Daryl Z71's 2006 Silverado Z71 Re-build

GrumpyGhost · March 5, 2018

I remember doing rust repair on my truck. It was a real PITA but I'm glad I did it. I would also be prepared to do some repair work on your front fenders. My driver side had rusted through to where the fuse box mounts. Also I wouldn't waste your time with rhino lining the inside of the rockers. Just get some por 15. The rhino liner will hold more salt and dirt, and get in the way of welding on your new rockers. Plus rhino liner will just peel off after it gets hot from the welding which is where the rot will start in the first place. I used weld through primer for my spot welds.

After I got everything painted I repainted the welds and then covered them with urethane caulk where I could get to. Also did I mention por15, it is awesome stuff. Clean up rusty areas as best you can then cover it with por15 as it is designed to adhere to "clean" rust. I only used a quart of por15 and it goes a long way.

I did a build thread on it awhile ago and need to post in it again as I have done more to my truck but life has just been hectic lately. Good luck with your rust repair and I'll be following along for sure!

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Daryl LBZ · March 5, 2018

7 hours ago, GrumpyGhost said:

I remember doing rust repair on my truck. It was a real PITA but I'm glad I did it. I would also be prepared to do some repair work on your front fenders. My driver side had rusted through to where the fuse box mounts. Also I wouldn't waste your time with rhino lining the inside of the rockers. Just get some por 15. The rhino liner will hold more salt and dirt, and get in the way of welding on your new rockers. Plus rhino liner will just peel off after it gets hot from the welding which is where the rot will start in the first place. I used weld through primer for my spot welds.

After I got everything painted I repainted the welds and then covered them with urethane caulk where I could get to. Also did I mention por15, it is awesome stuff. Clean up rusty areas as best you can then cover it with por15 as it is designed to adhere to "clean" rust. I only used a quart of por15 and it goes a long way.

I did a build thread on it awhile ago and need to post in it again as I have done more to my truck but life has just been hectic lately. Good luck with your rust repair and I'll be following along for sure!

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So you really think that the POR15 is better than bed liner? I haven't gotten down to tearing anything apart yet, but I was planning on painting the outer rocker panels with bed liner as best as I could after they were welded in. Like I said, I haven't really tore anything down yet so I wasn't 100% sure if that would even be a possibility. I did get some of the SEM weld through primer so I am good to go in that aspect.

Daryl LBZ · March 10, 2018

Started work on the truck yesterday. Got to the point where the bed and rear bumper are off.

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Daryl LBZ · March 12, 2018

Making some progress

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GrumpyGhost · March 14, 2018

Making some progress

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Looking good, I wish I had a 4 door, would have made the job so much easier!

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GrumpyGhost · March 14, 2018

So you really think that the POR15 is better than bed liner? I haven't gotten down to tearing anything apart yet, but I was planning on painting the outer rocker panels with bed liner as best as I could after they were welded in. Like I said, I haven't really tore anything down yet so I wasn't 100% sure if that would even be a possibility. I did get some of the SEM weld through primer so I am good to go in that aspect.

I just saw this today, I was under the impression that you wanted to use bed liner on the inside of the rockers before you welded the inner and outer rockers together. For that I would only use por15. The outside after it's all back together, I still wouldn't hesitate to use por15, but bed liner will do just as well, just a bit harder to clean.

I take my truck to a good carwash and get the undercarriage pressure washed. As long as you do something along those lines to keep that area clean, I wouldn't worry about it rusting through again for a long time.

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Daryl LBZ · March 14, 2018

I just saw this today, I was under the impression that you wanted to use bed liner on the inside of the rockers before you welded the inner and outer rockers together. For that I would only use por15. The outside after it's all back together, I still wouldn't hesitate to use por15, but bed liner will do just as well, just a bit harder to clean.

I take my truck to a good carwash and get the undercarriage pressure washed. As long as you do something along those lines to keep that area clean, I wouldn't worry about it rusting through again for a long time.

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I'll probably get some POR15 to spray on it instead. I'm planning on keeping it clean from now on as well so I'm hoping it helps.

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Daryl LBZ · March 15, 2018

Didn't get much done today besides getting more welding gas. Here are some pictures leading up to where it's at now

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Daryl LBZ · March 15, 2018

Picked up some new door pins and bushings from Napa.

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Daryl LBZ · March 19, 2018

All of the new steel is finished being welded in on the drivers side. I'll be starting on the passenger side this week.

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GrumpyGhost · March 20, 2018

Awesome job, seems to be going pretty quickly for ya. I wish I would have replaced my hinge assemblys when I did this job though. The hinge pins from any auto parts store seem to wear out pretty quickly.

Although my experience is from having to fix my driver door after someone backed into while it was open and ripped it straight forward Tommy boy style. I replaced my pins 2 times in a years time, then took it to a body shop where they charged me $300 for the job to bend the hinges and install the threaded pins with a nut to hold them in place.

I later interned at a body shop and learned that those threaded pins are the best option for a cheaper fix, but a new hinge assembly is way better. It's not a job for the weary though. I did a few of them while working there and it was nerve racking. The new assemblys come with nut and bolts to install where you drill out the huge three spot welds from the factory that hold the hinges in place, but we were also a restoration shop so we went ahead and welded the new hinges in place. Can't test fit the door until you have it decently welded in place to hold the weight, so we had to be spot on the first try.

Anyways, keep up the good work!

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Daryl LBZ · March 21, 2018

Turned the truck around today and started tear down on the passenger side. I also got my bumper brackets back from the blaster and started painting them.

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Daryl LBZ · March 26, 2018

Made some progress over the weekend.

Edited March 26, 2018 by Daryl Z71

CadillacLuke24 · March 28, 2018

Dude I am digging this thread...you're going all out! Kudos to you Daryl!

Hope to reach your point of progress and prowess with my Cadillac. More parts swapping than anything, but I'll be getting a few new body panels.

I am so happy Wyoming uses scoria and sand for winter traction as opposed to brine. My Cadillac is 22 years old and she has nowhere near the rust that your truck does. Not any rust through anywhere either!

Daryl LBZ · March 28, 2018

Thanks! I had to go all out to completely get rid of the rust. Dad and I got all of the panels welded in last night on the passenger side so all that is left is some body work. Even after that's done we still have to wait until it warms up some to be able to paint.