rocker guards any ideas

I want to fab up some rocker guards for my willys....

the issue is that I have a cj-3a and the rocker panels have an angle in the front towards the fender and the small stepin the front.

bending cutting and welding are no problem.

option 1
work around the step. possibly reinforcing it in the process.

option 2
cut off the step and build the rocker guards to incorporate a custom step.

my willys is not original. in fact I think it's actually a cj-5 frame and driveline with a willys body..but it is in really good shape to be hacking it up...

any pics, ideas, or input?

Rio

 

On my cj5 Im going to cut the bottom 4 inchs of sheet metal out and replace it with a 1/8 piece of steel with a 2 inch lip across the bottom. Im going to have gusets running between the lip and the floor pan. I figure that away I would keep a stock look and matain my ground clearance. Is soon as I start on it ill post pics.

 

personally i am going to use angle iron welded to the bottom of 1/8in boiler plate steel for my rockers with a nerf bar to keep my body out of the rocks and trees as much as possible.
if i am imagening what you are describing rio i would cut off the step and build something with a nerf bar. then you at least keep a step

 

i was thinking that I would use angle iron. it seems like a good start..

I thought that maybe i would cut a v out of the bottom so that I could bend it and then weld it back together. to get the angle but I'm not sure about the angle of the "V" that I need to make that would correspond with the angle that runs on the outside..

Ah **** I'll just have to ess with it till I get it the way I want it...

it seems too easy to be fretting over..

Rio

 

I have a fiberglass tub, so I didn't want to run with rocker guards that essentially bolt into the tub -- still subject to tub fracture. So I fabbed up a set of rails that bolt through a plate into the frame. 3/16" 2x3 tube as the rail. Same stuff for the rear tie in, with a 1/4" thick, 1.5" square tubing for the front tie in. Welded to a 5/16" plate with another plate (slightly longer in length) on the inside of the C frame rail to reduce twisting.

While these rails take up about 2.5" of ground clearance directly under the side "rocker" panel, they are still higher than the frame.

I had it zinc dipped and double powder coated. Looks sweet. Just touch up the rock bashes underneath with Rustoleum satin black.

I have some pics somewhere, but it very much like these (except for my 5) (http://www.rocky-road.com/jeeprockrail.html).

 

I have seen metal bed frame side rails used as rockers
fwiw

 

I made a set using 3" x 4" angle iron and 1.75" DOM tubing. I didn't have a tube notcher, and this wasn't my first design plan, but this was what I came up with...







I originally had the ends of tubes bent to 45*, and planned to weld them on a 23.5* upward angle. With the two different angles, it turned out to be more complex than could be cut on a compound miter saw. I scratched my head for about a month on how to set up a jig to get the cuts on the right plain. Unfortunately, I wasn't successful with my limited tools.

 

Joes do look sharp.
We have been playing phone tag, his message said he was going to try to log in soon.
I'll see if I can find a pic of his.

Firegod33 made mine (Rock Rash) they look good as well. Have not seen much of him latly either.

 

Ok heres a quik scetch of what im going to make for mine . I incorprated a simple addon that let me quikly bolt diff acc. to the sides of my jeep i have , skid plates , tool racs ,nerf steps, high lift mounts and a few other thing scetch out on paper i can make for it with a little scrap steel and a little time

 

Thanks man , im not used to rocks . My panels are going to replace the factory sheet metal so im going to have to incorprate some angled slides into the fender whales. no problem (edit) here i go Upgraded my plans do to tumbleweeds good advice

 

I'm still around. I've just been working 80-100 hours a week and don't have as much time for the boards as I used to. Did you ever get pics of the rockers, on your Jeep? If so, I'd like to see them.

Mike, I made a pair of the rockers for a guy in Boise, who has a CJ6. If you'd be interested, I'd be willing to work something out. What's your time frame?

 

I'm going to chime in, if it's ok...

I like the drawing Jason has done, but is the main support the welds to the floor?

 

Screwcity -

I'd like to see what you come up with to incorporate your step. I munged one of my steps up a bit and would like to add some protection there.

Thanks!

Bob

 

Well Dennis its a work in proccess Im going to make it into the body so it want give me that over built look. I m just starting work on my tub so right now im planing on tying it into the supports to the floor. I want to tie it into the body only the keep from making the center of the frame to ridget and maybe causing breaks.After I get started ill look at it and make my "adjustments "lol, thanks for the compliment

 

Cool. I understand a little better now. I might try this myself.

 

I don't have pics of the CJ6 rockers. They look just like the pics that Lynn posted, except that they are, of course, longer and have two supports for the tube. Oh yeah, Lynn's were a custom job that are one inch shorter in height, than normal. They normally come up to just below the door opening.

For the guys that are thinking of using angle iron, you may want to consider grinding down the sharp edge. If left alone, you'll find that that sharp angle will cut into rocks like a knife and potentially get you stuck. Just a little bit of a radius will allow the guard to slide across much easier.