Tube for boxed in rockers

[Red94XJ]

I have been looking around the site for some time now and have not found the answer to my question. I am going to be boxing in my rocker panels this weekend. I am going to use 2x4x3/16" rec. tube for the rocker like 4x4trailhunters.com. I would also like to add some tube to keep the doors and handles off the rocks and trees. I was thinking of doing somthing like this:

http://www.picturehosting.org/images/Red94xj/sliders.jpg

So now for the question: I would like to use 1-1/4" x .120 or .188 DOM tube for the "sliders". Is that size of tube large enough to support the abuse of offroading? I also wonder about the method of attaching the tube to the 2x4. Would welding the tube to the face be strong enough or should I cut the 2x4 and have the tube go into it for a better shear strength? I don't know if that is clear, but I just can't figure out a better way to say it. Any and all info would be greatly appriciated.

Thanks, John

[98xjjeeper]

Iwould go with .188 wall and you might as well make the tube go through it although i dont think you would have a problem if you dont. Are you going to tie it into the pinch seam to?

[IntrepidXJ]

definately no thinner that .188

make sure you tie them into your "framerails" or a cage if you plan to use them and want them to hold up

i used 3x4x3/16"

[Wil Badger]

don't forget to add a piece that fits up inside the empty space between the pinch seam and the outter edge

[Capt. Nemo]

don't forget to add a piece that fits up inside the empty space between the pinch seam and the outter edge

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/muddyjeep1/structure.jpg

[Red94XJ]

I was planning on using 2x2 in that area (I think that is what you are showing in that pic). Would you recommend using a single full-length piece or would numerous smaller (4-6 inch long) pieces be enough?

[ponyracer1]

I built some out of 3X2 that tie into the pinch seam and the frame. I added 1 3/4 .120 wall just like your pic. I just bent mine up and welded it to the face of the 3X2. Mines holding up fine, you can use the hi lift jack to lift the side of the truck up with it and I've pivoted on a rock on the tube a couple of times with no damage but some gouges in the tube.

Long as you can weld there should be no problems.

[Weasel]

had mine done similar, not sure the tube size but it's probably around .120. I had a bout a 1/8" gap between the tube and box and they welded supports every ~8". Well I've noticed that I have pushed the tube in almost touching the box where there is no supports. It's not dented though.

[formatt]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/muddyjeep1/structure.jpg

that's completely unnecessary. use 4 pieces of 2x2x13ga wall at 6" for your spacers. Be sure to place them under your pillars. Anymore than that, you're just adding unnecessary weight to something that's basically hanging from sheet metal. Normally, I'm all about overkill but this was the one place where I tried to keep the weight down.

Randy's correct.. you absolutely have to tie them into your framerails. I've heard of people bashing them into the body as well as seeing some fall out because they weren't tied in or just really shotty welding.

Mine tie in to the framerails via 3 "kickers" on each side as well as having my cage come through the floor into those kickers. They're going nowhere... the only way they're coming out is if I bash my cage through the roof or the cage falls through the floor and tears the stiffeners off the framerail. :)

__________________
matthew - 96 xj
formatt fabrications
www.formattfab.com (http://www.formattfab.com/)

[ECKSJAY]

I agree that the 'space taker uppers' aren't necessary. Mine are welded to the bottoms of the door frames, below the pillars...and to the pinch seam. Nothing inside, I just cut square ends into my wheel wells to set the rockers to the right angle, then welded them there as well. Frame rail tie-in wasn't even necessary. My buddy and I have been wheeling ours for years this way and they're plenty strong.

If you want to save the round tubing on the outside, get ahold of some 3x6 .188 wall rectangular tubing. Make them one piece all the way down. I personally like the round tubing idea, but it wasn't feasible to me at the time, so I didn't do it. My 3x6 rockers are WAY overkill at .250 wall, but it was 'scrap' and not new steel, so I got a smoking deal on it. :) They're so thick that if I wanted to make them into air tanks I need only drill a hole and tap it to put a fitting in. I'm not fond of square pressure vessels though, so you won't find me doing that. :D

[Red94XJ]

Thanks for the input! I post up some pics when this gets done. As for the tube, I honestly really like the look and considering the cost difference between these and aftermarket sliders (not to mention my rusty, flatened rockers) I figure why not have 'em the way I want. Again, thanks.

[Brian Carpenter]

Rather than building the complicated tube to hang off the original Square stock, why not just fab it up pushed out further from the "framerails"? You wouldn't be adding the weight. You should have an easier build.

