My trucks rocker panels never really bothered me enough to consider replacement especially being an 02 with 275k+ miles on it. But its getting to the point where I can see big chunks hanging down, or chunks falling when I close the doors. another concern is my kids cutting their foot getting into the truck.
I really don't want to spend the money and time to cut out and replace both rockers. So I was curious if anyone has cutout their rockers and not replaced them? Then finished them off so there's no sharp edges, and it's still structural so the door gasket seals right and doesn't cause a bunch of wind noise.
Its a 2002 supercrew if it matters

 

Here’s some pics if that helps

 

The rocker panel serves two functions. One is aesthetic. Using your truck without the aesthetic function will have little to no effect on the operation of the truck beyond it looks like hell to a lot of people. The second function is support. The type and extent of support depends on the type of chassis the vehicle has. The rockers support function is more integral to a vehicle with a uni-body than it is with a ladder frame vehicle like our trucks but that doesn't minimize the panels support function. What the rocker supports is the body of the truck. It provides the solid support under breaks in the cab for doors for example which is even more critical with a crew cab. A common problem with rusted rocker panels on old trucks is cracked windshields. The entire support of the cab is eventually effected by the loss of the rocker panel. A bad jolt on the suspension is all it takes for a crack. They often start as small cracks and get longer and longer over time. If you've ever seen a truck with a cab sagging in the middle it probably started as someone letting a rusted out rocker panel go without repair. It's up to you about what you do about it. Do an internet search for the purpose of the rocker panel or go to a vehicle body website and ask what they have to say if you want more evidence.

 

So I did some googling and it appears your partly right. Uni bodies and newer full frame vehicles do need rocker panels for different reasons. But it seems like my truck does not fully rely on the rockers for support.
I’ve never seen a truck that has sagged in the middle of the cab. I’ve seen the rear of the cab sag, but those issues are 100% body mounts rusting out or the rubber bushing falling out.

 

Yes it does use it for support. Depending on WHAT you cut, your door will eventually start sagging if you cut too much out of there.

 

Yes, you can completely remove the rockers on these trucks and run without. They don't support anything, not even the doors. They look much better from outside without rusty rockers. You won't notice them missing until you open the doors. Then it's like wow....what's wrong with this picture lol.

The three and four door Supercabs (suicide doors) have a bottom catch at the rear door fronts that are built into the rocker. You won't have that, but everything still works, rear doors shut almost like normal.

The Supercabs probably don't have anything built into the rockers.

Yea, you'll never know it's missing it's rockers from the outside. They don't support anything, - these trucks would be in deep shiii if they did lol.

 

Also, if you cut them out, don't cut out the slots that your trim piece inside the cab fit into. You don't have to, and your cab will seal from the inside when the doors are shut.

 

Wonder how much worse that crash would be without rockers? (or with extensively rusty ones?)
Probably not much as it didn't look like much crash protection when new.

 

LOL. Let's just forget what Ford says about their trucks in their Body Repair Manual. The Rocker and what we recently saw in another thread here called the inner rocker but Ford calls the inner support are welded together which together are welded to the floor pan. Why? Because together they are the horizontal support to the floor and cab. I'm not saying that. Ford is saying that.

The crash test picture is nice but meaningless. The cab floats on the frame and for the most part they are independent of each other which is why I said the truck will still run with or without rockers.

 

LOL, -Exactly!

The Rockers aren't fully welded anywhere. They're are just tacked or spot welded with Butyl in between, if that. They only have butyl on the bottom where they attach to the 16 gauge cab drop. The drop is thicker, it will rust as well, but usually repairable. Rockers are 18 gauge. Yea, very easy to remove "just" the rocker with a spot weld cutter. Lower cab strength for the gen 10's is all in the gussets, floor and cross....period.