Neither. For $20 you can make bombproof protection using 1/4" thick angle iron. I used 4x4, just drilled thru the body and bolted it on using alloy buttonheads. You don't need to attach to the frame, the support of the body panel is plenty to support the vehicle, you can jack it up from there. I've landed pretty hard on rocks, no problem.

Brad
ORC Land Use Section Editor
http://www.off-road.com/land
Vice-Pres. Rock Garden 4 Wheelers, Farmington, NM
http://rockgarden.rockcrawler.com

 

hey you wouldnt happen to have any pics of that would you cjjeeper?

Travis
90 YJ I6 258 4.0 head conversion 4"lift 33's & lots of other goodies

 

Here's a pic that shows it pretty good. The front little section is 2x2 welded to the 4x4. This was necessary because of the ridge on the CJ fenders.

Brad
ORC Land Use Section Editor
http://www.off-road.com/land
Vice-Pres. Rock Garden 4 Wheelers, Farmington, NM
http://rockgarden.rockcrawler.com

 

Here's a detail of where the 2 meet. Iknow it looks like rivets, but they are really 1/4x1 buttonhead alloy allens.

Brad
ORC Land Use Section Editor
http://www.off-road.com/land
Vice-Pres. Rock Garden 4 Wheelers, Farmington, NM
http://rockgarden.rockcrawler.com

 

Hey, thanks for the tip! And the pictures, that looks great. It's held up pretty well too? Rocks, hi-lift, etc? I think you've convinced me to save my $$ on the fabicated stuff! Now how about an equally low dollar tip for replacing my engine... heh

 

Any ideas for us fiberglass tub folks? I want to replace my nerf bars with some kind of rocker protection, but I don't think I could secure the angle iron to the tub with this method.
Bob in Ma

 

I have the Sun Performance product and am happy with them. Very strong; I've jacked on them, I've dropped the whole weight of the jeep on them and spun the jeep on boulders all without any damage. If I had it to do over I would copy what Brad did. As I look back, that was way too much money to spend on rocker guards. Especially since I'm gonna chop them up now and put TJ flares on.

Bob, what about using backing plates to sandwich the body between? Otherwise I guess you would have to go to the frame; There is a guy in my club that makes rock rails that weld to the frame and sit just under the rocker. I think he uses two by three rectangular tubing; just takes a piece long enough to cover the rocker and brings three legs of of it to the frame. They're low profile and strong.

Max

82 CJ, some stuff stock, some stuff not
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
http://www.alpine14rs.org

 

Hmm, I think you just solved my problems. You said "backing plates" and my initial reaction was "nah, it would look dumb to have a few pieces of 1/4" steel plates on the inside to basically act as washers" then I thought of this- a whole strip of 1/4" steel on the INSIDE from the door sill to the floor and from the rollbar as far forward as I can get it. Then I have the F/G tub sandwiched between 2 plates of 1/4" steel. That should spread the load quite nicely, and may even help alot of I ever get T-boned. How does that sound??
Bob in Ma

 

Brad, what size bolts did you use to attach your rocker protection plates? I imagine you used some rather large washers on the other side, have you had any problems with the weight of the angle iron ovaling the holes for the bolts in the body? I'm just curious before I begin attacking the project. Thanks!

 

Used 1/4 by 1 alloy buttonhead bolts. The button heads won't catch on stuff like hexes. I have a total of 11 each side I think, messing up the holes hasn't been an issue because the angle iron is flush with the bottom of the rocker.

Brad
ORC Land Use Section Editor
http://www.off-road.com/land
Vice-Pres. Rock Garden 4 Wheelers, Farmington, NM
http://rockgarden.rockcrawler.com

 

what do you mean by alloy? stainless or grade 5 or 8? or are you talking titanium or something? please elaborate. thanks! matt

 

According to the guy at the fastener store these alloy fasteners are the equivalent of Grade 10. Pretty hard stuff, and they are relatively inexpensive. The place in Farmington where I buy most of my nuts and bolts is Jalu Fasteners. I have never NOT been able to find what I want there.

Brad
ORC Land Use Section Editor
http://www.off-road.com/land
Vice-Pres. Rock Garden 4 Wheelers, Farmington, NM
http://rockgarden.rockcrawler.com

 

Mine are very similar to Brad's. They are 3/16" instead of 1/4" (lighter and still plenty strong) and extend from fender opening to fender opening (one piece). My Jeep's has rock rash already and I wasn't worried about messing up the fender lip. I did herculine the outside of the tub behind the angle iron for rust prevention though. My question is why the need for super strong fasteners? If you come down hard on a rock the bolt isn't taking the force from the blow. The bottom of the angle iron against the tub is. If something is pulling the angle iron sideways from the body, the sheet metal will tear and bend before even a grade 2 bolt will break. Seems like overkill to me, especially when a search for a certain kind of hardware is taken on. I used 5/16" x 1" black oxide button heads and don't know what grade they are.

'75 CJ5,258 w/Howell EFI,T18a,4.27's,33's,On-board air,Warn 8274

 

Yeah, Bob that is exactly what I had in mind. Spread the force over as great an area as possible, and I would think the body wouldn't suffer on impact. I'm doing kinda the same thing with my rollcage, where it mounts to the body, only making the plates as dissimilar in size as I can; that way the shear force would be spread out as much as possible. Mind you this is temporary, until I can whip up some frame mounts.

Max

82 CJ, some stuff stock, some stuff not
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
http://www.alpine14rs.org

 

See attachment for photo of my rockers. The idea of a strip of steel behind the tub is a good one. I thought about it but got tired of the project when I was doing it and havent gone back to finish the thought.

'75 CJ5,258 w/Howell EFI,T18a,4.27's,33's,On-board air,Warn 8274

 

Snowtow:

What are you using for your step?

That is the biggest thing preventing me from doing this upgrade, my wife insists that I have steps to help her in.

Are yours similiar to H8monday's?

Enjoying Montana's Big Sky

 

I think they are exactly what H8 has for his. Con-Ferr sells them still. They are taller than my 4" angle iron and I just welded a small tab of 3/16"x1-1/2" flat stock once the position had been determined. Brad Kilby sells them for aout $15 each. http://www.kilbyenterprises.com/conferr/accessories.html

'75 CJ5,258 w/Howell EFI,T18a,4.27's,33's,On-board air,Warn 8274

 

I think NH Northern sells the folding step, yep just found it. Black for 5.99 or Stainless for 19.99 part 127280-c158 and 127281-c158 (NorthernTool.com). As for rocker protection I was thinking about getting some "T" channel and mounting it upside down, so the top of the T makes a small step the whole length of the guard and will provide a little "stand off" space from the side of the body.
BMB

 

Snowtow & BMB Thanks for the info.

When I get the rollbar done and a couple other projects finished this spring, the rocker protection is going on.

Again, Thanks!

Enjoying Montana's Big Sky

 

Snowtow...Those are the same steps I plan to use, cheap and easy to replace if they do get dammaged(I have a shelf full here at work).