2x6 Rocker frame rail tie in?

[FuryIII]

For those who have 2x6 rockers, how do tie them into the frame rails. I'm plating mine with HD's stiffeners. I really don't want to cut into the floor if I don't have to.

I have AJ's Rock rails, so I could just replace the rockers with a set I bought awhile back and re-use those but I though 2x6 would be stronger.

 

[clean4drxj]

Cut your rockers out and and but the 2x6 right up the plate that meets the floor, or do what I did take some angle iron and then weld that in first and then put the 2x6 in. I carried my 2x6 all the way from one wheel well to the next(cut the bottom of the front fender since it had some rust) this way you have somewhere to tie a nice cage into.

 

[BRIANHO13]

I use a bent piece of tube, cut parallel to the tube then weld to rockers and "frame". Maybe one of the many I have done will see this thread and post a pic.

 

[831_xj]

I did the same. Chunk of bent 1.5" dom I had from the frame to the rocker. I also used angle iron and it makes it much easier.

 

[DeftwillP]

I meant to time them into my hdo stiffeners and never did. Still holding strong.

How high did you install your rockers? I did the "no door cut" height but also tied them in underneath the door sill plates with 1x1"? box in there.

 

[FuryIII]

I'll be doing the no door cut version of the install. I'm not afraid of cutting up the Jeep. Did the flares, did the hood vents, but I'm a little leary of cutting up the floor. If that's the only option I'll tackle it.

If you cut up your floor, did you clean it up and weld the supports to the floor pan?

If you didn't, how did you tie the rocker to frame rail with the DOM? Pics?


Still getting the hang of welding with my Hobart 140.

 

[dan1977p]

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1047988

This is just one of the many that come up searching for 2x6 rocker replacement xj in google. To me that's the cleanest but I think down in the thread he said he had to do something special for the shape of those supports. Lots of folks just use 1x1 or similar and cut at an angle on both ends.

 

[RCman]

I would brace them well and then skin the bottom. The braces catch on rocks if you don't.
Cutting the floor is no big deal, worth it. If you are careful with your cuts just weld them all back together.

Shots form underneath, you can see I bent the pinch seam back a bit so it'll clear the skin:

Profile Shot:

The steel skin backers on the rockers (upside down on the floor in this picture) after a long date with some hole saws and dimple dies.

Drilled and taped for screws.

Skinned with UHMW.

 

[squirrel80]

This weekends progress. Have to do something with my factory rockers. My old rock sliders have been smashed so far up in to the factory rockers that I can hardly open and close my doors.



Quick sketch of what I am thinking and how to cut it out.



Cut the destroyed rockers out and installed 2x6 square tube


Hard to see but was able tie the cage in to a couple of places to the new 2x6 square tube



2x2 for the braces



Just about ready to plate



1.75" cut off the bottom of the doors

 

[squirrel80]

Made progress this weekend. Should be back together in the next week.

 

[squirrel80]

Cut everything and don't look back. This has been my favorite MOD done to date. I can't believe the ground clearance gains and break over angle on the side I have now. I wheel with a lot of bigger rigs and usually follow right in line with 35s. My doors are cut and floorboards. Everything is 3/16" wall tubing including the Ruffstuff stiffeners. I They are holding up very well and show little sign of damage or denting.

 

[FuryIII]

Okay...looking at the responses and the work you guys have done I gotta say I'm a little intimidated.

I haven't done allot of fabbing. Oh I can bolt on just about anything. Swap axles, install lunch box lockers, cut up the fenders for flares and such but haven't done much in the way of body slicing and welding.

I picked up a Hobart 140 Mig and a bottle and have been practicing on scraps, just to learn how to run a bead. My plan was to install stiffeners, then the 2x6 rockers without blowing through thin sheet metal.

The tie ins to the frame rails I figured it went like this:

• Size up the 2x6, cut to shape, weld the end caps
• Mock up the 2x6 after removing and cleaning up the rockers
• Figure the angles out for the supports, I'm thinkin make some sort of templates
• Cut and weld the supports to the 2x6
• Mock up the 2x6/support and cut the floor to fit
• Tack the 2x6, then the supports
• weld, clean up welds and paint.

I miss anything?

 

[RCman]

I wouldn't be intimated at all. Sounds like you've got a handle on it.

My order:
- Measure and cut out the rockers
- Slide in 2x6, mark the profile for the ends and weld on caps.
- Figure out were you want supports that doesn't interfere with anything you may be keeping inside (stock seat mounts, ect).
- Measure and cut the floor.
- Make up the supports and tack them in place on the 2x6, drop out the 2x6 and weld everything fully
- Toss it back in and finish weld them to the Jeep, close up floors, paint.
- Done.

 

[FuryIII]

Well if I jack things up too bad, I figured I could it as an excuse to start a new build.

The black jeep's my current one, bought it new back in '99. The white one was so clean I had to pick it up. The woman's delighted that the driveway's full.

 

[foxwar71]

A weekend of labor.


Decided to cut out a bunch of sheetmetal and put real metal in its place. Got the entire PS rocker done, legs done (with holes drilled & tapped for skids), and both doors cut and clearanced. Every thru some primer and the doors back on just in time to seal the jeep back up before it rained.

Two things I would like to note here;
1. Welding sheetmetal sucks, espically that thin ass door skin material.
2. I'm really glad I traded my spare bottle of argon for another spare bottle of 75/25. I ran outta gas, but was able to just swap bottles and keep going.

 

[FuryIII]

Great pics! Did you weld the supports to the floor or seam seal them or both?

 

[Johnnie Walker]

The best/cleanest rocker replacement/mini-boatside I have seen is what TORX did. Check out his "Nail Salon" thread if you have not already.
Lots of great ideas here as well.
I think the actual cutting of the sheet metal will be one of the more difficult tasks of your endeavor. Welding to said sheet metal is a different story. In theory, one could use a quality seam sealer for the tie-ins at the holes in the sheet metal.

 

[Mach2nh]

3x6 1/4 wall box cut at an angle to support the 2x6 sliders. I didnt want to cut the floor so i went with a little more beef on the outside.

 

[Redryder2006]

A local fab guy did mine. We didn't tie it into the unibody frame to prevent holes that rocks,stumps etc could hang up in. He also cut out the entire rocker right up to the door sills. Very solid, a lot more steel went into mine than a 2x6 though.

 

[POSJ]

Is that just spot welded every 2" and seam sealed???