Lower Rocker Panel Rust

[Derek A.]

I noticed that the driver's side lower rocker is soft. There is a huge rust bubble behind that rubber coating. What is the preferred method of repair? Is there s set of M5 Side skirts in my future ?

[John B.]

Any rot in the sill/rocker area needs to be repaired not covered up. Heat & scrape off the coating, cut out the rot & weld in new metal.

[nirvana19]

I have a similar issue, near all the jacking points and the right front fender (lower part). Put some POR-15 on it as a temporary solution but I to have yet to explore my options. Rust terrifies me so I'm probably going to get to a body shop soon, I recommend you do the same. I have no idea how much it will cost, I weld myself and know that it wouldn't really be that much work to do, but I'm not experienced enough to do the work myself. I have no idea how much a shop will charge, does anyone have some insight into that?

[Derek A.]

My thoughts were to maybe do a rust removal/repair. Not worry to much about the cosmetics and look at a set of m5/95 e34 side skirts.

[nirvana19]

I just revisited this issue, I've basically cured the problem on the driver side with some blasting, cutting, and por-15. I'm going to reinforce the jacking points on that side also (they don't need it but just in case), been monitoring it for a while with no rust. The passenger side however is hopeless, just took it to a body shop and got an estimate for 1600 to replace the rocker panel. The inner rocker is fine (as of now) but to protect it I need to do something about the other. Any advice?

BTW I have a lot (a LOT) of welding experience working with sculpture but no more studio and tools. If someone tells me exactly what to cut and weld to spec I might be able to find a place to do the work and save myself the labor.

OR blow all the crap out of there, dump some POR-15 on there, and pray. Not ideal.

[E34-520iSE]

I had a rust bubble appearing on my r/h sill, just in front of the rear wheel. After I had a bit poke around I found the metal had rusted away, leaving a fist-sized hole to be plated. An hour's welding work by a friend sorted it out. Don't hide the rust with trims if you want to keep the car!

HTH,

Shaun M

[nirvana19]

I had a rust bubble appearing on my r/h sill, just in front of the rear wheel. After I had a bit poke around I found the metal had rusted away, leaving a fist-sized hole to be plated. An hour's welding work by a friend sorted it out. Don't hide the rust with trims if you want to keep the car!

HTH,

Shaun M

Oh I can assure you I have no intention of covering anything up! Maybe that dent on my hood.. but I don't have any intention of ever getting rid of this car and this would be a worthy investment. I need to do SOMETHING about it, but I believe I can get it done RIGHT for less than the 1400 I'm looking at now. I'm looking at $355 shipped for the factory rocker on that side, I'm just trying to cut down my external labor costs since I can do part of the job myself. I think I want a professional to do the cutting and welding if I change the whole rocker because I've just never welded anything on an auto body before.

Patching is a possibility. Theres not much of a hole now but around as I peeled away the rust protective coating on that side (it was coming off) the area looks bad. I found all this after the jacking point there failed.. want that restored too.

[E34-520iSE]

I had no idea mine was as bad as it was. It was just a little rust coloured patch coming through the rubber rustproof layer. When I finished poking at it this was the result:

[attack eagle]

stupid sunroof drain design???
Dunno about sedans but Tourings drain into the rocker... I'm betting they are the same.

[525i winter driver]

Oh I can assure you I have no intention of covering anything up! Maybe that dent on my hood.. but I don't have any intention of ever getting rid of this car and this would be a worthy investment. I need to do SOMETHING about it, but I believe I can get it done RIGHT for less than the 1400 I'm looking at now. I'm looking at $355 shipped for the factory rocker on that side, I'm just trying to cut down my external labor costs since I can do part of the job myself. I think I want a professional to do the cutting and welding if I change the whole rocker because I've just never welded anything on an auto body before.

Patching is a possibility. Theres not much of a hole now but around as I peeled away the rust protective coating on that side (it was coming off) the area looks bad. I found all this after the jacking point there failed.. want that restored too.

jack-job gone bad? i had something similar and bought a bottle jack instead of getting the jack supports fixed.. just had all the rust cut off and patched it and put on a new fender (that got trashed by a mechanic two weeks later... nice). the jack fits in the same spot in the trunk since i took out the metal support for the "widowmaker".