is this a bad idea? out of necessity i had to cut out my passenger side rockers because the rust was getting out of hand.

for now it works fine, but i was wondering if it's a bad idea to keep it this way for the winter? sadly the person that wanted to help me weld in 2x6 doesn't seem to be available for the time being.

you can see the interior trim screws and other various holes inside that area, but given that i hose down the rockers and floors every time i get home (i have access to an interior garage where i usually wash off the snow/salt build up), am i doing more damage or i can get away with it for 1 winter? my thought process was that rusty rockers with holes in them would just create more build up and do more damage in the end.

 

I wouldn't. even just sitting your introducing moisture into places that don't need it lol

 

but isn't that also the case when you have holes in your rockers anyway? if they were in good condition i'd agree not to cut them, but i could fit my fist through the bottom rear part, and there was a lot of mud built up that i cleaned, so i can't imagine it being worse than it already was.

 

Seems you could get by if you coat them with something. Say rubberized undercoating maybe?

 

It is not ideal but you could always shoot it with undercoating or primer and pray it holds until you can take care of it properly. Another option is to line up a new rocker, drill some holes along the bottom, and up top. Pop rivet the panel to the body. You can use those same holes later to tack the panel in place while it is being welded. Either way you will still need to prep it once winter is over for a proper fix.


If it were mine however, i would find a shop and get a full repair done asap. That way it is done, and the salt stays out.

 

I just used a rocker guard rubberised undercoating on the bottom of my doors and shot some over the areas where i grinded down the rust to bare metal. the top part is already coated in oil from last year's rust proofing, so I didn't clean that or paint over it.

i feel the same trust me, but when i went and got a quote for the job, it was way too much for what I was ready to spend, and decided to put the money on a welder and proper equipment instead. the thing is, since I bought a 220 welder i have to setup the garage with the correct breakers and wiring, so I won't be ready until next summer probably. so i'd hate to spend 5-6-700$ for something i can do in a weekend with a buddy that has a welder (but that i haven't heard from in a while...)

 

Going on my second winter without rockers. That's only since I've owned it. It didn't see much road use before I got it but who knows how long they have been gone. Rockers are overrated anyway. Lol. Mine are coated and no change since I've had it. I replace the screws that hold the plastic sill plates with stainless and I spray all exposed bolt threads on the entire vehicle with penetrating oil once a month or so anyway. And the rear seat pivot.

 

replacing the screws is a good idea, i'll go ahead and do it now. i noticed a hole right under the pillar between the two doors (from inside the rocker) so i thought of plugging that with something so nothing gets in there.