rock rails

[89eliminator]

i am going to be making rock rails this winter and was wondering if anybody has built them and what are the specs on them.

[TNT]

I'm going to be starting mine very soon. I'm building weld in rocker replacemrnt ones that will eliminate the pinch welds, I have built bolt on style style ones for XJ's in the past.

 

Let me know if you need some help.

[86FUBAR]

hey TNT iv been wanting to do the same thing to my manche but havent quite fingered out how I'm gona do it because the pinch seam tapers in from the front to the back then the last 8 inches or so it straitns out , i figured i could just hammer it in then weld the pinch seam to the box tubing? what do ya think

[TNT]

hey TNT iv been wanting to do the same thing to my manche but havent quite fingered out how I'm gona do it because the pinch seam tapers in from the front to the back then the last 8 inches or so it straitns out , i figured i could just hammer it in then weld the pinch seam to the box tubing? what do ya think

 

I'm removing the pinch seam completely. I will take pictures and do a how to write-up as I do it.

[Pete M]

My truck has no solid metal in the rockers or pinch seam to work with so I made mine independent of the "body" and worked entirely off the "frame". But the frame is just sheetmetal so I didn't want to simply weld or bolt to the outer surface for fear that the rocker protection would simply bend up into my rockers. So I came up with the idea of pushing the bars completely through the frame and welding to both sides. This way there is very little bending moment on the frame, just sheer forces. It's proven itself very strong I just wish I had done it years ago before shmooshing the rockers on the trails.

More photos and details are at http://www.picturetrail.com/petermontie in the "protection" folder.

 

 

 

 

[500 MJ]

This way there is very little bending moment on the frame, just shear forces.

 

Pete, you sound like my MEEM 2150 "Mechanics of Materials" Professor. :wall:

 

And to think that earlier on in the semester I thought I'd never have a good application outside of Civil Engineering to use this stuff on.

 

Very Sweet. :thumbsup:

[Pete M]

I was in the mechanical engineering program before I switched to industrial engineering. :D It's been a while since I had those classes and hopefully I got those terms right. :roll:

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

I don't think Wade will be cutting his rockers out anytime soon...

 

That being said, I think he's going to build something more "bolt on".

 

I'd use at least 3/16" thick tube. Also make sure you make a bracket to attach to the pinch seam to help spread the load if you do come down on them hard. Nothing is worse than having a set of rock rails and coming down on them and having it tear up your rockers more since you have them.

 

[TNT]

My plan is to remove the rocker back to where it attaches to the floor on the underside. I will leave about 1/8" of the outside of the rocker face below the door. The rocker rails will be fully welded along both edges. A piece of tube will also be mounted on top of the tube to fill the gap between the rail and the door frame sill plate before the rock rail is welded on. It will be rosette welded to the sill plate also. I will be plating the frame and welding supports from the frame to the rock rails. I might also boatside it from the inner edge of the rock rail to the frame rail so it will slide instead of getting hung up on the supports. The rock rail will extend back to the rear wheel opening on the custom box I'm building. The rail will be welded on to the box and exo rollcage also. I will be using 2"x6" tube with a smaller tube welded to the top of it to attach to the door sill. I will probably add some tube to the outside of the rock rail to make it wider. I want it to extend out far enough to be able to pivot on trees or rocks without body contact

[89eliminator]

I don't think Wade will be cutting his rockers out anytime soon...

 

That being said, I think he's going to build something more "bolt on".

 

I'd use at least 3/16" thick tube. Also make sure you make a bracket to attach to the pinch seam to help spread the load if you do come down on them hard. Nothing is worse than having a set of rock rails and coming down on them and having it tear up your rockers more since you have them.

 

 

that picture is pretty much what i wanted to do. instead of bolting to the frame though, i will most likely weld them to it.

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

that picture is pretty much what i wanted to do. instead of bolting to the frame though, i will most likely weld them to it.

Those are the rails on my XJ. Let me know if you want/need any other pics of them.

[FxRacing282]

that got like a 4'' body lift?

haha jk looks nice. i would prefer welding to the frame and drilling holes throughout to weld the "middle" so its stronger.

[500 MJ]

The more points that you put in the way of the moment exerted on the pipes by a rock or other obstruction, the stiffer your rails will be. In the same sense, the shorter you make your "standoff pipes" (from the frame to the outside of the Jeep), the less of a moment you exert on them.

 

(Putting the pipes on the frame as opposed to through the frame is similar to putting a pin in single shear as opposed to double shear. Double shear gives twice the strength. :smart: )

 

I like Pete's way of doing it the best, It reinforces the frame and gives sturdier rails.

 

I'm also liking this way because they seem to be the easiest to keep clean. A hose would clean the mud off of them in a snap. :thumbsup: (As opposed to making them part of the rocker panel or just below it and having a tight gap that is hard to keep clean)

 

All in all, its your call, but I know that when I fab mine up, they will be similar to Pete's.

[CWLONGSHOT]

I made my own as well.

 

Check out my post in MJ Projects: http://comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopi ... sc&start=0

 

CW