Ford Explorer: Side Panel Sheet Metal Repairs / Removal and Installation - Rocker Panel

Special Tool(s) / General Equipment

Materials

Removal

  WARNING: Electric vehicles damaged by a crash may have compromised high voltage safety systems and present a potential high voltage electrical shock hazard. Exercise caution and wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) safety gear, including high voltage safety gloves and boots. Remove all metallic jewelry, including watches and rings. Isolate the HV system as directed by the Ford Emergency Response Guide for the vehicle. Failure to follow these instructions may result in serious personal injury or death.

NOTICE: Battery electric vehicle (BEV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) contain a high-voltage battery. Before welding near the high-voltage battery it must be removed to avoid heat damage.

NOTICE: Sectioning may not take place within 50 mm of restraints anchoring points, door hinges, door strikers or suspension mounting points. Failure to comply may result in compromising the vehicles structural integrity.

NOTE: Left hand (LH) side shown, right hand (RH) side similar.

1.   WARNING: Before beginning any service procedure in this manual, refer to health and safety warnings in section 100-00 General Information. Failure to follow this instruction may result in serious personal injury.

   Refer to: Health and Safety Precautions (100-00 General Information, Description and Operation).
   Refer to: High Voltage System Health and Safety Precautions - Overview (100-00 General Information, Description and Operation).
   

1. Remove the front fender.
   Refer to: Fender (501-02 Front End Body Panels, Removal and Installation).
   

1. Remove the front and rear doors.
   Refer to: Front Door (501-03 Body Closures, Removal and Installation).
   Refer to: Rear Door (501-03 Body Closures, Removal and Installation).
   

1. Remove the front and rear door lower hinges.
   

1. Remove the rocker panel moulding.
   Refer to: Rocker Panel Moulding (501-08 Exterior Trim and Ornamentation, Removal and Installation).
   

1. Carefully cut the outer panel only.
   Use the General Equipment: Air Body Saw
   Use the General Equipment: Spherical Cutter

1. Remove the welds.
   Use the General Equipment: Spot Weld Drill Bit

1. Remove the rocker panel.
   

Installation

  WARNING: Electric vehicles damaged by a crash may have compromised high voltage safety systems and present a potential high voltage electrical shock hazard. Exercise caution and wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) safety gear, including high voltage safety gloves and boots. Remove all metallic jewelry, including watches and rings. Isolate the HV system as directed by the Ford Emergency Response Guide for the vehicle. Failure to follow these instructions may result in serious personal injury or death.

NOTICE: Battery electric vehicle (BEV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) contain a high-voltage battery. Before welding near the high-voltage battery it must be removed to avoid heat damage.

NOTICE: The high-voltage battery in a battery electric vehicle (BEV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) can be affected and damaged by excessively high temperatures. The temperature in some body shop paint booths can exceed 60° C (140° F). Therefore, during refinishing operations, the paint booth temperature must set at or below 60° C (140° F) with a bake time of 45 minutes or less. Temperatures in excess of 60° C (140° F) or bake durations longer than 45 minutes will require the high-voltage battery be removed from the vehicle prior to placing in the paint booth.

NOTICE: If refinishing cure temperatures exceed 60° C (140° F), the charge port light ring on plug-in vehicles must be removed.

NOTICE: Sectioning may not take place within 50 mm of restraints anchoring points, door hinges, door strikers or suspension mounting points. Failure to comply may result in compromising the vehicles structural integrity.

NOTE: Left hand (LH) side shown, right hand (RH) side similar.

NOTE: Factory welds may be replaced with resistance spot welds or metal inert gas (MIG) plug welds. Resistance spot welds may not be placed directly over original location. They must be placed adjacent to original location and equal factory welds in quantity. Metal inert gas (MIG) plug welds must equal factory welds in both location and quantity.

1.   WARNING: Before beginning any service procedure in this manual, refer to health and safety warnings in section 100-00 General Information. Failure to follow this instruction may result in serious personal injury.

   Refer to: Health and Safety Precautions (100-00 General Information, Description and Operation).
   Refer to: High Voltage System Health and Safety Precautions - Overview (100-00 General Information, Description and Operation).
   

1. Cut the replacement panel to fit the repair area.
   Use the General Equipment: Air Body Saw
   Use the General Equipment: Spherical Cutter
   Use the General Equipment: Plasma Cutter

1. Drill plug weld holes.
   Use the General Equipment: 8 mm Drill Bit

1. Install, properly position and clamp the rocker panel.
   Use the General Equipment: Locking Pliers

1. Install the welds.
   Use the General Equipment: Resistance Spotwelding Equipment

1. Install the welds.
   Use the General Equipment: MIG/MAG Welding Equipment

1. Completely seam weld all sectioning joints.
   Use the General Equipment: MIG/MAG Welding Equipment

1. Metal finish all welds using typical metal finishing techniques and materials.
   

1. Seam Sealing:
   All seams must be sealed to production level.
   Material: Seam Sealer / TA-2-B, 3M™ 08308, LORD Fusor® 805DTM

1. Refinish the entire repair using a Ford approved paint system.
   

1. Install the front and rear door lower hinges.
   Torque: 26 lb.ft (35 Nm)

1. Install the rocker panel moulding.
   Refer to: Rocker Panel Moulding (501-08 Exterior Trim and Ornamentation, Removal and Installation).
   

1. Install the front and rear doors.
   Refer to: Front Door (501-03 Body Closures, Removal and Installation).
   Refer to: Rear Door (501-03 Body Closures, Removal and Installation).
   

1. Install the front fender.
   Refer to: Fender (501-02 Front End Body Panels, Removal and Installation).
   

1. Adjust the front and rear doors.
   Refer to: Front Door Alignment (501-03 Body Closures, General Procedures).
   Refer to: Rear Door Alignment (501-03 Body Closures, General Procedures).