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Rocker panel question

jimmyleetn

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The picture below isn't great but it'll show you what I'm working with. This truck had the plastic door sills on the rocker and rusted underneath them were they trapped moisture and mud. What I have found is only the tops of the rockers are rusted. I have looked up inside the rocker from underneath the truck with a light and all of the rust originates from the top instead of from the inside, which is probably a little abnormal compared to the way I've seen most rockers rust. The inner rockers are perfect I might add. I'm intimidated by most body work, especially stuff around the doors and this truck, other than these spots on this rocker and the strikers, is pretty much rust free minus a few small spots that I know that I can handle. I actually have two old rockers in my attic, the question is should I replace the entire rocker or just cut out the bad part and patch it in? I've watched a lot of videos and combed through several forums so I have the basic concept of how to patch in a panel and I can weld pretty good. I just don't want to cut out the entire rocker if I don't have to. I would prefer to work smarter not harder.

PXL_20211010_201105148.jpg
 
Agreed, patch only what’s needed. But it may be worth doing the entire length of the top half of the rocker. Pull up the weatherstripping and see if the cancer has eaten into the lip.
 
Agreed, patch only what’s needed. But it may be worth doing the entire length of the top half of the rocker. Pull up the weatherstripping and see if the cancer has eaten into the lip.
Lips got surface rust just in the area where the seal caused the rust. I had everything pulled out to inspect it but I'm still driving the truck a lot so I put it all back before I took the pic. I could probably drill out the spot welds and then cut out the bad and take care of all of it. I was annoyed when I found it but it could have been way way worse.
 
What method of cutting will you be using? Grinder with a cut off wheel, plasma cutter?
I would almost plan to cut the the entire section where that sill plate was. Plus a little more to get into good meat. One cut line would be hidden by the weather stripping, and the other could be on the outer corner lip.
 
Either a grinder or my Dremel with the cable extension to cut with so I can go slow. I'll probably cut down into the part below where the door closes to truly get good metal. Need to get up in my parent's attic and see if I have rockers up there still. I have a half a floor worth of paneling somewhere just can't remember what all I got.
What method of cutting will you be using? Grinder with a cut off wheel, plasma cutter?
I would almost plan to cut the the entire section where that sill plate was. Plus a little more to get into good meat. One cut line would be hidden by the weather stripping, and the other could be on the outer corner lip.
 

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