Driver Rusted Jack point

[troupes23]

My driver side jack point is completely rusted. Jacking it up the pad causes crackling noises, so I stopped exerting pressure there. When I tried to use the side hole, the hole BENT out out of the rocker panel. I stuck a bar into that hole and bent the metal in the area back into place.

I'm thinking of welding some sort of stable metal in there. Does anyone know the best way to go about this? Replacing a rocker panel by yourself is a hefty job. I'm thinking of cutting out the surrounding metal and welding in several plates to bridge the rusted areas and essentially making a new jack point.

Opinions/advice? I am not leaving this car behind because of this jack point.

(Also, until then, any ideas on how to jack up the driver side of the car without doing it from the x-brace?)

[Axxe]

Best bet is to find someone parting an e36 with intact jack point, cutting all the surrounding metal out and grafting it into your car. Frame rail is a good spot to jack the car up from (it's about 12-16" inboard of the jack point in the front).

[troupes23]

Hmm. Interesting. Do you think Tom in Cambridge would have the tools to help me perform such a task?

[sb_600]

Cut out the bottom of the rocker, and then you have access to reinforce the jackpoint. Check out my thread - i'm going through the same thing (seems like a few of us are!), but I'm not doing the reinforcements since it's a track car and I don't need that jack point:

http://www.maxbimmer.com/forums/show...138342&page=15

See post #222 for what it looks like inside

[sb_600]

Oh and to jack up the car, you can also raise it up from the rear, and the front should lift up too.

[InfiniteDice]

Big job.

Drive up on a few boards or ramps then jack from the cross member.

[troupes23]

Interesting. Thanks so much for the response. Does that mean that the jack point/rocker is not a structural piece at all? It looks to be a strong piece of metal that is just attached to other points in the car?

I don't _need_ that jack point at all. I have a skirt to cover it up. But for my sake, I feel it'd be nicer to have the point - for resale and all that. If I go to Tom's or Fil's, do you think they could cut out part of a rocker for me for cheap?

[Dr. Flyview]

Originally Posted by troupes23

If I go to Tom's or Fil's, do you think they could cut out part of a rocker for me for cheap?

Call them and ask? Doubt it though.

And resale on a max 2k car? Lettuce be cereal.

[doogee]

Originally Posted by troupes23

If I go to Tom's or Fil's, do you think they could cut out part of a rocker for me for cheap?

Give Tom a call. It won't be a problem.

[sproule905]

^^ 100% Fil will get it out.

[Vrbovsky]

Tom just sawed of a trunk bottom for me... For free!