2nd gen tacoma rust: rocker panels

Here is pictures of what you should watch for if you have a second gen Tacoma and live, like me, somewhere they put salt and other highly corrosive products on the road in winter. Spray some oil inside the rocker panels and ensure all the rubber plugs are there. Other than that the truck still looks good even if it is a 05. Our trucks are pretty good at resisting to corrosion. Here, most five years old GM needs a paint job! As you can see on the diagram, Toyota don't sell rocker panels as a single part. They are part of the A, B and C pillars and welded at the center of the doors. I didn't find any aftermarket rocker panels either. I was planning to bend my owns from sheet metals but i found a 07 Tacoma for cheap with a blown engine and a damaged front bumper but a cab that is much better. Do you thinks it is easier to switch cabs or to cut and weld new sheet metal parts? Do you know manufacturers who makes rocker panels for the Tacoma?
Thank you!

 

Thanks for the heads up. Definitely something to look out for. First time ive seen a second gen rust out on body panels. Bet its getting in behind tire and running down the inside. Is it just the driver side? What about the back corner of the cab?

 

In fact, it's worst on the passenger side, probably because some rubber plugs are missing. The rust slightly extend to the round part of the cabs corner. It started by looking like small air bubbles trough paint so it definitely came from the inside of the panels. It's not like other brands whos paint tend to chip and then the bare metal rust. It comes from between the sheets of metals so i think applying sprayed antirust treatments trough the plugged holes should help a lot to prevent this. Rocker panels seems to be the common first rust issues with many toyotas. When I sold my 2004 corolla back in 2013 it was still like new. I've seen it lately and it was perforated at the rocker panels between the rear door and rear wheels.

 

My 2005 looks the same, maybe even worse. Any updates of replacement panels? Or do you need to fabricate your own?

 

I wanted to do the job this fall but i had to do the timing chain instead. I will do the rockers next spring and so far I think i will make my own unless I find somewhere I can buy them. Switching cab with the 07 seems to be too much job for the time I have to work on it. I will post it here if i find something or i will post pictures of the job.

 

Looks like a hell of a lot of work. Another option would be to just slow down and minimize the corrosion. Sand blast the rockers, make small cuts to remove the metal around where its become perforated (always ends up being 50%+ more than is visible) and recoat everything properly.

Jake - Corrosion Engineer

 

Mine will be going to a local guy that use to work for a GM body shop, now opened his own business. I was just looking to see if a aftermarket company made a replacement rocker panel for our 2nd gens, as i'm sure that would be cheaper than fabricating some custom patch panels. I will find out once my frame gets replaced in 6 more months!

 

If no holes

Wire wheel it all off. Use the prep steps for por15. Por15 it. Then paint over the Por15.

Shit is tough as nails, but has to be prepped properly or won't stay put.

Just another option for ya vs replace.

 

Mine have holes I can put my hand through. Previous owner didn't exactly take care of my Tacoma. I mean the plugs are right there, buy a $6 can of rust check and give a spray around. Some people!

 

I have a 2015...live in Pa...winter salt is a major PIA...I under coated the truck when it was new, and ran the undercoat up around the rockers about 12" up the body, stopped on a line horizontal with aftermarket rear bumper......I like the look and think it will provide good protection

 

I live on California and do not have a problem with salt but thought about bed liner spray up the first third of the body to prevent corrosion from chips in the paint from rocks

 

My rust issue, like many here in the north east, is from the inside out. Bed liner will stop rust from paint chips, but that is not my particular issue.

Talked to a local body man and said they take the old one (cut off) and a local metal shop just fabricates a new set and in metal brake/roller matching the shape of the old one.

 

very true about rust coming from the inside.. the coating minimizes the amount of bare metal from gravel road, fire trails etc.....I also thru out the winter, frequently wash the underside with a hi (not crazy hi) pressure washer using hot water....given the amount of water I use I'm confident the salt/brine etc is as gone as I can make it...between the two I think the rockers stand a chance for a long life ..been using this combination over many years with reasonable success..

 

This is an idea I got from a guy I work with. Find a straight line between the wheels above the rust. Cut it out, welded in 3x6x3/16 rectangle tube, seam sealed and chip guarded the whole thing. It might rust out again, but I doubt I'll be alive to see it.

 

How easy is it to remove the plugs/Never tried it yet,but see it in the future.

 

Very easy. If you can tie your shoes in the morning you can pull the plugs out

 

So, should we check to be sure they're still there to keep the crud Out? Or remove them to get crud out? Confused?

 

I pull my plugs on my 4Runner (2016) and take a 3' flex wand with a 360 degree nozzle and spray everything inside the body panels. Replace plugs to keep crud out.

My Tacoma is rusted because previous owner never rust proofed anything.
The plugs are so close on the Tacoma you can simply buy an aerosol can of rust check/fluid film, etc and use the red stray on the nozzle to spray internally in the rockers. I highly recommend doing this if you want your panels on your Tacoma to last.

 

On my '98 T-100 and now on my '14 Tacoma, once a year, I spray WD-40 or something like it into the weep holes where the bottom of the rocker panel is spot welded together. I just put the little red hose in as far as I can and use about a whole can between the two sides. It drips out for a while afterwards so park in the gravel when you do it. My 98 T still has solid rockers and cab corners and it has spent it's life in the Midwest around St. Louis/southern Illinois.

My T has over 260,000 miles on it now and only has a spot of rust over the driver's side rear tire and has lived outside it's entire life.