Replacing Rockers with Rectangular Tubing

[XJ Wheeler]

"Tubing Rockers", "Mini Boatsides", whatever they're called.

I finally got time to start this project, and as usual i have a deadline for an event. So I hope to get at least one side done before the 26th.

Today I got everything disassembled on the passenger side. Door panels, trim panels, flare, fender, sill plates, etc. I'll do that side first and learn from it before I go to the drivers since it's worse on rust.

8918

8919

8920

8921

My plan is to cut out the original rockers, weld some 1.5" angle along the edge of the floor to spread the stress and weld in some 2"x6"x3/16" tubing in its place. Now, this also affects the fender, flares, door sills, and more so there's many things to do. I also plan to make several braces out of 1.5"x3"x3/16" tubing to connect the rockers to the frame stiffeners already installed. These will probably have to go through the floor a little to keep them high up and out of the way. I also want to look at connecting some plate up the body in front of the front door.

[Mudderoy]

I've never understood, admittedly I've never looked it up, but what do you weld to? It seems to be all sheet metal down there to me.

[Pinkyman]

That looks like a TON of work! Im glad the PO did mine before i got it lol. Looking forward to progress updates!

[Pookapotamus]

I've done this twice now, it is tons of work, but well worth it!

I have 4 braces per side, connecting slider to stiffener, you don't have to cut floor, I kept mine 1/4" below the lowest lip of the door sil, the set I did on ginger I did right at the lip and it did not turn out great, I will try to find pics for you, and my only regret with them is I did not 45 the bottom front and rear edges, I have never rubbed or caught on this but the potential is there.


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!

[4.3LXJ]

You only have to cut the floor if you want to brace into the side. I think a better size would be 3X6" tubing. It will be easier to brace and you can tie the brace into the bottom

[XJ Wheeler]

I've never understood, admittedly I've never looked it up, but what do you weld to? It seems to be all sheet metal down there to me.
It is all sheet metal. Basically I'll be welding it along the top to the door sill and I'm going to be using 1.5" angle along the floor edge (forgot to put this in original post) and weld the tubing to it to distribute the stress more.

That looks like a TON of work! Im glad the PO did mine before i got it lol. Looking forward to progress updates!
Yeah, you really lucked out! It's a nice upgrade, even for a stock one to keep the uni body straight.

I've done this twice now, it is tons of work, but well worth it!

I have 4 braces per side, connecting slider to stiffener, you don't have to cut floor, I kept mine 1/4" below the lowest lip of the door sil, the set I did on ginger I did right at the lip and it did not turn out great, I will try to find pics for you, and my only regret with them is I did not 45 the bottom front and rear edges, I have never rubbed or caught on this but the potential is there.


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!


You only have to cut the floor if you want to brace into the side. I think a better size would be 3X6" tubing. It will be easier to brace and you can tie the brace into the bottom
I am planning to connect the braces to the side of the tubing to get them higher. I think it would be a little stronger if I went to the bottom/corner but with the bracing and eventually I'll tie a cage into them it'll be plenty strong. And to get to the top to weld it I'll plobably have to cut and peel the floor back anyway.

I thought about 3x6 but wasn't sure how the side would look. Plus with 2x6 I'm actually going to be gaining clearance at the rocker.

All this is gonna be heavy! Just the 2x6 is near 100lbs.

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[XJ Wheeler]

Today was mainly cutting and grinding to make room for the tubing. I had to cut out the side of the rocker under the doors so I could come from inside the rocker to cut the top. Getting the backside to line up is a little tricky but I left a little extra so I could grind it off as needed.

8927

8928

8929

Not as bad as I thought! Mainly localized to the front and back. And even better the floor is great, surprising since the rocker was nearly non-existent butted up to it. Blessed there!

8930

8931

8932

Now I could really see what i'm dealing with, speaking of the shape of everything on the rocker interior. So much wasted space! About 4" x 5" of empty space about 5' long.

[XJ Wheeler]

Then I smoothed the edges and got it down to where I thought the tubing would at least sort of fit to give me an idea of where I needed to clearance.

8933

8934

8935

8936

8937

There are two nuts, of sorts, inside the rocker that will keep the tubing from going all the way back against the floor. Instead of notching the tubing I cut the bottoms off the nuts.

