Good body repair stuff

[TheGreatGazoo]

Good point, it is essential that the two parts of the epoxy are used in the correct ratio and mixed well. In terms of using a tip or not, I don't see how the 8115 is any different than any other epoxy or paint or body filler that needs to be ratio'd and mixed. The mixing tips are handy, especially for big jobs, but they also waste a lot of material on small jobs (the main reason I don't use them regularly). I use 8115 for a lot of smaller stuff other than sticking big panels on.

I may have to pick your brain then... We use it mainly for large jobs, lots of glue & weld or glue & rivet. One of the guys uses it to fill small burn thru holes (pinhole size) but i argue it’s an extra step you don’t need to take because the body filler is closing the holes up anyway.

For clarification sake 8115 is fantastic

 

[chrmbly]

Chris, of course it is easier to pay someone else replace your rockers , but if you are ambitious and handy, you can easily buy yourself a few years. Just covering it up won't last. If you aren't in a hurry, try a small spot and see how it goes. That's how I figured out what did and didn't hold up in the snow belt of Western NY.

Yeah I suppose that was worded poorly. Lol.

I’ve sunk enough $ into the truck that I plan on keeping it for a while (well, that and the cost of NEW ones). I’m not opposed to giving something like this a shot - worse that happens I suppose is that it still need replaced someday!


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[Randy Whistler]

Not to thread hijack, but rust repair is on my list too..

Hijack away! This is excellent information and I suspect every one of us out here wants to know more about this. I for one appreciate the participation and exchanges!!

 

[Randy Whistler]

To all: thanks for everyone's input! I actually feel well-informed enough(or crazy enough? ) to give this a try and see what happens. As Mike said, I'm going to work on some of the smaller spots first to get used to working the product, and then progress to the larger pieces. I used to hang & mud sheetrock in my younger days, so the filling/smoothing part I'm OK with. It was the products and procedures that I was a little vague on.

I'll update my progress as I move forward. Thanks to everyone who's posted, this is exactly why I like this forum!

 

[TM98]

Have you started yet? I've done a fair bit of rust repair with really good luck. My dad's 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee had majorly rusted fenders which I patched up a 3 years ago (3 new york winters). They still look great with no signs of returning rust.

Waterproof, sealed, waterproof.... most important. Patch with steel, fiberglass, galvanized flashing, or whatever you want as long as it is sealed up and waterproof. Bondo and a few coats of rattle can paint won't last. If moisture can get to the back, it just won't last. If the patch material can absorb water (like most body fillers) it won't last.

My process for a low budget fix would be:
1. Cut or grind away any rusted metal. I grind back through paint that still looks pristine until I find clean metal. You will find that rust creeps along the steel under your paint before the paint shows any kind of defect.
3. Get some galvanized flashing from your local hardware store.
4. Cut and bend patches as needed.
5. Get some 3M body panel adhesive (08115). I don't use the mixer tips that come with the adhesive. You can buy the gun to squirt the adhesive, or just make your own. I have two pieces of broomstick screwed to a small board, and I shove those into the tubes to squirt some out on a mixing board. Mix the adhesive, and go to town. It's like JB weld, but a little thinner. It seals wonderfully, sticks great, etc.
6. Coat all the areas that you have ground down with the body panel adhesive (inside and out), and stick your patches on. you'll probably need some masking tape to hold the patches.
7. For small holes, just grind them down and fill with the body panel adhesive.
8. I would skim coat a thin layer of the body panel adhesive over the whole patch to further seal it up.
9. If you want, apply some waterproof filler and paint to make it look pretty (marine stuff is good). If your patch is all sealed up with epoxy (body panel adhesive), then further filler and paint is cosmetic only.
10. Spray 3m body cavity wax or Fluid film on the inside of the repair, and maybe even the outside if you don't mind it being oily.

This is a good patch that should last several years.

Lest folks should think I am a hack bodyman, I also do top quality body restoration work. You need to decide what you want. Honestly. welded patches don't necessarily last longer. It will cause paint to burn off inside your panels around the patch area, creating more possible places to rust, and many patches are welded in with some overlaps or gaps that trap water. I have cut apart plenty of welded in patches that created as much problem as they fixed. I'm sure it looked good and felt good for a year or two, but then things went down hill.

What waterproof filler are you suggesting?

 

[chrmbly]

@Addicted

I poked around the interwebs a bit and found a lot of similar reviews of the body adhesive. Thanks for the tips - whenever I'm feeling brave enough I will give this a go. Good news is for rocker panels, they're not that visible so probably easier to do a hack job and still look ok.

I also noticed a bit of rust beginning at the bottom of one of the rear doors and a very small bit on the hatch near the seams. Will this stuff work in that application too as long as i can get rid of the visible rust and get it to clean metal?

Thanks again.

 

[Randy Whistler]

@Addicted

Will this stuff work in that application too as long as i can get rid of the visible rust and get it to clean metal?

Thanks again.

I was going to ask the same question. . .

 

[Addicted]

@Addicted

I poked around the interwebs a bit and found a lot of similar reviews of the body adhesive. Thanks for the tips - whenever I'm feeling brave enough I will give this a go. Good news is for rocker panels, they're not that visible so probably easier to do a hack job and still look ok.

Exactly. Worry about getting it cleaned and sealed up good. Maybe find a good spot to mask to and shoot some black paint on it to hide it.

 

[Addicted]

@Addicted

I also noticed a bit of rust beginning at the bottom of one of the rear doors and a very small bit on the hatch near the seams. Will this stuff work in that application too as long as i can get rid of the visible rust and get it to clean metal?

Thanks again.

Seams are tough to stop, but yes. I’ll throw another idea out.

I have used clear epoxy from walmart for my door seam work in the past. Clear is nice because you can see through it and find recurring rust sooner. For this type of stuff, I use a dremel with a cutting wheel and keep grinding till I find the end of the creeping rust below the paint. For these seams that I know I can’t get all the way in to, I usually brush a tiny amount of zinc rich primer on the seam before the epoxy. I can’t really say if the zinc primer makes a difference, but it isn’t hard to do. Epoxy past the primer because the primer will wick moisture in. Spray some Fluid film or Krown oil in the door drains at every oil change too. If that wicks in to the primer, it should help instead of hurt.

This is my 2010 Rav4 that I bought new. It is my winter car, so it sees a lot if snow and salt. I did this repair in 2014 after finding rust bubbles growing at the door seam. Still looks pretty good 4 years later, but I bet it would have gone to hell if I hadn’t caught it early.