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My twist on box-tube rocker panels


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1 hour ago, krustyballer16 said:

So you're going to put the tubing inside that?

You're making a version of hooligan's kit except yours catches and caps a little more than theirs?

https://www.hooliganoffroad.com/products/xj-2x6-rocker-replacement-kit

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 

 

If I'm seeing those pictures correctly then I'd have to say no, as I'm not using any enclosed tubing of any kind.  These plates will get capped with 1/8" thick versions of themselves once they're welded to the inner rocker, the cab side behind the door, and the door sill.  I'll post up a scrap piece put in place tonight for a photo op.

 

The only similarity I see is that they are at least giving some means of attaching the tube to the factory inner rocker, which is much better than how most get done in my opinion.  

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  • 3 weeks later...

Been doing lots and lots of trimming to get these to sit flat against the remnant of the inner rocker and up against the "side" of the truck but I think its just about right.   

 

You can see the right side is not perfectly flat, which is frustrating.  Anyways, I decided to stiffen up the 16ga with some 2.5" dimples; should also help with getting some rust protection in there after everything is closed in.  

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In this picture you can see the cab corner I had to re-shape; it's ugly, but I'm not sure how much better I can get it with a hammer and dolly.  You can also see why I wish I would have spec'd more than 5" across the top :crazy:

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I like your plan and the ingenuity behind it.  If your willing to listen to a suggestion, I have an idea that may make them higher clearance and stronger as well.  Instead of making the rocker a rectangle, I would change the boxing piece so it tapers up to the outside, making the rocker more high clearance.  Bring the 3" dimension up to 1.5", and change the bends to line it up the way you planned.  I also think 16 gauge (.0625") is a bit thin, but understand why your using it. I am afraid that you will bend it if you land hard on them.  I dented my 120 wall DOM tube rockers on my XJ with a hard landing.

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19 hours ago, Andy in Pa said:

I like your plan and the ingenuity behind it.  If your willing to listen to a suggestion, I have an idea that may make them higher clearance and stronger as well.  Instead of making the rocker a rectangle, I would change the boxing piece so it tapers up to the outside, making the rocker more high clearance.  Bring the 3" dimension up to 1.5", and change the bends to line it up the way you planned.  I also think 16 gauge (.0625") is a bit thin, but understand why your using it. I am afraid that you will bend it if you land hard on them.  I dented my 120 wall DOM tube rockers on my XJ with a hard landing.

 

Good thoughts indeed, though I'm at a point now where I'm not willing to make any significant $changes$.  Also, I'm going to be attaching some 1.75" tube for "nerf bars" onto the outside.  As for the thickness issue, the outer pieces I'll be putting on are 1/8" thick.  Still on the thin side I know, but more substantial than 16ga.  

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts though!  Maybe somebody will see this thread and decide to tweak it as you are suggesting.  I mean, what else are forums for, right?

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4 hours ago, jroypdx said:

Don't forget the weld thru primer

 

I'm on the fence about this stuff.  I've used it in the past, and I know this is pretty well the perfect scenario to use it in, but I'm not sure if I'll use it or not.  It has pretty poor adhesion properties and if you do a bit of research you'll see that its use has become somewhat controversial.  I want to coat all of the surfaces I have exposed right now with something that will hold up really good; I was considering using some epoxy primer over EVERYTHING and grinding away the areas around the welds.  I'll just have to figure out a way to get some kind of coating in there after its all attached.  

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  • 4 weeks later...

Got the standoffs welded in tonight.  Definitely caused some warpage during the process, but everything fits together as intended. 

 

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I'm too ashamed of the rest of the welding to post pics :laugh:

Let's just say I need lots of practice!

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  • 1 month later...

I've been somewhat sidetracked with other parts of the truck lately and I'm trying to keep this thread on topic. 

 

The next step in the process is to paint several surfaces that will be un-accessible once the new inner rockers are in place, and this will have to wait till the weather warms up a bit.  In the meantime I decided to remove most of the mill scale from the rockers with white vinegar (acedic acid).  It worked like a charm, though I will probably have another go at the inner areas that the paper towels didn't want to stay clung to very well.  

 

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