8938

[Carves]

Now I could really see what i'm dealing with, speaking of the shape of everything on the rocker interior. So much wasted space! About 4" x 5" of empty space about 5' long.


Empty .. :shocker:


Aren't they s'posed to be full of rust .. :confused:

:p

If it was a Mini Moke, you could use 'em for fuel tanks .. :D


Helluva job to be doing ... looking forward to seeing the finished restoration.

[XJ Wheeler]

Oddly, the tubing fit excellently. The place it didn't line up good was on the backside of the rear, a 1/4" gap about 3" long i'll have to fill later. Oh, and the doors scrub the tubing but that's an easy fix because there's a trim piece on the bottom of the doors I can trim or remove later.

8939

8940

8941

8942

The bottom is a bit odd, and my research helped here. The floor is flat by the rear and just above the bottom of the tubing, the front floor is angled down toward the center. This is going to hamper the angle I plan welding in but I think I may cut it down to lessen the severity of the grade I would need to bend it and not go below the tubing.

8943

[XJ Wheeler]

Empty .. :shocker:


Aren't they s'posed to be full of rust .. :confused:

:p

If it was a Mini Moke, you could use 'em for fuel tanks .. :D


Helluva job to be doing ... looking forward to seeing the finished restoration.

Lol. Surprised me too. I had so much more room for crud...

8944

[Pookapotamus]

Awesome! Overkill compared to my 2x4x1/8"!!! I also have my cage tied into my sliders! Will look great!!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!

[XJ Wheeler]

Awesome! Overkill compared to my 2x4x1/8"!!! I also have my cage tied into my sliders! Will look great!!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!
Thanks pook! I like overkill. :D It is gonna be HEAVY though. Probably nearing 200 lbs with the stiffeners of extra weight. :/

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[XJ Wheeler]

The goings on of today......

Trimmed the bottom of the front fender and bent it up to lay atop the tube. I still need to figure out my way of securing it to the tube. I don't want to drill it for a bolt in case I later want to make them hold air.

8948

8949

8950

Cut the ends of the tube at 45*. The front is a straight cut, but the rear is slightly angled on one side to line up with the wheel well and where I want to end on the side.

8951

8952

8953

[XJ Wheeler]

The floor angles down under the front passenger area, whereas the rear is flat so out came the hammers. I bent the floor up flat about an inch over from the edge. That way the angle steel will lay flat, or at least a cut down version will.

8954

And I got the angle steel cut up into two pieces and notched in several places to make sure nothing kept it from laying flat. Also I made them extra long and they curve up with the floor just an inch or two.

8955

8956

8957

8958

8959

[Pookapotamus]

That's looking great! Better job than I did!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!

[4.3LXJ]

Great work as usual :thumbsup:

[bluedragon436]

That's looking pretty awesome... I was going to say as you build them, you should make sure their sealed... and now you have to tanks for OBA.. My uncle built front and rear bumpers for his old Nissan pickup, that were sealed and he used his as air tanks... He didn't have a compressor and such on the vehicle, he just filled the tanks up @ a gas station.. but figure shouldn't be too much harder to run lines and such to do an OBA air setup.. One day I'd love to take on this project.. but got much learning to do before I even attempt that..

[XJ Wheeler]

Thanks guys! It's going well, but still a ways to go.

James, I've always hated the idea of trying to fit a tank inside, underneath, etc but this solves that nicely. Even if I won't have them plumbed for a few years it's not like it's gonna be easy later on to redo do it. :D

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[XJ Wheeler]

Not sure why people take their jeeps to the beach... when you can bring the beach to it!

8965

Gave the new blaster a good shakedown with about 100lbs of filtered play sand. Not really done because I want to clean all the way to the frame, but this is taking for ever so i'm putting it off till later. For now I cleaned it where the angle will go and the inner rocker. Some weld thru primer as well.

8966

8967

8968

8969

[XJ Wheeler]

Finally got time to post all this...

Thursday, I didn't have time to do any work but I did some quick research and picked up some fittings to try my hand at building an air tank.

Friday/Saturday, I cut out some spare 1/4" into pieces to cap the ends.

8981

I didn't want just a straight side the whole way so I decided to do things my way... complicated. I sliced a 3/8" pie cut out of the front and bent the outside inward.

8982

Here you can see it come together with a little persuasion.

8983

Some of those pieces I got. I tried finding an actual bung but to no avail I figured i'd give a steel female air line fitting a try... with modifications. I cut the notched end off and ground down the head round.

