Rocker panel replacement question

[larryd]

I am restoring a 1/2 ton SWB 78 GMC. I have the new doors on and have the rocker lined up with clamps on my driver side. My question is how to attach the front portion of the rocker to the cab's front post?. I have good metal about 4" below the bottom of the lower hinge. I have a manual metal crimper that I am trying to get a crimped line at the bottom of the cab post, the steel there is sorta thick and I do not know how to handle the corners on the post area for crimping. If crimping is the way to go, can I cut a line at the corners or bends so the crimps don't distort?. I would think a simple butt weld would not be strong enough. I also thought about taking spare steel and making tabs and hole welding them to the cab's lower post are and then attach the rocker section flush with the end of the post and hole weld the rocker to the lower tab section and weld it as a butt weld. I tried to attach the picture of the area that I'm working on but its too large.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks for your time.

[Donut]

I tried doing a search, but for some reason it wasn't working for me.

Check this thread ton's of info http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php/topic,5661.0.html

[Blazin]

I don't crimp them. I just over lap them about an 1/8" maybe a 1/4".

[larryd]

Donut thanks for the link.

Blazin, you mean to take the new rocker and place it over the cab metal and put in screws to check the alignment then weld?. And I see some folks put in the cab support with the floor panel off.
You mentioned that the front of the cab will sag. How can you tell if this has happened?. My new door seems to have a decent gap around the door frame.

[Blazin]

Yes I over lap the new panel but only by a little bit, just enough to put screws in.
The cab sag thing is best to tell before it gets torn apart. Sometimes a tell tale sign is if there are a bunch of washers stacked up under the door stricker. If your door line up looks good it probably is okay. How bad was it rotted? They have to be pretty rusted to start sagging!  Can you post pics?

[larryd]

The cab isn't real bad and my rocker had been replaced before but I don't think it was a whole rocker section that was applied.
I tried to post a picture but the picture was too large. I will try to fix that and post it later.