Rocker panel rust

[HoosierJeeper]

I'm inheriting the LR3 from my parents - been an awesome rig and the frame is good on it, so I'm taking it on as a restoration project. But this proves why I'm crazy about making sure the Jeeps get their fluid film injections lol. Been reading the threads on the LR forums about the rocker panel rust so decided to check mine out. Now there's about an apple sized hole in the passenger rocker after I pounded all the loose stuff out. Luckily, there's still enough metal left for the plastic cover to still go on, and the hole is all covered up by that. I know eventually I'll have to get the rocker replaced, but want to stop it from becoming "visible" and spreading past the cover and up the wheel arch. I was thinking about finishing cutting out all the loose stuff, doing a phosphoric acid rinse, then an epoxy primer and paint and then filling it all with fluid film. Any better ideas or products? Pic attached isn't mine (forgot to take one when I was there), but the brown is the area that'd badly rust/a hole. The yellow line is the top of the plastic trim, the goal is to keep it contained under that for now until I can either learn how to weld or take it in.

Thanks!

 

[Kestas]

I used to sandblast the rusted surfaces down to bare metal in order to prep it for further treatment.

Phosphoric acid is chiefly a treatment used on bare metal to provide an adherent surface for paint. Here's a picture of a zinc phosphated surface at 250X.

 

[Speedy3861]

Look into POR-15. Wire brush the snot out of everything you can reach then paint the area with POR-15

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Look into POR-15. Wire brush the snot out of everything you can reach then paint the area with POR-15

I've used that with good results in the past. I think it helps that with the rocker opened up I can access it better.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

Are the rocker panels 'opened' in back or totally enclosed ?
If enclosed, I would vacuum out any loose rust and then treat.
I think using only Fluid Film would take care of 99% of problem.

Surface Shield (made by Blaster) is similar to FF but is thicker and has some vaseline in it.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Are the rocker panels 'opened' in back or totally enclosed ?
If enclosed, I would vacuum out any loose rust and then treat.
I think using only Fluid Film would take care of 99% of problem.

Surface Shield (made by Blaster) is similar to FF but is thicker and has some vaseline in it.

Basically 4 layers lol - plastic door trim covers the plastic rocker panel cover, then the plastic rocker panel cover covers the outer rocker, then the rocker cavity, then the inner rocker. Where it's rusted out is the outer rocker - so it still has the inners. Mine isn't this bad yet, but shows the construction. My plan was to cut the super bad stuff out of the outer rocker and then rust treat/paint and then fluid film the rest of the rockers.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

ok - so that's NOT a photo of your vehicle.
Your rocker panels are enclosed and doing anything will be more than what most people would do (good for you).
The nice thing about FF is that it creeps (thru the rust & down to base metal).
After your initial treatment, you should treat yearly, and I bet you never have a problem (as long as your using Fluid Film).

Atomizing Hoses are good for getting into areas (doors, hood, tailgate).

 

[HoosierJeeper]

ok - so that's NOT a photo of your vehicle.
Your rocker panels are enclosed and doing anything will be more than what most people would do (good for you).
The nice thing about FF is that it creeps (thru the rust & down to base metal).
After your initial treatment, you should treat yearly, and I bet you never have a problem (as long as your using Fluid Film).

Atomizing Hoses are good for getting into areas (doors, hood, tailgate).

Correct, that's not my LR! Those hoses are great, I always have them on hand. I use them on my other vehicles just so this doesn't happen...but my parents didn't get the memo.

 

[eljefino]

Cut out the bad stuff, do the POR-15 and fluid film the inside of the rocker, then close it up somehow, anyhow. The loose fitting plastic cover doesn't count. Find some sheet steel from metal roofing or from an old computer case, cut it up, form it to shape, then attach with pop_rivets or self-tapping screws. Smear some RTV, silicone, seam sealer, something over the seam. Put a little more on the backside of the metal before you attach it. You are ALREADY getting sand, dirt, water, and salt in there which is rotting the rest of your rocker from the inside out, and you need to stop it from getting worse until you decide what to ultimately do.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Cut out the bad stuff, do the POR-15 and fluid film the inside of the rocker, then close it up somehow, anyhow. The loose fitting plastic cover doesn't count. Find some sheet steel from metal roofing or from an old computer case, cut it up, form it to shape, then attach with pop_rivets or self-tapping screws. Smear some RTV, silicone, seam sealer, something over the seam. Put a little more on the backside of the metal before you attach it. You are ALREADY getting sand, dirt, water, and salt in there which is rotting the rest of your rocker from the inside out, and you need to stop it from getting worse until you decide what to ultimately do.

that actually might not be terrible to do - given that it's mostly flat with some bends in it. Could probably just bend the sheet metal in a vice and mimic the factory bends well, mock with cardboard first. (see the first pic in the thread).

 

[Kestas]

After spending my teenage years battling rust, I decided that prevention was a better use of my time and rustproofed everything I was tasked to take care of.

 

[midnightlaundry]

A hack Bondo job beats a rusty hole everytime.. LOL