8984

A cozy home for it right in the top front of the tube. There's not many spots on this one that aren't gonna get covered or be in danger of a rock to come knocking. So things are gonna be tight.

8985

8986

[XJ Wheeler]

I cut a heavy bevel in the end caps so I could fill it with weld. Since I was now trying to seal the tubing I thought two passes was a good idea, so that's what I did.

First pass...

8994

8995

Second pass...

8996

Here's the pie cut noted in the last post.

8997

And sadly, the fitting weld didn't go well. I made 2-3 passes around it and tested it but leaked like a sieve. So a couple hours later I had built an ant hill chasing leaks, but finally holding pressure! My compressor has a 125psi shut off so I could only get it at about 115 but held over night. And those two passes on the ends had not one leak.

8998

[XJ Wheeler]

The ends ground smooth.

8999

9000

9001

9002

[XJ Wheeler]

(Sorry about all the posts. Its just a lot easier to upload all the pics this way.)

Here it is hoisted in place.

9003

9004

9005

9006

9007

And you can see how the pie cut lines up.

9008

[XJ Wheeler]

Sunday...

Since one air line point isn't enough and I copied what I did in the front, except on the inside of the rear. That was the ONLY other place to fit even one and thankfully two fit, albeit they're in close quarters. And to up the tightness level the body angles toward the rear so they needed to mimic that angle. The front is for the outlet, rear top for in, and bottom rear for a 150psi relief valve/bleeder.

9009

9010

More stuff growing out of control. Holds 125 over night though! :P

9011

Its soon-to-be home. You can see the cramped accommodations.

9012

9013

I am trying to come up with a way to protect them from debris, as well as still being accessible.

[XJ Wheeler]

Monday...

I got the bottom fender mount done with a cup bolt tacked to the top of the tubing and a hole drilled in the fender. Pic later.

And the angle is now attached to the corner of the floor. I was able to stitch it on the top but sadly the bottom was having none of it. I had to switch to tacks.

9014

9015

9016

9017

A bit of primer.

9018

9019

[Pookapotamus]

Wow! You are going all out! Looks great!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!

[abebehrmann]

Damn, that is looking great Jake! Getting those small diameter fittings and tubes completely burned in without any leaks is tough! I've been practicing this myself just for fun and it still can be pretty hit or miss for me.

[4.3LXJ]

Looking very nice Jake. Nice and neat

[oderdene]

Well done bro, never seen like one before[emoji106]

Sent from my GT-S7582 using Tapatalk

[XJ Wheeler]

Wow! You are going all out! Looks great!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!
Thanks pook, it's taking forever. Or feels like it is, especially when I think about the other side.

Damn, that is looking great Jake! Getting those small diameter fittings and tubes completely burned in without any leaks is tough! I've been practicing this myself just for fun and it still can be pretty hit or miss for me.
Yeah, it really sucked! I'm already not great at going around tube but trying to get it air tight... humbled me big time.

Looking very nice Jake. Nice and neat
Thanks steve!

Well done bro, never seen like one before[emoji106]

Sent from my GT-S7582 using Tapatalk
I appreciate that Od. I try to be different. ;)

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[XJ Wheeler]

Time to make the braces. I used some old postage box to make this template I could slide on the tubing to have the same angle every time, and quick too.

9033

And to make room for the braces I cut some vent holes. I ended up deciding to go with 5 tubes per side to brace the rocker. Getting around the seat mounts, belt bolts, t-case skid, etc pretty much made that decision though. I actually had a moment where I saw this from underneath and thought... what am I doing, there's big holes in my floor! :crazy:

9034

9035

9036

Hey, I can see my dome from here!

9037

And the aforementioned braces. 1.5"x3", 3/16" thick. All right around 8" long. I really wanted to get them welded to the rocker but ran out of time.

9038

[XJ Wheeler]

Took forever to get them lined up but I got the braces welded to the tube. Used a piece of scrap 1/4" bar tacked to the ends to keep them from moving while welding.

9043

And blasted the areas above where the braces are placed.

[XJ Wheeler]

Got the rocker tube mounted!

Friday was a long one, finishing up around 2am. I had to clean up the tube and coated the areas that were gonna be inaccessible after I welded it on.

