Body Shop Failed At Installing My Rocker Panel/Side Skirt.., Need advice

MTK24 · 10-12-2018, 05:11 PM

I ordered m3 style rocker panels from ECS tuning and the body shop installed them like absolute shit. There is a gap in the center line and they don't sit flush. As I am driving the gap is opening more and more.

They failed to install them to the car before painting. They went straight to painting and put them on with clips.

I have gone a second time and they re took them out and now it looks even worst when they put new clips in!

Any advice in this recommendation? I told them if they can glue it on and they said there is no space to glue or make it work

gamesfrager · 10-12-2018, 05:21 PM

No expert here, but if you can put back the original panels, would they go back perfectly?
It could be the one you got is not that great of quality?!

Maybe measure the distances between the clips of the original and the new ones.

IllSic_Design · 10-12-2018, 05:43 PM

From everything I've read of the M3 rockers, none fit well especially on the E90s. I believe they all need some work to get them to fit like OEM

MTK24 · 10-12-2018, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IllSic_Design

From everything I've read of the M3 rockers, none fit well especially on the E90s. I believe they all need some work to get them to fit like OEM

What kind of work?

I told the body shop if they can heat up the plastic and make it fit flush. They seemed lazy and careless.

The rockers use OEM clips but stick out a lot more. What work would they need to do to make them fit?

fravel · 10-12-2018, 08:00 PM

I have the same rockers. They don't fit perfect even with work (too short front to back). For lack of a better term, the "slots" for the clips on the M3 rockers aren't in the right spot either, which makes getting the rockers to completely lock on to the clips nearly impossible.

If you pull off the rockers, you'll see that for each spot where a clip goes, there are 2 small tabs that the clips should sit between. What I did is cut all those tabs off with a box cutter. This allowed me to fully seat the clips onto the rocker panels so that they are at least flush with the doors and don't have a huge gap. Photo attached. The horizontal rail is what the clips latch onto. See the little nubs on it? Remove those.

EDIT: also, either reuse your factory clips or get a new set of OEM clips. The ones that come with the rockers are junk.[IMG][/IMG]

MTK24 · 10-12-2018, 11:20 PM

thanks fravel. I will show your message to the next body shop I go to.

I was told that clips can not be re used once they are taken off?

BryGuy11 · 10-13-2018, 02:12 AM

Was the "body shop" named MAACO ??? A REAL body shop does Fab work and can make any panel fit issues work and look 100 % I suggest you give them a nice fucking review and plaster their name all over. If they give a shit about making money and gaining new customers they might tell you to bring it back.

MTK24 · 10-13-2018, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BryGuy11

Was the "body shop" named MAACO ??? A REAL body shop does Fab work and can make any panel fit issues work and look 100 % I suggest you give them a nice fucking review and plaster their name all over. If they give a shit about making money and gaining new customers they might tell you to bring it back.

They are actually a BMW certified body shop.

A few blocks away from BMW Seattle actually. I don't want to put no names and leave them on blast.

My car was side swiped and they replaced my door and rocker panel. I wanted the m3 style and had them paint that and install that on. Their excuse is "it's not OEM, not our problem"

RS DAVE · 10-13-2018, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vampire335i

What kind of work?

I told the body shop if they can heat up the plastic and make it fit flush. They seemed lazy and careless.

The rockers use OEM clips but stick out a lot more. What work would they need to do to make them fit?

After market panels are shit no matter who makes them, they never fit properly and the time and effort to make them do so you wouldn't want to pay for. it would be less costly to buy genuine ones in the long run. coming from a body man of 40yrs experience.

MTK24 · 10-16-2018, 03:11 PM

I ordered new spacers and pins 20 each side, 40 total.

It costed $75 from the dealer. Well here goes a third time install

TemjinX2 · 10-16-2018, 03:22 PM

my buddy that works at body shop said the same thing when he installed the m3 skirts on a e92. He said you had to tweak it to make it to fit and they dont bolt on like oem from the factory.

With that being said, he said any decent shop should be able to make it work. Maybe try more of a custom body shop that has more experience working with aftermarket parts.

I'm sure the BMW cert shop is probably used more for accident repair where they just order BMW parts, paint it and install.

Run Silent · 10-16-2018, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TemjinX2

my buddy that works at body shop said the same thing when he installed the m3 skirts on a e92. He said you had to tweak it to make it to fit and they dont bolt on like oem from the factory.

