Outer rocker body work help

Classic · 12-11-2008, 01:13 PM

Looking for suggestions for a little dilemma I've got.

I'm nearly ready to weld in my outer rocker (Restoration Design) and I'm just not happy with the crispness of the weather seal channel.

The stamping is more rolled then a square channel.

Looking for any experience, or ideas to get it more square like the original?

robmog · 12-11-2008, 01:57 PM

you can get a piece of square stock as an anvil and pound the he!! out of it.
but why bother? the gasket covers it up. if you're worried about a crisp edge,
what about the door gap edge.? that wasn't very crisp on my stamping, but there wasn't much i could do about it. i'm patching my other rocker, original metal is always the best.

Classic · 12-11-2008, 03:00 PM

Thanks Bob,

I must have got lucky as the stamping for the door edge is nice and crisp, well as good as the other side and that appears to be original.

I just wasn't quite happy with the upper channel, I'm probably being a little OCD.

Tony

robmog · 12-11-2008, 03:41 PM

jpnovak · 12-12-2008, 07:13 AM

I had the same problem. It really becomes a problem when you want to use a spot welder. The curved surface limits the weldable area. It is not so much of a problem if you do plug welds.

My solution was to source a section of steel bar that fit in the channel. Mine was about 1" x 6" by the height of the channel (12mm if I remember but 1/2" works to). With the rocker off the car lay your "buck" in the channel. Use a pair of c-clamps to hold a second buck on the outside. As you tighten the clamps it will pinch the stamping square. The top lip edge will distort out. Use a hammer or clamp orthogonal to create a nice square channel. work your way along the edge bending a small bit at a time. When finished you will have a nice square channel that is easy to weld.

btw, check the fit between the lower edge of the door and the rocker. The curved section of the seal channel will often cause the rocker to protrude out 1-2mm when the trailing edge of the door is flush with the quarter panel. Squaring the seal channel will typically remedy this problem.

Good luck.

Classic · 12-12-2008, 10:40 AM

Thanks Jamie,

I purchased some stock yesterday and started to square up the seal channel lip, I've still got a little bit to go.

I did find, as you suggest, that squaring up the channel has made the panel line better, and it was damn close before.

Time to practice some plug welds, and get the welder dialed in for the money welds.

Tony

KevinP73 · 12-12-2008, 08:46 PM

I have the same issue on a pair of outers that I got from Stoddards. It took a couple hours of tweaking to get them just right.

Classic · 12-12-2008, 11:55 PM

Yeah still got a little more to go but it's nearly there fitting hard against the back, and the top looks much better.

I unpacked my new weather seal that I got from Pelican awhile ago now ( I'm slower then the rest of you guys) and chalked it to make sure it's fitting well before I stitch it up.

It was about 94F today so I had to escape to the beach.

Thanks for the help dealing with my OCD body work