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69 Chevelle rocker panel removal

26K views 74 replies 6 participants last post by  Wrencher 
#1 ·
Hello all, I looked in the archives...IMPRESSIVE...and massive, but I haven't seen this ...I am replacing outer and inner rockers, yet my quarters are worth keeping, how do I get the old panels out from under the quarters? And, they seem to run a good 6 inches into the front body post tunnel, there are spot welds on the post skirt, still won't come out. I want to remove whole section, but not sure if it is possible without tearing up quarter or frt post? Thanks
 
#63 ·
are your door jambs still braced? show a pic of how you did them I'm a little confused....I have to go back and read from the begining but I thought the door gaps were fine before you started ....I tell ya what...take the striker out and slowly close the door lets see what happens then but first scribe a line around the the striker shims so you can put it back in exactly the same spot later or use the scribed line as a reference...we may have to get together with a phone call....
 
#64 ·
I had them X'd in the jamb area before and removed them after I had the floor and rockers screwed and tacked. They weren't behind the jamb...in it. Yes gap was good originally...I know this is a looong post, These are not off alot, 1/4 inch at most, maybe it's normal for all the crap I've replaced?? I appreciate the help, but this may be one I have to find alone if you know what I mean LOL. Will an assembly manual give me any measurements to use?
 
#65 ·
The measurements wont be in an assembly book but a book will come in handy for a lot of other stuff later on and the frame measurements will only confuse you more any way.....
We'll figure this out EZ enough...First pull the striker out and see how the door acts when you close it and the gaps will tell you everything you need to know...Take some pics, lots of them ,they'll help immensely...
As far a the leangth of the post goes dont worry too much about it ,all the problems you are having are normal for a DIY so it can only help anyone readingthis and similar work...
You want to skip over this and move on to the trunk floor then come back to it later ,dont you??? LOL ,be patient, thats one of the important things to learn...
 
#66 ·
Yes, it's taking alot of time on these gaps, and I'm not sure if it's NORMAL for this, or structural? I can control the frt to back gap with the pillar location, although it changes my rocker fit there. It's the tilt that has me stumped. I have cut out the corner below the quarter window, where the seat floor and quarter support meet for a new piece, but that support is solid, it won't budge. I basically removed every support area from the rear rocker forward, took out rear seat brace, but left the seat floor in, floor and braces, kickpanel to firewall plate. i have the r rocker out and the door fits the same ( rocker is bowed ). I'll get pics and try the striker deal in a hour. Thx
 
#67 ·
The rocker should be straight or at least the same contour as the door bottom.My only concern is if the door moves up to go over the striker why cant you lift it up by hand? The door IS moving up The 1/4 cant be going down...So taking out the striker will allow the door to close without moving and the gap should be tight at the top and wide at the bottom so what you need to do is with a wooden wedge or a floor jack have someone lift the door while you are watching that front pillar to see whats moving if its the pillar then (i cant see how if it was braced and the pillar is screwed to the rocker) then close the door and use the wedge to lift and hold the door to the proper height and rescrew the front pillar where it sits now.
There can only be two causes for the door to be able to move up if all the bolts are tight ,the hinges or the pillar moving.The bushings in the hinge dont have to be worn much to get a 1/4" of movement at the rear of the door so if theres any play at all this would be the cause.
.the pillar can only move forward because of the weight of the door so if it moved it could have only moved foward. it's also possible to move the pillar back by using a bottle jack against the tire and jacking the pillar back until the door is in the proper positiobut be very careful and it wont take much jacking at all just watch the top gap as your jacking the pillar back.The top of the door and the top of the 1/4 should be the same hieght with a nice even gap of no more than a 1/4" or less all the way down....So theres a few things to try when you get out there... sStart with the striker.just remember the door has to close without any up or down movement,and if its moving it has to be in the hinges or your pillar is loose...(if all the hinge bolts are tight )
 
#70 ·
DBM, Eureka! It was the combination of the panel I made at the cowl/firewall/ lower fender mount, and lower pillar flexing in and out from the floor not yet welded and the inner cowl and outer panels not in yet. My panel was flexing as it was only straight metal without the factory supports made into it. Thanks a TON for the help.

Now, if I can figure out my rockers are bowed or not....door bottoms are wavy, but straight.
 
#71 ·
That rocker is definetly bent but it only looks bent at the end to me...Go look at the other side at the original rocker I believe its straight as an arrow...
That first pic told me everything I needed to know ,it's true a pic is worth a thousand words...LOL
Patience is your most important tool ....I knew you'd get it...:thumbup:
 
#72 ·
Are you talking about the door picture LOL?

Well, I don't have the old ones, cut up anyway.....I know, 1 side at a time, but I had to remove it to fit the floor and braces????

The other repo rocker looks the same, slight bow, I don't know, should be straight, Thx again DBM!

That straightedge isn't flush at the other end either!
 
#73 ·
Actually You should have finished welding up the first rocker without welding the floor brace that hould have been left in...You even want to cut the floor unle you abolutely have too...once the new rocker i in and fitted That when you want to start cutting out the rotted floor or even better would be to do the other rocker THEN the floor and braces....
It ound like your jut about ready to weld that rocker upso heres a little tip I use all the time
At the bottom of the rocker where thr inner rocker are welded together i called a pinch weld once the inner and outter are intalled with drillscrews and everything is double checked ,gaps are good ,it all needs to come back apartfor welding....I've found its much easier to weld the inner to the outter along the pinch welds while its on a bench theres no need to do it upside down and on the car ,the welds will be better and you can grind and dress up all the welds without doing it on your back ...Just install it as a unit ...heres a pic of what I mean...This is the inner and outter rocker I made for my old coupe...
 
#75 · (Edited)
Actually thing only thing welded is the floor at the toeboard, and at the rear seat top. Everything else is screwed. 4 pc floor. I pulled one outer rocker back off to replace it, I may try your tip if I can get them both in together.

I put the rockers in and bolted in the frt and rear floor braces because I knew they had to mount precise, screwed the braces to the inners, which is difficult with the bushings in, then the floor.

Hell, I figured it didn't matter how it came apart, I knew there was a method...now I know for sure. That's why it's been such a bear, I wiped out every reference point in site LOL. I even cut out the inner quarter support at the seat pan and replaced that section. I need to start welding the cowl/kickpanel area, but I'm trying to leave the rocker screwed until I fit the new quarters, the wheelhouse edge is gone from rust, so I really don't have a reference point at the rear?

I've watched alot of video's on floor and rocker replacement, but, most of em are either floor pieces, or just outer rocker, or, they cut the floor out and weld the new in. I wanted to replace THE FLOOR, not just cut it out and weld to the old rocker lip.
 
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