Box tube rocker replacement

[dave92cherokee]

Working on the manche finally got the floor done, primered, seam sealed. Just have a couple of small rust holes that I need to patch up. Been working on the rockers getting ready to put in some 2x6 box tube. Checked the metal supply and I can get 3/16 and 1/4 for the same price and there's only a 20LB weight difference between the two, so given that I'm thinking going with the 1/4 for the extra strength. Been searching and looking for peoples builds to see how others have done it specifically the cab corner as I don't plan to extend it under the bed. Most people seem to only go to the first lip in the rocker to avoid having to cut up the doors, but has anyone gone all the way up to the bottom sill plate and cut up the doors? Will start off with just the box capped at both ends and then add in the supports to the frame this spring/summer. So has anyone done that in any of their build and taken pics so I can see some different ideas?

[A-man930]

Subscribing :popcorn:

[SW86]

^ x2. ive been looking into this more and more here lately. found a local steel place with what i need just need to dig up a few more threads before i go cutting into my MJ like that :eek:

[dave92cherokee]

Here's a thread from 86fubar and how he did his rockers only he went to the very bottom under the doors like alot of people do.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=5484&hilit=PROJECT+FUBAR&start=45

 

Then of course there's the JF way

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/time ... ndex7.html

 

And there's a bunch of people that have done it on NAXJA to both 2 and 4 door xj's. Doing the bottom sill and the front part isn't what I'm worried about I'm just wanting to see what others have done with the cab corners. From the few I've seen on here it seems alot of people run past the cab for protection for the front of the bed, but can't tell if they've welded the bed to it or not. Can't see why they would as then you wouldn't be able to remove it anymore. Whatever it may be I'm going to take pics along the way for cut lines and how/where I weld it up. It may take a while as the jeeps been being worked on slowly for the last year getting built, but I will update it as I go.

[Pete M]

couple thoughts:

 

-3/16 box steel is pretty difficult to hurt

 

-the greater the difference between metal thicknesses, the greater the challenge in welding them together

 

 

I'd go 3/16 :thumbsup:

[86customanche]

Subscribing :popcorn:

 

:agree: only major rust spots left on mine

[SW86]

Here's a thread from 86fubar and how he did his rockers only he went to the very bottom under the doors like alot of people do.

http://www.comancheclub.com/forums/view ... R&start=45

 

Then of course there's the JF way

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/time ... ndex7.html

 

And there's a bunch of people that have done it on NAXJA to both 2 and 4 door xj's. Doing the bottom sill and the front part isn't what I'm worried about I'm just wanting to see what others have done with the cab corners. From the few I've seen on here it seems alot of people run past the cab for protection for the front of the bed, but can't tell if they've welded the bed to it or not. Can't see why they would asupdate it as I go then you wouldn't be able to remove it anymore. Whatever it may be I'm going to take pics along the way for cut lines and how/where I weld it up. It may take a while as the jeeps been being worked on slowly for the last year getting built, but I will .

 

 

that first link is the exact one i was thinking of. I'm not going past the cab with mine since my bed rockers will be gone by then. i may go a few inches actually to run sliders off of. i honestly don't see the point of welding it to the bed. id say just run a support out to the frame if possible. its not like that thing is going to go anywhere anyway after all that welding lol so the support leg might just be overkill

[dave92cherokee]

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showpost ... stcount=25

 

There's a clip from ORS's stage two build showing the sill's being welded to the 2x6. Will probably do kind of like that so the edge and surface are welded to the box tube. Most seem to go with either 1/8 or 3/16 thickness with the latter being the stronger obviously for more strength and abuse. Thinking I might also check into the price for some 3x6 3/16" which would allow me to bend a couple of tubes in the future to weld to the outside like most typical rocker guards. I've thought about sealing them up for use as air tanks but seeing how hard of a time others have had getting an air tight seal think I'm going to pass on that and just simply cap them then bedliner/undercoat the bottom sides.

[A-man930]

its not like that thing is going to go anywhere anyway after all that welding lol so the support leg might just be overkill

I've heard that its actually not too uncommon to over time see the unibody sheet seperate from the stuff welded in. I'm wondering if it would be feasible/better to run supports inward to the frame for the entire length of the slider? Instead of only past the cab, as you say.

What I'd like is some more cut-away pictures of the section of floorpan outside the "frame rail" as viewed from the interior. or I just need to get into one and start cuttin!

[86FUBAR]

I considered going all the way up to the door sill and cutting the door but after some measurements and pleanty of head scratching I cut the lower part and mocked it in place and the bottom of the 2x6 sits right at the bottom of the floor as you can see in the underneath pics on my build . So raising the side another 2" didn't seem worth the extra effort to me unless I was gona boatside it (that's at a later date) and it gave me a better seam to weld to IMO. I am going to add supports but just havent figured out how I wanted to run them yet , i ran mine all the way back under the bed because I wanted the added protection and would like to incorporate them into a step side style bed later on and if I don't like it I can cut it off but for now it works . I did weld up the passenger side and made it my air tank and it's not that hard , just use lots of heat and try not to stop and start a bunch of times and if you do start the weld infront of where you stoped and run backwards over were you stoped at by atleast 3/8" and then move froward and overlap the weld by atleast 3/8" . I like to smooth it out with the flap weld after the final pass and then pressurize it and hit it with some soapy water , mark any holes and grind them down and fill them in and repeate. I'll add more later...