So rocker rust at least minor seems really common on the earl 2000's tow pigs I have been looking at whether its the GMT 800 trucks,burbans, or the ford excursions.
How much of a concern should this be? Is it something you can kind of ignore or is it something I should expect to have to pony up for treating/fixing not from an appearance standpoint?
In reply to Jaynen :
Tons of YouTube videos on these. Everything from full weld on replacement to slip ons depending on how much you care.
Im in Massachusetts so I’ll do whatever I need to do to pass inspection nothing more.
I would think it would take less time and be cheaper to just drive one up from florida or texas
grover said:I would think it would take less time and be cheaper to just drive one up from florida or texas
This.
Having said that, I was able to buy a pair of replacement rocker panels for my son's 02 Exploder for $80 on eBay. Installing them is not trivial, but it's not outside the capabilities of the typical GRM-er, either. But of course, if the rockers are rusty, it's likely that other parts of the truck are, too.
In reply to grover :
Panel adhesive and a slip-on rocker panel takes very little time. Add a few minutes for some rust converter and/or POR-15.
Nothing I am talking about is very heavy rust IMO, its more asking from a precautionary standpoint. Thing's here in NC are not that rusty. It's more like how bad indicative is it or how much do you need to fix it/stop it before it becomes an inspection issue
There are tons of trucks running around the upper midwest with no rockers left at all, and they seem to be doing just fine...if you're concerned about the structural soundness, the condition of the truck frame is a lot more important. I can't comment on the inspection issue, that will depend on what your local inspection requirements are (and probably also the discretion of the person doing the inspecting.)
In your budget range, spray it with some rust-stopperizer, use flares to cover it if necessary. It may eventually cause problems, but unlikely with your use/mileage.
I don't think its ever an inspection issue unless its structural.
Edit. Ooops i was thinking fenders. Rockers I would look for a different truck. Are you really seeing any in NC with rocker rust? I rarely see anything here with any rust whatsoever.
Only the top of the rocker should be of concern as it meets with the door bottom to keep the outside, out. On a truck, the frame is the main structural component, unlike a unibody.
In reply to ProDarwin :
In Massachusetts, a tiny dime-sized hole in the BED of a pickup truck will get you failed.
V10 Excursions are pretty cheap around here. Saw one down the street from me for $2500. Didn't look bad at all. Maybe a fly and drive is in order.
ProDarwin said:In your budget range, spray it with some rust-stopperizer, use flares to cover it if necessary. It may eventually cause problems, but unlikely with your use/mileage.
I don't think its ever an inspection issue unless its structural.
Edit. Ooops i was thinking fenders. Rockers I would look for a different truck. Are you really seeing any in NC with rocker rust? I rarely see anything here with any rust whatsoever.
A few of the cheap trucks, there was a 8.1 extended cab dually flatbed that was under 5k but has some, the paint was bubbling but not eaten through yet
yupididit said:V10 Excursions are pretty cheap around here. Saw one down the street from me for $2500. Didn't look bad at all. Maybe a fly and drive is in order.
That may be the route I end up taking if I find something farther afield and have to have a GRMer or someone check it out for me
In reply to Jaynen :
The problem is once you get some rocker rust you’re almost guaranteed to have rusty brake & suspension components. Couple that with the mileage of the trucks you’re shopping and you can expect some not-fun maintenance work that will be made more expensive by extra time and replacement of broken rusty components.
Since trucks aren’t any more expensive down south, it makes financial sense to buy a non-rusty southern truck - then it’s up to you whether you want to treat it each year to prevent rust, or just drive it into the ground.
In reply to Pete Gossett :
Plus at his price range and mileage, it wont depreciate much at all if its a rust free one.
The two 8.1 burbs I posted in my price range both say no rust, maybe other issues but no rust. Sounds like its worth eliminating anything that has any kind of rust I can find.
Rocker panels exist as sacrificial components so the rust can attack them first, thus sparing the critical portions of the vehicle for a time.
In reply to volvoclearinghouse :
What a terrible thing to accept. 
volvoclearinghouse said:Rocker panels exist as sacrificial components so the rust can attack them first, thus sparing the critical portions of the vehicle for a time.
Yes and no. While not really structural in a body-on-frame vehicle, they do play an important role in side-impact crash safety. Which is why I fixed the ones on my kid's car before sending him out into the world in it.
I replaced the rockers on my Samurai with .25”
4”x 4” angle iron. I used them more than I’d have thought too.
The "rocker" is generally the bit that curves under the body underneath the door right? so usually the part of the body that gets exposed to the most stuff from the road?
In reply to Jaynen :
Yeah, and poor design often allows moisture in but not out. Sometimes it’s exposed to debris and stones that chip paint and allow rust to take hold.
Jaynen said:The two 8.1 burbs I posted in my price range both say no rust, maybe other issues but no rust. Sounds like its worth eliminating anything that has any kind of rust I can find.
Around here when a seller says "no rust" it's code for "I don't know what the hell I'm talking about" or "I haven't looked at the car except for opening the driver door" or...most frequently, "I'm a moron and/or a liar." Sorry...a little rust belt frustration slip there.
I've been thinking I should sell authorized "Clem Sparks Edition" vinyl decals to be applied to rusty vehicles.
Replacing rockers properly is not a small job. Most cases you'll have to remove the door(s) and fender to gain access. Truck rot is rampant around here. We also see a lot of rotted brake and fuel lines.
I've bought my last two trucks in the south (NC and TN). My 93 Lightning has ZERO rust on it and appears to have lived outdoors most of its life. I had a nice little vacation to pick it up. While I probably didn't save any money with the cost of the trip factored in I also don't have to fix any rust and could sell it in about .00003 seconds on Craigslist here. Plus, hasn't depreciated a cent in the three years I've owned it. (I don't drive it in the winter. We have sacrificial cars for that.)
ClemSparks said:Around here when a seller says "no rust" it's code for "I don't know what the hell I'm talking about" or "I haven't looked at the car except for opening the driver door" or...most frequently, "I'm a moron and/or a liar." Sorry...a little rust belt frustration slip there.
Boy howdy. Before we found his current Exploder, my son and I wasted a 3-hour round trip (with the trailer) to look at a supposedly rust-free one that ended up having extensive rocker rust, which of course is hidden by the doors when they are closed. I was not happy.
Which leads to my problem with buying a southern vehicle. When you reach a certain price point, it's worth it, but when playing in the $2-3k range like we were, you are at the mercy of unreliable and dishonest Craigslisters. I'm very hesitant to jump in a plane or drive 10 hours south to try and pick up some beater, albeit rust-free, from a yahoo on Atlanta Craigslist.
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