making my own rock rails

GirlScout1 · Dec 21, 2005

Well I started gathering and cutting materials for my rails today. This is the design that I decided to go with:

It's actually a little bit different from the picture because the support legs are 1" and 1/8" thick as well as the support that bolts to the pinch seam is 3/16" thick angle. I still need to go pick up my 2"x3"x3/16" tomorrow but everything else is cut. I just need to drill the holes and have it all welded together. So far i'm pretty happy with the way they are coming out and should run less than $90 once finished. Oh and took everyones advice and used my sawzall to do all the cutting so far.

hadfield4wd · Dec 21, 2005

Keep in mind the distance from the "frame" to the pinch seam is gets larger as you go back. My braces had to be longer for the back ones.

Matt

GirlScout1 · Dec 21, 2005

Yeah I did. the diviation from front to rear is about 1/2". Like I said those numbers were rough originally.

mwm · Dec 21, 2005

im plannin on something like that but with some more door protection

oemjeep91 · Dec 21, 2005

why cant u just take the rockers out and weld in some rectangular tubing wouldnt that work to

GirlScout1 · Dec 21, 2005

Yes it would but I really don't want to take out the rockers at this time. I like having the out reach of the rails and will just go this route for now. I can always pull them off later and do the cut outs if I decide

Ben H · Dec 21, 2005

that is exactly what I did to mine. They work fine. I havent lost them yet, but i need to re-enforce the mounts. I would like to put some diamond plate along the bottom to give it more of a skid effect. I worry about a rock catching the arms that attach to the frame. But I worry to much anyway.

tkm · Dec 21, 2005

when I made mine I used 3" angle running the leinght of the fram rail to mount it. I used a bunch of one inch welds to secure it instead of bolting them on and I mounted the suports high enough that the top of them touched the pinch seam so I just welded the suport arms to the pinch seam. Now my frame rails are reinforced and my rails are mounted solid. they have taked alot of abouse and are still holding strong.

GI-John · Dec 21, 2005

I'd highly suggest extending the rails out to protect the doors/body a little more. Others up here in the PNW have used them as pivots. I have the type you plan to make and plan to extend them.

Extended rails would have been great here.

Same obstacle, with extensions.

Roxtar · Dec 21, 2005

Suggestion:
Use something other than a thin strip of bar for the pinch seam mount.
That's the most important part of the rail, far more than the frame rail mount.
I'd recomend at least 1"X.060" wall square tube or 1"X1" angle with the flat against the floor pan.
All the stress applied to the rails gets supported by the floor pan over the pinch seam mount. You want as much surface area as possible supporting it.

GirlScout1 · Dec 21, 2005

kid- on my diagram it shows a flat bar but in reality it is a piece of 3/16" angle. kind of hard to depict on that drawing I did but thats what I got for it.

GirlScout1 · Dec 22, 2005

Well I just got out of the garage from cutting my angle (which btw is 1/8" not 3/16") and I 'notched' it so the support arms will be tucked up into it yeilding an extra 1" or so of clearance. This way they will also be against the pinch seam and the bottom of the rocker. I think this will provide the best support over all.

Edit-I have some pictures of it and will load them up when complete mock up and assembly is done.

ILLXJ · Dec 22, 2005

GI-John said:
I'd highly suggest extending the rails out to protect the doors/body a little more. Others up here in the PNW have used them as pivots. I have the type you plan to make and plan to extend them.

X2. I am in the process of extending mine. All 4 doors are dented & the last time I went out I lost the pass. side mirror & rear door handle. JIM.

Timber · Dec 22, 2005

Are you guys actually "extending" them or are you adding an outer rail? I've wanted to do that too, but I'd have to use square because I don't know anyone around with a tube bender.

GI-John · Dec 22, 2005

Timber said:
Are you guys actually "extending" them or are you adding an outer rail? I've wanted to do that too, but I'd have to use square because I don't know anyone around with a tube bender.

Adding an outer rail. Sorry for the confusion.

Roxtar · Dec 22, 2005

GirlScout1 said:
kid- on my diagram it shows a flat bar but in reality it is a piece of 3/16" angle. kind of hard to depict on that drawing I did but thats what I got for it.

Good, make sure you have a flat on the top surface, against the XJ floor.

LS1Jeeper · Dec 22, 2005

looks like having those extened really help

mwm · Dec 22, 2005

Mine arnt going to look as nice as alot of them but This is what I plan on doing for extention...1x2 sqaure as the extention and hopefully some 2x4 1/8th or 3/16th

On a side note i have some 1/4" 2x3 here I could use. Think thats to heavy?

MRKTUNA · Jan 2, 2006

I used 1" tube for bolting to the pinch seam then used GI John's advice and stuck them out past my door handles, which makes a nice step for the kids

Mine are made out of 3"x4" because it was free scrap from work. So far so good.

making my own rock rails

GirlScout1

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hadfield4wd

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