Over the last week I have been going over my car for a full detail and upgrade. Inside out front to back.

Last night I got around to the rockers and figured I would share my pics. The rockers were "clean" as you wash the car, yet with the sponge reaching you could feel/see it was still very dirty, caked on and would not come clean with standard washing. Figured I would remove them to properly clean them. I wont be driving the car daily or in bad weather and after a few years of use from the previous owner I thought its a perfect time for me to detail the car.

Removal only takes about 5-10 minutes each. Super easy.


1. Start by removing the 4 plastic torx screws. You may need to use a panel popper to put pressure from behind them so they unscrew, when they do, pop the platic torx screw along with the plastic insert out as one.

2. Remove the 2 10mm bolts at the front of the panel.

3. Remove the 2 jacking pucks. There is a large flat blade screw insert that unthreads and pops out from the center of the puck. Then pop the pucks off with with panel popper.

4. Unsnap the panel and remove.

• The panel is snapped to the car right behind the front wheel and infront of the rear wheel. There are white plastic pop clips under the panel in the door jamb. (I will add pics later) There are two "painted screws" that stick down from the body through the panel into the jacking pucks, so removal should go as follows.
• Unsnap the front and back by the wheels.
• Pull the panel from underneath the car down towards the ground and out towards you to clear the 2 painted screws that go down through the puck opening.
• Open the door and unsnap the panel with the white plastic clips.
• Remove the rocker panel.

Few pics:

Panel removed with mounting hardware
1-4.jpg

3+ years of caked on road grime
2-4.jpg

The back side of the panel Yes that is even dirty. Notice the points where the panel snaps to the rocker of the car, front and rear.
7-2.jpg


And cleaned, I used Turtle Wax bug/tar remover. I coat, soak, scrub and repeat. I did that about 4 times per panel. I still need to claybar and apply my 3M paint protection film.
3-4.jpg

Figured I should whipe down the rocker anyways. Notice the attaching points for the rocker panel front and rear. You can hardly notice the painted screw where the front puck would be. Pointing down to where all the dirt fell on the ground.
4-4.jpg

Here is the door jamb with the panel removed, notice where the clips snap in place.

8-2.jpg

9-1.jpg

 

I have been wanting to do that since I bought my Crossfire last year. Now I see it is not a real big deal to remove. Thanks for the info...

James

 

Thanks i just put this thd. in my favorties so when i get ready i can find it thanks jim

 

Had no idea it was this simple, nice photos and directions, Thanks

 

That is great information! This thread should be made a sticky.

 

This post is quite timely considering whats going down elsewhere on this forum.

 

Those look great!! I'll trade you for my dirty ones, they're Aero Blue!

Excellent write up and as mentioned, very good timing.

 

Again, another great pictorial..........thanks!

 

I must have missed something, fill me in.
EDIT, found it and read all of it. Wow.

 

Nice write up AC.
You Da man!

 

Thank you
I will save this.
Nice job !!!!!

 

Ask and you shall receive.....It's a sticky

 

Very nice tutorial.

 

I added the 2 pics of the door jamb and clips.

 

I am trying to remove my side panels as per your instructions/photo's. I have been able to remove all the screws and bolts except the 4 jack puck screws. One of them is stripped, which makes it even worst. The others turn but do nothing else.
If I was working with my CF on a lift I could see what I'm doing better. This just adds to the confusion.I can't get the screws to unscrew. There is no room for me to pry them under the screw lip. They sit flush within the jack puck.
Do you know why they are not coming out. Is there another way to get them to move. If I could get them started I could slide a panel popper between the screw and the surface of the puck.
Today was one of those rare days with low humidity and cool air. Great day to work on the car.
Next week will be in the 100's and humid again. What started out easy became impossible.

 

I have got the pucks off, to do this I applied a downward pressure on the puck by levering it against the underside of the rocker panel and turning the screw. The screw came out enough for me to grab it with my fingers and pull it out. The screws will not be stripped, they have a very strong thread so do not worry about that, they need the downward pressure on the puck to get them to grip and turn out. Do not apply pressure upward on these two screws as they will just turn and give you the impression that they are stripped. Keep the screwdriver in the slot and turn, with no upward pressure you will see the screw start to come out.
I pulled the panel straight out at the ends, with caution abandoned to the wind they popped out.
The cold weather makes these snaps quite stiff and two clips of the five on the door sill broke. When they warmed up in the house they are quite flexible, too late for the broken clips though.
The painted screws mentioned in the first post only align the pucks and do not act as screws, they are just locating pins.
The plastic screws that are in the pucks expand the end of an insert that the screw goes into that catches behind the chassis. The insert slides up and down in the puck and the screw pulls the expanded jaws against the inside of the chassis. It is tough to explain but obvious when you see it.
The front and rear clips snap into slots in the top edge of the rocker panel.
The five clips that are in the door sill (#05101311-AA, Mercedes#A 170 988 08 78) are attached to the rocker panel before assembly and not inserted in the sill with the rocker panel being pressed into them, as they will not engage properly. When removing the rocker panel these clips should be lifted out of the holes in the body as vertically as possible and they will snap out of the holes in the body with no breakage still attached to the rocker panel.

 

Look at the last 2 pics I have in the first post.

The white clips, they clip straight down. So pop them straight up. As you will see the rocker panels are rather flexable. The clips are not "brittle" or thin. I dont think you have to worry about breaking anything. They are just clipped down.

The under portion of the rockers need to go straight down to clear those "screwes" that are part of the body before they can be pulled out towards the side.

 

I had two of those white clips break when I too my drivers side off.... I am still looking new ones in addition to the little round ones used on the rear interior..

 

See post #16

 

Just removed my driver side rocker panel and discovered that someone had been there before me. The large plastic screws that hold the jack pads on were so chewed up by someone just prying them off that I had to do the same. When I lifted up on the rocker panel to pop the panel off of the white plastic clips several broke. The procedure as written above is very straight forward and accurate. However plan on some parts needing to be replaced. If the large plastic screw that holds the jack pad on is messed up, plan on buying a complete jack pad assembly ($30.00) because they don't sell the screw seperate. If you need the white plastic clips they run $4.00 each. These prices were from my Chrysler dealer. Dont' know if there is a place to buy cheeper. If anyone knows of a place please post for future users.

Thanks for the help...

GuyWagon