by listoff, April 21, 2007
Hi all,
This past winter I slid into a snow bank and dented my passenger side rocker panel. Does anyone know if anyone makes rocker panel covers for a 2003 Corolla LE? It would make sense to me that SOMEONE out there makes covers for rocker panels for just such a scenario.
Thank you for the help and suggestions!
Listoff
I've never even heard of a 'rocker panel cover'. Did you see one somewhere? One option is to fabricate your own cover from sheet metal aluminum, similar to aluminum siding around a window...just my .02
The rocker panel is an integral part of the monocoque shell, a structural imperfection such as a dent can upset the load paths in the shell in a future collision. I would replace it with a genuine item, it has been engineered properly and would be galvanised to prevent future corrosion. It is a biggish job, the old one needs to be cut out and the new one welded. A shop would take probably 3 days to do it, and it could cost $800-1000US to do...
Well, I assumed it was just a small dent he was talking about ( no pics ) , just a cosmetic dent that didn't affect the safety of the frame. Yes, replacing a rocker panel is not a DIY job, unless you know how to use cutting and welding torches. Why not just use some bondo and repaint the entire rocker panel?
When it hit, it just put a series of small dents in the metal. The doors shut fine and all the gaps are proper. I can tell there was no structural damage, just looks like crap. I spent a few hours this weekend sanding, treating, and priming the spot. I really didn't want to do bondo in a spot no one will really be able to see anyway. I was half tempted to see if anyone was selling the ground effects off of a Corolla S and attaching the side panels to the car, just to hide the dent itself.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Listoff
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