The PO hit something with the drivers side rocker panel. Here is a picture of the dent. Should I attempt to pull it out or just patch it. I have a donor rocker that I could cut a patch. On the other had, I could cut the "tabs" at the front of the rocker and bend them out to get pry bar access to the inside of the rocker.
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Pull It or Patch It?
LarryD
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The PO hit something with the drivers side rocker panel. Here is a picture of the dent. Should I attempt to pull it out or just patch it. I have a donor rocker that I could cut a patch. On the other had, I could cut the "tabs" at the front of the rocker and bend them out to get pry bar access to the inside of the rocker.
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Fix that you need on of those stud guns with the puller and pull it out a little at a time it will take a while. start right at the crease if its really hard to pull. , slice the seam with a whizzer and then re weld with the mig after its pulled . use real good light weight filler like U-POL and it will be nice when done. this requires time and patience slow and steady gets it done. then it will be all original panels . Alex
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It really depends on the metal surrounding it….good metal=fix. Rust=replace
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I had a similar issue on a Chevelle rocker. I'm not sure a stud gun will pull it since the rocker is pretty tough. I ended up making a tool to pull mine. I used a piece of square tubing and cut a slot in one side. I then used 1/8" plate and welded 1/4" bolts to one edge of it and drilled holes in the square tubing opposite of the slot for the bolts to go through. I welded the plate to the ridge on the rocker and slid the square tubing over the bolts and tightened the bolts to pull the rocker. This method allowed me to pull slowly and and tap on the edges of the dent with a body hammer while it had stress on it. Basically the square tubing pushes against the rocker and the plate pulls on the ridge. I'll look around and see if I still have the tool and if so post a pic. For yours you may want to make 2 or 3 sizes plates. Start with a long one to pull the edges and the center and then shorter ones to pull the center of the dent.
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I found the tool and the pull plate was 16 gauge rather than 1/8" and I had some 3/16" scrap tubing but 1/8" should be fine. You just don't want it the square tubing to bend . Make sure the square tubing is long enough to spread the load. You may want to trim and weld some angle iron onto the square tubing so the square tubing sits at the correct angle against the rocker for the pull. In my case i was puling straight down.
Another option would be to get a pogo stick. Weld the tab to the rocker peak and use the pogo stick to pull. You could buy one or make one. They sell 2 different lengths.
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Here's the dent in the rocker
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End result
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Tool - I used longer bolts and ground the non-threaded shank to make it flat at about 1/2 the original diameter. This was to help make sure I was pulling straight on the metal tab that was welded to the rocker. Also it originally had 3 bolts and one of them pulled off.
![Image]()
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Another option would be to get a pogo stick. Weld the tab to the rocker peak and use the pogo stick to pull. You could buy one or make one. They sell 2 different lengths.
Here's the dent in the rocker
End result
Tool - I used longer bolts and ground the non-threaded shank to make it flat at about 1/2 the original diameter. This was to help make sure I was pulling straight on the metal tab that was welded to the rocker. Also it originally had 3 bolts and one of them pulled off.
I am in the same situation. Thanks for the post, LarryD! I'd be interested in knowing which route you went and what your results were!
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Looks like a early 90's ZX7 in the background there?
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First year 1989 and I'm the original owner. I rode it from LA to Laguna Seca the first year I bought it to see the superbike races. We went the year before and saw the F1 bikes race.
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I had a 1990 ZX7 black and silver that I road raced WERA / MCRA endurance and sprint series in St Louis and the Midwest 6 for 4 years including a few 6 hour races. That is the most fun I have ever had in my life. Also took it touring from Grand Junction CO to LA, up the coast to Eureka over through Nevada and Utah then back down through Utah to the start. What a hoot that was - At around 500 miles a day my but was pretty sore day 2 but got comfortably numb after that. Great bike for racing, usable for long rides if you have an iron butt!
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I know about the iron butt. There's not alot of padding in that seat.I had a 1990 ZX7 black and silver that I road raced WERA / MCRA endurance and sprint series in St Louis and the Midwest 6 for 4 years including a few 6 hour races. That is the most fun I have ever had in my life. Also took it touring from Grand Junction CO to LA, up the coast to Eureka over through Nevada and Utah then back down through Utah to the start. What a hoot that was - At around 500 miles a day my but was pretty sore day 2 but got comfortably numb after that. Great bike for racing, usable for long rides if you have an iron butt!
I saw your LT5 build. That looks sweet. I'm building a '67 chevelle with an LS9 block/LS9 CNC heads based 396. Callies magnum 3.825 stroke crank, Callies Ultra rods, JE 4.065 9:1 pistons and a Kong 2650. Behind it is a T56 Magnum. I wanted to be able to say "a 396" if anyone asks what's in it. My goal is 900hp at the crank on pump gas. We'll see if I get there.
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That's an awesome build! Do you have a build thread somewhere? If asked, I'm going to say small block chevy under the hood (which technically it is) 😁
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It's taking me along time. I changed directions on the engine midstream and it took 2 years to get the correctl rotating assembly. Plus I don't have those two helpers you have. My son and I put together the short block and then we ran into an issue with the BTR shaft rockers.
67 L99 4L80 Project
I'm just starting on my project so I thought I'd post some info and pics. This was my sister in law's driver for several years until she retired it about 10 years ago. The car has rust in all the usual places (i.e. rear quarters, trunk drops, wheel wells, back glass, a little in the trunk pan...
www.chevelles.com
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67 L99 4L80 Project
I'm just starting on my project so I thought I'd post some info and pics. This was my sister in law's driver for several years until she retired it about 10 years ago. The car has rust in all the usual places (i.e. rear quarters, trunk drops, wheel wells, back glass, a little in the trunk pan...
I rode it from LA to Laguna Seca the first year I bought it to see the superbike races. We went the year before and saw the F1 bikes race.
Now to get this thread back on track with the original dent questions..... I have made some progress on the rocker dent using a stud puller and a little heat. I finally opened up the end of the rocker so I could get a pry bar behind the dent and work with a bit of prying like the paintless dent guys do it. Again, I have made progress but still working on it. I will post a pic a little later today....
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Doing this daily as a pro and shop owner for decades. Good luck using a stud gun on a rocker. Obviously those guys would not qualify to pass a job interview. I use my frame machine, floor pots or at the very least a come-a-long or some of my machinery like my backhoe.
Could not imagine doing this 7 days a week without pro knowledge. I pay people top dollar to work for me on the side.
When I pour my own floors I use a minimum of 6 inches of reinforced concrete and rebar. Easy to add floor pots later. Doubtful many on this bodyshop forum know what they are.
Could not imagine doing this 7 days a week without pro knowledge. I pay people top dollar to work for me on the side.
When I pour my own floors I use a minimum of 6 inches of reinforced concrete and rebar. Easy to add floor pots later. Doubtful many on this bodyshop forum know what they are.
I agree on the stud gun use. I think I have gotten as far as it will go using the studs. I might try the come-along hooked to my boat trailer (22 ft boat sitting on it) since they are side by side in the shop. Since the car is on a rotisserie, I can angle it any way I need to get the pull angle straight out. I can definitely see the need to keep pull tension on it while "working" the metal. I'm learning.....
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I know what they are!!!! Auto Body Tools & Body Shop Supplies | Auto Body Toolmart
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