With that being said, he said any decent shop should be able to make it work. Maybe try more of a custom body shop that has more experience working with aftermarket parts.

I'm sure the BMW cert shop is probably used more for accident repair where they just order BMW parts, paint it and install.

^This.

Most BMW Certified body shops are not in the business nor have the inclination to do any type of fabrication work. This isn't justifiable to them from a financial standpoint. This would be better accomplished at a custom fabrication shop.

Also, I believe that it is best they paint the part whilst off the car - better outcome that way, so they likely did that part correctly.

10-12-2018, 05:11 PM	#1
MTK24 Lieutenant 485 Rep 599 Posts Drives: 2011 335I X Drive Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Seattle iTrader: (0)	I ordered m3 style rocker panels from ECS tuning and the body shop installed them like absolute shit. There is a gap in the center line and they don't sit flush. As I am driving the gap is opening more and more. They failed to install them to the car before painting. They went straight to painting and put them on with clips. I have gone a second time and they re took them out and now it looks even worst when they put new clips in! Any advice in this recommendation? I told them if they can glue it on and they said there is no space to glue or make it work Attached Images __________________ Vermillion Red
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

10-12-2018, 05:21 PM	#2
gamesfrager Banned 198 Rep 709 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Calgary iTrader: (0)	No expert here, but if you can put back the original panels, would they go back perfectly? It could be the one you got is not that great of quality?! Maybe measure the distances between the clips of the original and the new ones.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-12-2018, 05:43 PM	#3
IllSic_Design Colonel 2123 Rep 2,758 Posts Drives: 09 E92 335i Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Northern California iTrader: (1)	From everything I've read of the M3 rockers, none fit well especially on the E90s. I believe they all need some work to get them to fit like OEM
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-12-2018, 08:00 PM	#5
fravel Colonel 1645 Rep 2,494 Posts Drives: Monaco Blue '06 330i Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: The Nasti 'Nati iTrader: (1)	I have the same rockers. They don't fit perfect even with work (too short front to back). For lack of a better term, the "slots" for the clips on the M3 rockers aren't in the right spot either, which makes getting the rockers to completely lock on to the clips nearly impossible. If you pull off the rockers, you'll see that for each spot where a clip goes, there are 2 small tabs that the clips should sit between. What I did is cut all those tabs off with a box cutter. This allowed me to fully seat the clips onto the rocker panels so that they are at least flush with the doors and don't have a huge gap. Photo attached. The horizontal rail is what the clips latch onto. See the little nubs on it? Remove those. EDIT: also, either reuse your factory clips or get a new set of OEM clips. The ones that come with the rockers are junk.[IMG][/IMG] Attached Images __________________
	Appreciate 1 MTK24484.50 Quote

10-12-2018, 11:20 PM	#6
MTK24 Lieutenant 485 Rep 599 Posts Drives: 2011 335I X Drive Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Seattle iTrader: (0)	thanks fravel. I will show your message to the next body shop I go to. I was told that clips can not be re used once they are taken off? __________________ Vermillion Red
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-13-2018, 02:12 AM	#7
BryGuy11 Banned 43 Rep 104 Posts Drives: 07 BMW 335i coupe 6sp Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Shithole NH iTrader: (0)	Was the "body shop" named MAACO ??? A REAL body shop does Fab work and can make any panel fit issues work and look 100 % I suggest you give them a nice fucking review and plaster their name all over. If they give a shit about making money and gaining new customers they might tell you to bring it back.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-16-2018, 03:11 PM	#10
MTK24 Lieutenant 485 Rep 599 Posts Drives: 2011 335I X Drive Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Seattle iTrader: (0)	I ordered new spacers and pins 20 each side, 40 total. It costed $75 from the dealer. Well here goes a third time install __________________ Vermillion Red
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-16-2018, 03:22 PM	#11
TemjinX2 Major 521 Rep 1,485 Posts Drives: 2008 335xi e92 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Socal OC iTrader: (0)	my buddy that works at body shop said the same thing when he installed the m3 skirts on a e92. He said you had to tweak it to make it to fit and they dont bolt on like oem from the factory. With that being said, he said any decent shop should be able to make it work. Maybe try more of a custom body shop that has more experience working with aftermarket parts. I'm sure the BMW cert shop is probably used more for accident repair where they just order BMW parts, paint it and install.
	Appreciate 0 Quote