foremaw

As everyone as pointed out repair it. Rocker panels are glued to the frame and almost impossible to replace.

FortMorganAl

Dealer insisted they used jacking pucks, my pucks were on the passenger seat, and they still cracked mine. I let the dealer repair. That was over a year ago and I still can't see the repair. They are bonded to the frame so there isn't a lot of force ever put on them except when someone tries to lift the car by pushing on plastic rather than the steel under the plastic.

I would be far more afraid of them trying to replace it rather than repair. If they chisel it off are you sure they will get the new one glued on right?

1FUNC5

Who was it? I would really like to know for my benefit. I actually carry my own pucks in the trunk and require that they be used. I have a couple of mechanics that I worked with at Susan Schein that are now at another chevy dealer whom I trust very much. I have a very good idea who did it. They have actually cracked rockers on two of my c5's. PM or email and let me know. 1func5@bellsouth.net
Steven

surburban99

Sorry to hear about this. Everytime I take my coupe in for service, I remind them about the jacking pucks. I also watch them install the pucks and lift the car.

Yesterday, I had to get a tire plugged because of a nail. I helped the service guy, showed him where I installed the puck and watched him lift one side of the car. No problems.

Hope you get this fixed to your satisfaction.

NYC6

I can hardly believe that after 5 years of working on C6 Corvettes these moronic dealers are still damaging cars like this. idiots!

Kenny94945

Repair. Get life time guarantee.
Important post on the plastic repair chemicals.

Ditto...How they still do not know about jacking pucks.
Crack could have been from impact on a lift arm or other too.

Icebear

You would think any dealer that performed Vette work would know better. Couple of months ago I walked into a dealer shop to look at a car they had just taken in and were still in the process of prepping for sale.

Had it on a four point lift with the wheels removed to check breaks. Front two points were directly on the rockers behind the front wheel wells (no pucks, actually the pads were flipped up so bearing on the edge only) and the back points were on the floor pans.

This was not a small dealer, but one of the higest volume dealers in the state.

Figured if that was the best they could do, I needed to look someplace else LOL.

BTW didn't mention the dealer name on purpose, but could let you know in PM.

FredC7

I also vote for repair over replace. They would need to remove the seat to pull up the rug to get at the rocker. Do you really want your car sitting in a body shop with the door wide open while they grind and chisle away the old rocker. I cracked (more like chunked) my rocker on my old C5 and the repair looked perfect and still does many years later. It is far easier to repair the damage than to replace the whole rocker panel.

Corvette03051

Makes me sick. Had a wheel well hit by a jack handle at a local dealer with a 12" crack up the side on a a 300 mile car. Dealer told me I brought it in that way and they don't like customers like me and they were banishing me from their dealership, forever. I'm picking up my 17th new Vette purchased elsewhere today or Monday. No lie. In my opinon body work lowers the value of the car. I'd go to the best shop I could find for another look. BTW same thing happened to another forum member at the same dealer a while later but no banishment for him. LUCKY GUY

STEVE MC

Dealerships scare the s#*t out of me.

Larry/car

Repair. Then, trade it!! If not satisfied.

ALVetteFan

Thank you to everyone for your responses. Given the work involved in replacing it, I will give them the opportunity to repair the existing rocker panel first.

GS Z16, I sent you an e-mail. I know my PM box is full. I guess I need to upgrade my membership so I can save more messages.

I know to some it is just a car, but I have wanted a Corvette since I was five. It took me many years to get it and it is my first one. I took it to the dealership because the warning messages I had been getting seemed like something that would be covered under warranty (which they were). I am not sure who has the best repair shop in Birmingham, but I don't know if they would pay for the repair if it were not done in their body shop.

My current plan is this. I plan to call the body shop manager and get him to describe the exact repair process to me. I will post what he says in this thread. I will also ask about the warranty. I'll bet I get an interesting response. Since I have a good weather forecast this weekend, I plan to completely clean the car inside and out. It was about 95% clean yesterday, but there was a little dust on it. I will probably take it in next Wednesday (Monday and Tuesday we are forecast to have rain). I will give them specific instructions not to wash the car. The only people that have washed it are the NCM delivery people and me. I will take a stack of clean microfiber towels and tell them if they need to lean over a fender for any reason to use the towels rather than whatever they have in the shop.

1FUNC5

sent you an email back... give me a call

david2613d

thats nothing look what they did to my rockerpanel..



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

a body shop installing new brakes cracked it, i contacted geico and theyre installing a whole new rockerpannel

schmegeggie

Uh, what was the name of that dealership????

RedVette84

That's like when our sponsor dealership got three new GS's and they were in a hurry to get them out so they used 2x4's under the frame to jack them up. I told the service manager they have lifting pucks and I had better see them under our two C-6's when they are in for service or they are going some where else. Do I trust them to use them - no. That's why I'll be there watching them whenever mine goes in for service. There is NO reason to shortcut and screw up a customer's vette.

jmess

It says a lot about how far GM still has to go when incompetent service folks force you to stand guard while your Vette is service. GM should move the Vette to Cadillac.

RnLi

Cadillac shows courtesy, up front, but their wrench monkeys perform the same stunts. I had 1 civil case and 1 in house resolved, with 2 different Cadillac dealers in Arizona.....over stupid stuff.

The real issue is for the dealerships, since they are independent of GM Corporation, to compel their technicians to be responsible and for management to step up to issues.....in place of evading.

But, the technician issue is a tough one, because of the method in which pay/income is computed. That needs to change back to the old days of salary or straight hourly....IMO

torquetube

If GM wanted to bond the door jamb to the frame for alignment and NVH reasons, fine - but it was crazy to have the same part stick below the car, cantilevered out precariously over the frame rails (where you can't even see it).

It would be more practical if the current part was split in two. One bonded part and one external part that's screwed-on.

Nobody replaces the part now because it's too difficult. If it was easier, GM could turn replacement sills into a profit center. Right now, all the profit goes to the guy doing the patch job.

TCW

5 years? HA! Make that 13 years. This rocker panel/door jamb design has been used since 1997.

Tom