2002 Tahoe Z71

[Tonyrodz]

I took the day off work to work on the truck for a few hours and hang out with the wife and son.
I have looked at diagrams showing the side skirts but wanted to know exactly how they were attached; since I need to do rockers anyway, I figured I'd take one side off to give me more room to clean up the frame. Those brackets didn't want to come off; all the bolts were rounded off and rotten. I had to cut out the inner rockers around them to get them off. I think I will be spot welding them onto the new panels when the time comes because I don't have a template of where to tack weld the nuts to the inside of the inner rockers.
View attachment 220622

Inner and outer rockers won't be bad too bad to do. I fear getting the pillars to line back up without sagging but I'll figure it out. I think I can clean up these side skirt brackets/plate and reuse them. Now that I see how the steps attach, I'm comfortable keeping the steps mounted factory style (I was going to build brackets and bolt them to the frame rails).
View attachment 220623

I cleaned up a few body mount cups and frame mounts but didn't get anything primed because of the humidity today. I also decided I want to cut out the lower inner rear wheel wells and build new ones. I see a major GM design flaw with them that I don't like; that seam is bad but the inside is foam filled along the seam and retains moisture. It will also allow me to prime and paint these inner panel areas too.

That's why the rear dog legs always rust and rot, that damn foam.

 

[zraffz]

That's why the rear dog legs always rust and rot, that damn foam.

I can't buy that portion of the inner wheel well that butts up against the dog leg, can I? I know I can make it myself if I absolutely have to.

 

[Tonyrodz]

I can't buy that portion of the inner wheel well that butts up against the dog leg, can I? I know I can make it myself if I absolutely have to.

Not really sure. Mine was bubbling, body shop fixed it, came back less then a month later.
Came back worse. Should've left it alone.

 

[zraffz]

Not really sure. Mine was bubbling, body shop fixed it, came back less then a month later.View attachment 220653
Came back worse. Should've left it alone.

They used body filler over bare (sanded) rusted metal. Their are ways to make that work for a few years but it's a no-no.

I'm not much of a body guy. I've done a few cab corners, outer rockers, patches and lower quarters but the mechanic at my job worked on classic cars for 10+ years prior to working with us - so I am learning even more.

 

[Tonyrodz]

They used body filler over bare (sanded) rusted metal. Their are ways to make that work for a few years but it's a no-no.

I'm not much of a body guy. I've done a few cab corners, outer rockers, patches and lower quarters but the mechanic at my job worked on classic cars for 10+ years prior to working with us - so I am learning even more.

Actually they cut a piece of metal out, maybe 1 1/2× 2", welded it, filled around it. Got it to bare metal. I actually saw it just after he welded the piece of metal in. I don't know what he didn't do for it to come back so quick. I'm not a body guy.

 

[zraffz]

I've been trying to time priming and painting the remaining 3 body mount cups and frame sections in between rain; it hasn't happened yet so I removed the motor. I originally tried taking it out the top but chickened out lifting it that high on my hoist so I ended up removing the radiator support... not bad, I can wire wheel and paint the brackets holding the core support on now.


I'm just going to freshen this old 5.3 up and store it for now. I have a 6.0 I'll be dropping in shortly...

 

[Tonyrodz]

I've been trying to time priming and painting the remaining 3 body mount cups and frame sections in between rain; it hasn't happened yet so I removed the motor. I originally tried taking it out the top but chickened out lifting it that high on my hoist so I ended up removing the radiator support... not bad, I can wire wheel and paint the brackets holding the core support on now.
View attachment 221212

I'm just going to freshen this old 5.3 up and store it for now. I have a 6.0 I'll be dropping in shortly...
View attachment 221213

Awesome idea pulling it through the front.

 

[ncalvo]

Good looking tahoe, I joined the forum because of this thread.
My 03 z71 driver side rocker is in rough shape, when I was leveling it and replacing the shocks I noticed one spot I could touch with my fingers to expose a fist size hole on the inside.
My truck lived half its life in CT, now I am in FL and don't like the idea of driving it on the beach after all it's already been through =(
I plan to clean it up underneath and take care of it as best as I can thanks for posting your work.

 

[SUBURBIAN]

Sub'd.