9046

9047

9048

Four hours of welding later the thing was secure. Five braces welded to the stiffeners on the bottoms and sides, but I still want to do the top... somehow. Also fully welded to the angle steel.

9049

9050

9051

[XJ Wheeler]

I didn't have the time to finish welding everything so I just did some tacks along where the tubing meets the door sill area, rear quarter panel, and front inner fender.

9052

9053

Also, the front of the rear wheel opening comes to a point on the exterior and has no bottom. I made the rocker tube short for clearance and this piece stuck out too far so I zipped it off and got a patch panel made up with a few tacks to secure it for now.

9054

9055

9056

9057

I still have several things to do to finish up the passenger side so its far from done...

[oderdene]

very nice progress, over half is done so far

[xj-jake]

Holy cow nice job Jake. Makes mine look like a hack job!

[Pookapotamus]

Beefy!!!!!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!

[XJ Wheeler]

Not much done since Friday. Today, I made a brace out of 1/8" to run up the front lower pillar area. In my research this was suggested by Eric Zappe, after one of his friends twisted this area with the tube rockers. Still need to weld it in though.

9061

9062

[XJ Wheeler]

More welding!

The rocker to door sill done got attached. Also the rear to inner fender. I'll probably have to come back and fill some spot after grinding.

9064

9065

9066

[4.3LXJ]

Nice job Jake :thumbsup:

[XJ Wheeler]

Nice job Jake [emoji106]
Thanks. It went pretty well actually. I even got to run small stitches instead of tacks for most of it. The wheel opening gave me a bit of trouble. Seems a bit thinner there.

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[4.3LXJ]

Sometimes I am amazed at how thin the metal is on an XJ. Welded some on the tranny tunnel and it was like pop cans

[XJ Wheeler]

Sometimes I am amazed at how thin the metal is on an XJ. Welded some on the tranny tunnel and it was like pop cans
Same here. I drilled the side of the "frame" for my fuel filler cover panel and it was the same way. I barely got a self tapper to bite, just wanted to strip it out. Maybe 22 gauge, and it's single layer there. And that's the main structure!

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[OldFaurt]

Oddly, the tubing fit excellently. The place it didn't line up good was on the backside of the rear, a 1/4" gap about 3" long i'll have to fill later. Oh, and the doors scrub the tubing but that's an easy fix because there's a trim piece on the bottom of the doors I can trim or remove later.

8939

8940

8941

8942

The bottom is a bit odd, and my research helped here. The floor is flat by the rear and just above the bottom of the tubing, the front floor is angled down toward the center. This is going to hamper the angle I plan welding in but I think I may cut it down to lessen the severity of the grade I would need to bend it and not go below the tubing.

8943

DUDE!
Weld the ends up on those, drill and weld a bung on them so you can use them for MAJOR AIR UP TANKS!

[OldFaurt]

The ends ground smooth.

8999

9000

9001

9002

Crap but I'm slow... should read more before sticking my feet in my mouth... LOL!

[XJ Wheeler]

Lol, no problem bud! You still beat me to the drivers side. ;)

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[XJ Wheeler]

More work on this project. Got the front plate welded in, as well as the tube to the body in the front before the plate went on. Don't mind my little inscription.

9082

9083

9084

Also, ground down the rear welds in the inner fender and the patch panel, then welded a few holes, then grind, then weld, grind.... you get the drill.

9085

9086

9087

[Pookapotamus]

Awesome work ! Can't wait to see the finished product!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!

[abebehrmann]

Coming along nicely Jake!

Now just repeat all that work on the other side...

Love the hidden inscriptions you added there. Years from now, if somebody doesn't believe that you built those sliders yourself, you can pull back that inner fender liner and point to that and laugh.

[hitman]

I wish I had the time and patience to do something like this to my XJ...but I still need other things before I can even think about needing anything like this. LOL

[XJ Wheeler]

Awesome work ! Can't wait to see the finished product!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!
Thanks Dana. Me too, cause that means it'll be done! [emoji14]

Coming along nicely Jake!

Now just repeat all that work on the other side...

Love the hidden inscriptions you added there. Years from now, if somebody doesn't believe that you built those sliders yourself, you can pull back that inner fender liner and point to that and laugh.
I'm adding all the time up and I'm gonna have over 100 hours on just this side, the over side is looking less appealing now...

