[2493]

Finally took the plunge and started making the new rocker panels, after the years of the Rubicon Trail then moveing east and finding all the wrong rocks to try and crawl over the rockers have really taken a beating!! I wanted to keep the look of stock, well sort of, rocker panels but did not want to weld them to the body and have to repaint the sides of the Jeepster. Came up with 2x4 1/4 inch wall tubing with a top sandwitch plate 3/16x 1 1/2, drilled and tapped 11 bolts along the top about every 5 inches. This is bolted thru the top angle under the door opening. I cut the outer sheet metal off from the inner rocker panel that provides a lot of body support, then bolted a 1 1/2 angle piece to the inner rocker panel and this angle piece is welded to the bottom of the new rocker panel. If needed the rocker panel can be removed to be modified or repaired and should never dent from rocks. I still need to weld on some end caps and cut some openings into the sides at the rear and front to give the high lift jack somewhere to lift the <nobr>Jeep</nobr> if the need presents itself. This setup should be very strong since I have been using the rockers to lift the Jeepster with the lifts at work for some years now, can't get the arms on the frame correctly. Being bolted all the way across the bottom of the body helps spread the load all around. Here are alot of pics if anyone else needs to do this. Plus it gained about 1 1/2 inch of clearance.
Aaron

 

[2493]

I wil try to show the pics in order

 

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next

 

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next 1

 

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one more

 

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more

 

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another

 

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Getting close

 

[2493]

Instead of a 60 degree rocker panel now it has 50 degree panels

 

[Caver Dave]

The "crocs" PO did the same thing....only he used untreated pine 2x4s

Looks good bro, headed to URE in a few weeks?

 

[1756]

Aaron,

Gave me some great ideas for that unfinished 401 project I recently bought. PO had cut off the rockers in the same place you did, and I was looking for ideas on replacing them with something more durable than stock.

Thanks for posting the pictures.

 

[2493]

I hope to get out there, these MTR's still haven't been off the pavement!!!!!!!!

 

[chdorsey]

Looking good Aaron. I will have to do something like that when I get back to working on the old Jeepster.

Chris

 

[Guest]

new rockers

Here are my new rockers attaching them to frame

 

[1078]

brilliant,Aaron!

 

[GoldToyBox]

Great job, thanks for posting the photos, gave me some ideas on what & where to start. Oh, by the way, your rockers weren't that bent! Very heavy duty rockers .... now instead of crawling over rocks, you can just jump on them and bounce off ....... which brings to mind the usual problem with Jeepster upgrades ...... what's going to break next?

 

[2493]

Here is a couple of last shots, first one is cut rocker with mounting holes drilled and ready mount new rocker panel.

 

[2493]

Finished!!!! Smacked it with a 8# sledge hammer to show it who's boss, it didn't even budge... Got to show these new parts how the program works around here. Aaron

 

[2359]

I really like this upgrade. I've saved it all for a future fix. My inner and outter rockers are pretty much gone with a skin riveted over the outer. I was going to cut it all off like others have done but I'm worried about weakening the much rusted tub anymore than it already is.

I have one question though (it's probably obvious to everyone else but me

) How did you get to the bolts inside to be able to put the nuts on and tighten them down?

 

[Caver Dave]

I think he probably just drilled and tapped the angle that runs on top of the box...