Used to fight with rocker panel rust on dump trucks for hours

For years I'd grind down rust on dump truck rocker panels with a wire wheel and then try to patch it with body filler. It never held up more than 6 months before it started bubbling again. Last spring I switched to cutting out the rust completely and welding in new 16-gauge sheet metal sections. Took me 3 tries to get the fit right on the first one but now the repair lasts as long as the truck. Anyone else found a better way to handle corrosion on these older Mack chassis?

3 comments

3 Comments

piperwhite26d ago

Oh man, I feel this pain deep in my soul. My first attempt at the cut-and-weld method I measured everything twice, cut once, and still ended up with a gap big enough to shove my thumb through on the passenger side. Ended up just standing there staring at this hole in my 1987 Mack like it had personally insulted me. The wire wheel and filler method I swear it's just a way to convince yourself you fixed something while the rust is laughing at you underneath. Now I just cut out about 2 inches past where I can see any rust and weld in the new metal, saves me from having to redo the whole thing 4 months later.

the_max26d ago

You ever try that trick where you use a bit of cardboard to mock up the patch panel first? I did that once for a floorboard on a '72 Chevelle, traced it out, cut the metal, and still managed to cut the wrong side. Had a perfect left side patch for a right side hole. Took me a minute to figure out why nothing lined up. I just sat there holding the cardboard and the metal like an idiot before I realized what I did.

simonl1113d ago

100% done that, @the_max, on a rusted-out '66 F100 floor.