Also, Beware of attatching to the pinch strip in the rust belt.
I attatched mine that way based off of some Olympic sliders I purchased years ago.. The pinch rotted a bit, and as I came down on it hard, time after time.. it eventually pushed itself up into the cavity above it in the six places I anchored to the pinch.

Could ther be a better way?:read:

[formatt]

Could ther be a better way?:read:

yes.. please read above.

Randy and myself both stated better ways to mount them. Just welding them to your pinchseam without attaching to the frame or some sort of cage isn't enough.

[Brian Carpenter]

yes.. please read above.

Randy and myself both stated better ways to mount them. Just welding them to your pinchseam without attaching to the frame or some sort of cage isn't enough.
-eh, right dude..
In addition to supports on the unibody's "frame" I attatched to the pinch seam in 6 locations.. it was at those points that I managed to push it up into the hollow area. I think that replacing the original with square stock is excessivly adding weight..

ahem.

Now then.. is there a better way?

[Brian Carpenter]

-also, I am a firm believer that welding to a cherokee is a bad idea.. Yes I have done it... but there just isn't enough material anywhere to weld securely to.
It should be bolted to unless it's not practical.

[IntrepidXJ]

here's how i did mine:

http://www.myxj.net/tech/rockers/

yes they are welded to the pinch seam and the sheet metal above, but honestly, i don;t feel welding them to the pinch seam added much......

they have taken quite a few hard hits and are still holding up...

[formatt]

eh. you'd be hard pressed to find too many other people on this board that wheel their rigs harder than IntrepidXJ (randy)... that's not an opinion. If they're holding up on his rig, after the beating he gives it, they'll hold up on 95% of the rest of the rigs around here.

Brian, i'd look into a different way of attaching to the framerail than what you're using. The pinchseam welds aren't going to do much other than keep it from shifting around under you. I know there are guys doing it this way but IMHO, it's only a matter of time before their setup's end up the same way yours did.

If you don't mind and for the sake of being helpful to others, please post some pics of your framerail attachments so others can see what not to do.

[Brian Carpenter]

here's how i did mine:

http://www.myxj.net/tech/rockers/

yes they are welded to the pinch seam and the sheet metal above, but honestly, i don;t feel welding them to the pinch seam added much......

they have taken quite a few hard hits and are still holding up...
Nice website-
You attatched to a 'cage.. big difference if you don't have one.
I also stuck my sliders out further to avail myself of a step If I need to walk around the truck in the mud, and to help protect the doors from trees.
(that was back before I realized that trees don't always grow up straight)
-bc

[Brian Carpenter]

If you don't mind and for the sake of being helpful to others, please post some pics of your framerail attachments so others can see what not to do.

They are tapped and bolted in to the joint where the sheet metal overlaps, and in back to just in front of the rear spring perches, gusseted onto that metal as well. I can remove them in about an hour if needed.

Its just not enough to take the hard hits over and over....
Maybe I'm just asking too much (see avatar).

[David Taylor]

-also, I am a firm believer that welding to a cherokee is a bad idea.. Yes I have done it... but there just isn't enough material anywhere to weld securely to.
It should be bolted to unless it's not practical.

:confused1

[Lincoln]

:confused1

Dave, I never want to catch you welding on your junk.

[David Taylor]

Dave, I never want to catch you welding on your junk.

I was going to weld on it, but I took the doors off and it folded like a taco.

[Lincoln]

I was going to weld on it, but I took the doors off and it folded like a taco.

Soft shell or hard shell. Soft can be straightened but hard will just crack and fall apart. I would really hate to see you fall through the floor.

[David Taylor]

Soft shell or hard shell. Soft can be straightened but hard will just crack and fall apart. I would really hate to see you fall through the floor.

Definitly soft shell. I still might fall through the floor. I tried to weld to the unibody and God only knows what will happen. There is that hole in the floor only covered with ducktape.

[Captain Ron]

I'm hosed.

My whole cage is welded to the sheetmetal. :D

--ron

[Lincoln]

Definitly soft shell. I still might fall through the floor. I tried to weld to the unibody and God only knows what will happen. There is that hole in the floor only covered with ducktape.

My brother in law showed me how to fix that. You need to get ahold of some MDF or even 1x8 pine. Use some sheet rock screws to hold the boards in place (hammering them through will be fine). Then tape around the edge and get some shag carpet to cover it. The screws are there to keep the boards from sliding around since the rot won't hold much anyway.

