I picked up some 18 gauge sheet metal today, turns out it's a little thinner than the inner rocker and a little thicker than the outer rocker but it'll do to get me on the road. The plan is to prep the surfaces, tack weld the top of one sheet to the top of the inner rocker, then tack it to the start of the first bend in the inner rocker. With the rocker support still in place as pictured, the tack and the support should allow me to bend the sheet around the first corner. At that point I'll line it up with the factory pinch weld and tack it before finishing up the rest of the welding. I'm planning on following these steps for the outer rocker as well, but I have to wait for some warmer weather this week. For longevity I'm planning on hitting everything in reach with some rustoleum before and after welding. The end of the rockers towards the rear wheel wells are going to be capped with a section of the 18 ga as well, cut to shape with some shears. As I go I'll try to make some measurements and CAD up a sheet metal section that should be useable.zbyers wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 5:38 am Honestly, I'd go for the first option. Quicker, easier, and your second idea isn't really necessary for all the car is.
Can you CAD or draw up some dimensions for the rockers you make? Angles, bends, etc. I also need to repair some. I wish we could find some that were readily available. I would have been able to save 4 Vibes we've owned that way.
The plastic cladding is held in place with round plastic "plugs" on the bottom and interior trim clips along the inside, both of which are reusable. For mine I just popped the plugs out with a flathead and pulled out and the covers came off, didn't even have to open the doors. In colder weather the trim clips may break and if the outer rockers are rusted the plastic plugs might not want to grab, so beware. After getting a good look at the rocker profile I think the best rust prevention for these cars would be to use compressed air to remove any debris from the outer rocker, use the plug holes to drill small holes into the inner, then spray the prevention fluid into the inner and outer. Make sure all the holes are plugged to prevent any water or dirt getting in, and it should prolong the life of these vehicles with a good underbody wash if the car sees a salty environment.Jbenrod wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 6:23 am I don't have sheet metal experience so can't offer much help but both of your options seem reasonable.
For those of us with the plastic cladding along the rockers, is there any way to examine them without pulling the cladding? I've been afraid of pulling the cladding off because they may not fit tight after putting them back in place - is that concern unfounded?
Will one need to have new fasteners if you pull the cladding or can the old ones be reused?
I also looked for an access hole to spray fluid film and never found any. So if anyone has additional information on prevention or slowing down of the corrosion in this problem area, I think it would be helpful to the Vibe community
Awesome. Keep us posted on the outcome and progress pictures.CanadianYeti wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 8:26 amI picked up some 18 gauge sheet metal today, turns out it's a little thinner than the inner rocker and a little thicker than the outer rocker but it'll do to get me on the road. The plan is to prep the surfaces, tack weld the top of one sheet to the top of the inner rocker, then tack it to the start of the first bend in the inner rocker. With the rocker support still in place as pictured, the tack and the support should allow me to bend the sheet around the first corner. At that point I'll line it up with the factory pinch weld and tack it before finishing up the rest of the welding. I'm planning on following these steps for the outer rocker as well, but I have to wait for some warmer weather this week. For longevity I'm planning on hitting everything in reach with some rustoleum before and after welding. The end of the rockers towards the rear wheel wells are going to be capped with a section of the 18 ga as well, cut to shape with some shears. As I go I'll try to make some measurements and CAD up a sheet metal section that should be useable.
Best bet is probably to upload them to your Google Drive, make public, and then share that link. Otherwise you're extremely limited in the file size you can upload here. I think it's 5mb.CanadianYeti wrote: ↑Thu Nov 05, 2020 9:46 am I have the sections of rocker I cut out to make measurements and the CAD file as requested, any tips for posting those files or where I should post them? I can tell this might be a bit of a slow process due to weather, but I'll update as often as I can.
Sorry to just see this now! I'm on the East Coast, so maybe a little far from you. Thank you for the confidence though, I got my vibe for the same reason but it ended up being a major labour of love. I was quoted $2k and three days locally. My pinch welds can't take a jack for sure, so I use the unibody frame rail just inside of that if that's any help.radioarno wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:22 pm CanadianYeti, where are you located? I'm asking because I need some body work done in a very similar area. My forward drivers side jack point collapsed due to rust as I was trying to jack it up to put winters on. I got quoted 1000 and 400. I don't quite trust the 400 because he's going to use 22 gauge, and I can't afford the 1000. If you're near me I'd trust it more with you than with an unknown bargain basement body shop. I bought my 04 vibe in July to help me get a job; I didn't get the job, but my vibe needs help. I'm in Toronto. Where are you?