Rocker Panel Beware!

[biped]

So to correct just the tapered edge at the bottom of the car, without correcting the rocker, you're saying you'd have to drill in and pull it out with one of those slide hammers? Then bondo and paint to protect against corrosion?

Edit: as opposed to removing the interior panels and hitting it from the inside

i have never tried to get at the back of these rockers so i am not entirely certain if they can actually be pushed out from the inside. obviously that might be ideal, but at what cost? removing a seat, removing sill trim, removing carpet, pushing wiring to the side... lets hope you dont break any plastic tabs in the process. just to not really have enough force or probably leverage in the end to likely tap it out properly or evenly. you're still going to have to paint the face of it in the end.. it wouldn't be cost effective.

no one ever drills holes anymore. that is back yard.

if i were to fix this properly, i wouldn't touch the interior. i would remove the gti skirt add-on and clean that rocker guard off the bare metal, then feather my repair area out with a da. i could either tack weld a tab of sheet metal on to the rocker, or better yet, a couple. and then attach a slide hammer and start yanking it out from the outside. or i could also use a uni-spotter which is like a slide-hammer with a tip that spot-welds to the panel. don't forget that this metal is now stretched, and may need to also be spot shrunk afterwards. once straightened, clean residual weld off the panel and epoxy prime the bare metal. then fiberglass. then bodyfill and a two-part polyester glaze to prevent shrinking. can then apply a coat of primer and check your work. scuff it and re-apply factory looking heavy rock guard. re-prime and it is ready for paint.

it takes a skilled technician to create an invisible repair that should last longer than the rest of the rocker which, if my experience with rusty ass mk5s is accurate, should be not long at all! lol

 

[Draz]

OP, maybe take it to a reputable PDR place? Many PDR shops use the "glue pull" method to remove dents that they can't get to from the inside. They use a tab that's hot glued to the repair area and use a slide hammer to pull it out. No damage to the paintwork and no need for bodywork. If the metal is not to thick and the dent seems minor enough, they should be able to at least get 90-95% of it out, and it won't be that noticeable in the location that it's in and with the chip guard that's on there.

 

[XGC75]

OP, maybe take it to a reputable PDR place? Many PDR shops use the "glue pull" method to remove dents that they can't get to from the inside. They use a tab that's hot glued to the repair area and use a slide hammer to pull it out. No damage to the paintwork and no need for bodywork. If the metal is not to thick and the dent seems minor enough, they should be able to at least get 90-95% of it out, and it won't be that noticeable in the location that it's in and with the chip guard that's on there.

This is really thick metal down there. Probably 1/4" thick sheet steel. I doubt any glue would hold under the stress. I know the paint under the glue wouldn't.

 

[XGC75]

i have never tried to get at the back of these rockers so i am not entirely certain if they can actually be pushed out from the inside. obviously that might be ideal, but at what cost? removing a seat, removing sill trim, removing carpet, pushing wiring to the side... lets hope you dont break any plastic tabs in the process. just to not really have enough force or probably leverage in the end to likely tap it out properly or evenly. you're still going to have to paint the face of it in the end.. it wouldn't be cost effective.

no one ever drills holes anymore. that is back yard.

if i were to fix this properly, i wouldn't touch the interior. i would remove the gti skirt add-on and clean that rocker guard off the bare metal, then feather my repair area out with a da. i could either tack weld a tab of sheet metal on to the rocker, or better yet, a couple. and then attach a slide hammer and start yanking it out from the outside. or i could also use a uni-spotter which is like a slide-hammer with a tip that spot-welds to the panel. don't forget that this metal is now stretched, and may need to also be spot shrunk afterwards. once straightened, clean residual weld off the panel and epoxy prime the bare metal. then fiberglass. then bodyfill and a two-part polyester glaze to prevent shrinking. can then apply a coat of primer and check your work. scuff it and re-apply factory looking heavy rock guard. re-prime and it is ready for paint.

it takes a skilled technician to create an invisible repair that should last longer than the rest of the rocker which, if my experience with rusty ass mk5s is accurate, should be not long at all! lol

Yeah I'm going to try and push mine from the inside. All that work is just asinine. Especially when, worst case, the interior panels are probably in the $300 range to replace.

butchered by autocorrecr

 

[Zillon]

i have never tried to get at the back of these rockers so i am not entirely certain if they can actually be pushed out from the inside. obviously that might be ideal, but at what cost? removing a seat, removing sill trim, removing carpet, pushing wiring to the side... lets hope you dont break any plastic tabs in the process. just to not really have enough force or probably leverage in the end to likely tap it out properly or evenly. you're still going to have to paint the face of it in the end.. it wouldn't be cost effective.

no one ever drills holes anymore. that is back yard.

if i were to fix this properly, i wouldn't touch the interior. i would remove the gti skirt add-on and clean that rocker guard off the bare metal, then feather my repair area out with a da. i could either tack weld a tab of sheet metal on to the rocker, or better yet, a couple. and then attach a slide hammer and start yanking it out from the outside. or i could also use a uni-spotter which is like a slide-hammer with a tip that spot-welds to the panel. don't forget that this metal is now stretched, and may need to also be spot shrunk afterwards. once straightened, clean residual weld off the panel and epoxy prime the bare metal. then fiberglass. then bodyfill and a two-part polyester glaze to prevent shrinking. can then apply a coat of primer and check your work. scuff it and re-apply factory looking heavy rock guard. re-prime and it is ready for paint.

it takes a skilled technician to create an invisible repair that should last longer than the rest of the rocker which, if my experience with rusty ass mk5s is accurate, should be not long at all! lol

This. This, this this. :thumbsup:

 

[biped]

Yeah I'm going to try and push mine from the inside. All that work is just asinine. Especially when, worst case, the interior panels are probably in the $300 range to replace.

butchered by autocorrecr

then do so and be sure to publish your results here for all to see.

 

[XGC75]

then do so and be sure to publish your results here for all to see.

Will do. I have that indentation on both sides from lifting up the car on the rocker panel beneath them. May not be for a while though, I have carbon cleaning on the priority list :iono:

butchered by autocorrecr