length of it. Make sure the door doesn't rub on the rocker when its closed.  DO NOT weld anything until you make all the adjust ments. I use hex head 5/16 self drilling screws to hold it all together. If things don't fit good you can unscrew and adjust.
 Something else I do is tack weld the cab mount bolt nut in. The sheet metal cage that holds it from spinning some times gives it up. I also replace the flat part which covers the mount nut and ties the rocker / floor support to the cab mount with a piece of thick sheet metal. This give you something to plug weld the floor down to.

 Here are some floor panel pics.
Before.

Looking up from the bottom. Notice the plug welds all along the floor suports etc. I get it fit good then trace around the suports for a guide to drilling the plug weld holes.

The top side of the floor.'

Screwed in place.

Rocker pics.

The end toward the cab in the pic is the front. What is facing the camera is the top of the outer rocker. You see I have plug weld holes in it to weld it down to the inner rocker.

You see the plug weld holes on the bottom lip to weld to the inner rocker?

 in that pic I have it screwed into place.
Same goes for the cab corner, in the pic notice the plug weld holes.

Dont drill down to far on the front edge of the corner, its a pain the grind the weld down close to the rocker.

Checking the door fit here.

All welded up.

Drivers side welded up, and getting the once over from the boss!

Primed and seam sealed.

[JJSZABO]

Blazin you are the man!   I hope someday I can repay you for all the great advice.  If you ever find your way to Maryland, look me up - I owe you a cold one.

I just ordered foot well patches.  As I was cutting away the rot, I noticed the rust had migrated through the foot well area also.  So I will wait for those to arrive before I start to put thing back together.

Thanks again for being patient with me.

Jeff

[Blazin]

Maryland huh. My father grew up in Baltimore, during the depression. He told me about as a kid grown men would try and steal his groceries on the street car. He would have to fight them to keep them. I guess thats what made him a tough SOB.
 My aunt still lives on the outskirts of Baltimore.

[JJSZABO]

I am actually from west central Maryland - Frederick.  But originally from the Pittsburgh, Pa Area.  Moved to Maryland in the early eighties to attend the University of Maryland and never left.

[Blazin]

I don't know the state at all. Last time I went through that neck of the woods was about 6 years ago. I called my aunt and told her I was about three hours south of her and heading north. She told me she wasn't up to any company! She has MS, but it had been about 12 years since I had seen here last. Oh well my father was never close with her or his brother.
 Keep us posted on your project.

[Mr79C10]

GREAT post! I might need to be doing this, Ill post my pics soon for advice

[JJSZABO]

Update Time - Finally had time to work on the drivers side rot - rocker, both inner and outer, floor pan, cab corner, and foot well.

From the pictures above - you can see the before, now the after:

After Grinding:




Still need some bondo work around cab corner:




Need to let the seam sealer dry so I can sand and epoxy:


Thanks for looking....

Jeff

[Blazin]

Looks pretty good, floor has a nice tight looking fit. Is the bottom of your outer cab corner welded yet? Its a bit out of whack with the rocker is all. You've had your door on and checked it doesn't scrape the rocker or it line up good?

[JJSZABO]

Blazin - thanks for looking.

Had the door on before I started to weld and after spot welding - fits good.  I am using junk yard doors that I got off a suburban - so, for the initial fitting they didn't rub.  I also replaced the pins and bushing on all my door hinges which helped with the door placement.

I just couldn't get the bottom of the of the cab corner to match up real well. It was a b**ch just to get it to fit as well as you see.  (Is the bottom of your outer cab corner welded yet?) - I didn't know it was supposed to be welded.  I'll go back and see if I can weld it - THANKS for the advice.

I figured for this being my first time at real body work, and this is for my son to use as a daily driver, and the bottom of the cab corner is low on the truck I could live with it being out of whack (but the perfectionist in me is telling me to try and fix it).

Oh by the way, I did spot weld the bottom of the outer rocker to the inner rocker - I just missed the cab corner.

Thanks for all your help - I'll post more pictures when I finish the passenger side.  I have to replace a small portion of the floor and the cab corner.

Jeff

[Blazin]

I drill holes and plug / spot weld the bottom of the outer cab corner the same as the rocker.You could trim it strait to the rocker rand then re bend the little lip on the bottom edge. Might not be perfect to the rocker but from a distance it would not look so out of whack.

[Captkaos]

Looks good, Just a question, but could you not get the bottom of the cab corner up level with the rocker?

[JJSZABO]

Captkaos - yes, I could not get the cabcorner up level with the rocker for two reasons:  When I first bought the truck it was missing the drivers side cab corner (see picture below) and though it is hard to see in the picture, the bottom of the inner cab corner was pushed in towards the frame.  I had to do some hammer and dolley work to get it close. 



The second reason, I had the passanger side to compare it to and the passenger side was not pushed up even with the rocker panel, thus I thought it was "normal".  Although, this past weekend I found out why - someone had replaced that cab corner with a slip on cab corner and left the original rotted metal underneith - see picture below




Also, I was not aware I was supposed to weld the bottom of the outer cab corner to the bottom of the rocker/inner cab corner.  Blazin has been a GREAT help through all of this. 

I used vise grips to hold the bottom of the cab corner to the inner cab corner and it looks better, but still is below the replaced rocker.  The perfectionist is telling me to use Blazin's method to fix the problem.

I hope you understood all of this - sometimes I feel like a blind mouse trying to navigate a maze. 

Jeff

[123 pugsy]

Excellent job and pics.