Sometimes after years of service the duct tape will come loose. You'll know when you hit a pot holes and your shag carpet falls through the floor. Don't worry about it, but when you get home hammer in a few more screws and get some fresh shag.

It worked for 10 years on a Chevy Luv that had been hit by a train. You know, now that I think about it, who needs a welder. :dunno:

[Lincoln]

I'm hosed.

My whole cage is welded to the sheetmetal. :D

--ron

Ron, you're going to kill someone. Litterly something is going to fall off your junk and kill someone.

[Captain Ron]

Crap.

It gets worse.

I just looked. All my sheetmetal is welded together too. :D

--ron

[Capt. Nemo]

You need to get ahold of some MDF or even 1x8 pine. Use some sheet rock screws to hold the boards in place (hammering them through will be fine).

MDF? Stick with the pine. MDF swells when it gets wet. Sheesh, you're gonna kill someone suggesting stuff like that :scared:

[Israel]

My brother in law showed me how to fix that. You need to get ahold of some MDF or even 1x8 pine. Use some sheet rock screws to hold the boards in place (hammering them through will be fine). Then tape around the edge and get some shag carpet to cover it. The screws are there to keep the boards from sliding around since the rot won't hold much anyway.

Sometimes after years of service the duct tape will come loose. You'll know when you hit a pot holes and your shag carpet falls through the floor. Don't worry about it, but when you get home hammer in a few more screws and get some fresh shag.

It worked for 10 years on a Chevy Luv that had been hit by a train. You know, now that I think about it, who needs a welder. :dunno:

:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

[Lincoln]

Crap.

It gets worse.

I just looked. All my sheetmetal is welded together too. :D

--ron

You might as well go feed yourself to the shark now. It's all over.

[Lincoln]

MDF? Stick with the pine. MDF swells when it gets wet. Sheesh, you're gonna kill someone suggesting stuff like that :scared:

We don't get rain and when we get snow it's too cold to stick.

[cracker]

After reading this thread, I'm going to rivet everything :confused1

[Capt. Nemo]

We don't get rain and when we get snow it's too cold to stick.

How do you grow your potatoes then?

[Lincoln]

How do you grow your potatoes then?

Irrigation.
http://www.usbr.gov/pn/hydromet/select.html

[Capt. Nemo]

Irrigation.

:doh:

Is it safe? It all comes back around to that single issue, you know.

[GSequoia]

http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/030699302628_3.jpg

[Lincoln]

:doh:

Is it safe? It all comes back around to that single issue, you know.

Nothing is safe. You should come up some time and I'll show you all sorts of ways to die. My moto is, you first. :D

[badron]

===========================
Nothing is safe
==========================
That's not true. The driver should be safe. If he not safe? A no slider or cage or even tank will save you.
If he/she is, then everything is safe.

[cracker]

===========================
Nothing is safe
==========================
That's not true. The driver should be safe. If he not safe? A no slider or cage or even tank will save you.
If he/she is, then everything is safe.

:confused:

[Red94XJ]

So, the rockers are finished! Take a look at these babies...
I went from this mess
http://www.picturehosting.org/images/Red94xj/duprocker.jpg
To this :cool:
http://www.picturehosting.org/images/Red94xj/webrockers2.jpg
http://www.picturehosting.org/images/Red94xj/webrockers1.jpg
Here you can see how they come out past the body to give more protection and provide for a step.
http://www.picturehosting.org/images/Red94xj/webrockers3.jpg

[waxer]

So, the rockers are finished! Take a look at these babies...
I went from this mess
http://www.picturehosting.org/images/Red94xj/duprocker.jpg
To this :cool:
http://www.picturehosting.org/images/Red94xj/webrockers2.jpg
http://www.picturehosting.org/images/Red94xj/webrockers1.jpg
Here you can see how they come out past the body to give more protection and provide for a step.
http://www.picturehosting.org/images/Red94xj/webrockers3.jpg

Looks like they stick WAY out!! Do you have any pictures of how they are attached?

[Israel]

I would have extended them further to the wheel wells, but still, they look great!

[Red94XJ]

I found that there is a "bulkhead" of sorts under the front fender so I cut them to fit from the rear wheel-well-tub on up to the front at that point. This should also allow for ample trimming in the future when it's time for those 35's! I now have a place to use a high lift so that is another added bonus.