Anybody wanting to question that gets a smack. After they recover, then I'll show them the inscription. :D

I wish I had the time and patience to do something like this to my XJ...but I still need other things before I can even think about needing anything like this. LOL
I hear ya bud. I've been needing to deal with this for years but like you it kept getting moved down the list.

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[hitman]

My biggest current problem is my wife needs a vehicle to get elderly patients in and out of...so guess who might have to sacrifice another XJ... :'(

[XJ Wheeler]

My biggest current problem is my wife needs a vehicle to get elderly patients in and out of...so guess who might have to sacrifice another XJ... :'(
Lol, to be honest I don't think a xj is the best for that use because the rear door opening makes it difficult to get in and out. And that's me, I can't imagine an elderly person having to do it commonly.

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[XJ Wheeler]

Cut and peeled back the floor above the braces so I could get to the top of where the braces meet the frame.

9094

9095

Blasted the seam cleaned and welded four of them shut. The other had a seat mounting bolt above it, and I couldn't get it peeled enough for the welder to fit. Although I think there's probably a fair bit of sand in the braces now, so I may have a cool ocean sound when I turn. Will have to see...

9096

Also welded some of the floor to the braces until I ran out of welding wire.

[hitman]

Lol, to be honest I don't think a xj is the best for that use because the rear door opening makes it difficult to get in and out. And that's me, I can't imagine an elderly person having to do it commonly.

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

Yeah I know...it just sucks. I've got tons of time into just getting this thing running and driving reliably...then to end up having to sell it... She's been using my S10 because it sits about as high as a car but her work isn't going to allow it much longer. I've got multiple nights in just replacing the floors. 1/16" steel plate is a pain to bend.

[XJ Wheeler]

The weekend was productive! I got the tops of the brace to frame seams sealed with some silicone (just in case) and ground down some of the protruding welds on the underside Saturday.

Sunday I hammered the flaps above the braces shut and welded them down to the floor and braces, as well as welded the tops of the braces to the side wall of the floor. But, not before I tried to suck and blow out as much sand as I could. Not too bad all in all. I was trying different techniques with the thin floor metal early on and think I found my rhythm to keep from burning through but not have to jump around. That'll come in handy! :D Even better, I got the 3/16" to floor metal technique down good enough to run the full 3" pass no problem. :D :D

Oh, and bought even more welding wire, sand for blasting, air fitting pieces, etc. This project just keeps begging for more supplies. I've already went through over four pounds of wire and maybe two hundred-fifty pounds of sand, and remember I still have another side to do! :rolleyes:

9126

9127

9128

9129

9130

[oderdene]

Fantastic, wish I have a such skill

[Pookapotamus]

Lookin good!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!

[XJ Wheeler]

Fantastic, wish I have a such skill
If I can do it, you definitely can! The best investment I've found for modding is a welder. It's endless what you can make.

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[blazer2]

looking good

[XJ Wheeler]

I sandblasted the rest of the floor in the area of the tubing-to-frame, as well as all the welds. Then decided to make more work for myself and add more weld to the whole rocker tube-to-angle seam to fill it in. Skip ahead to today and I spent some quality time with my grinder and smoothed it out. More sandblasting and viola!

9139

9140

9141

9142

Then a coat of putty on the same seam mentioned earlier and some seam sealer on the floor welds and along the edge of the angle.

9143

9144

[4.3LXJ]

Jake, I think this is almost too nice. :D

[blazer2]

When you get done with them. You can make the drive to fort Wayne Indiana.
And start on mine. Mine will not be no where near that nice.

[XJ Wheeler]

Jake, I think this is almost too nice. :D
Lol, I wish! But I have to remember this is gonna get scraped up so no reason to try to make it perfect.

When you get done with them. You can make the drive to fort Wayne Indiana.
And start on mine. Mine will not be no where near that nice.
Only if it's cooler there! [emoji14]

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[bruggz351]

[emoji106]
Damn, it lifted them rockers up!!!
Noice. [emoji41] [emoji41] [emoji41]

Sent from my HTC_0PJA10 using Tapatalk

[blazer2]

It's going to be 60º this weekend for the highs.and 30 for the lows.
I may steel your designs. And make a set of my own them look good.

[XJ Wheeler]

It's going to be 60º this weekend for the highs.and 30 for the lows.
I may steel your designs. And make a set of my own them look good.
That's my kind of weather! In the 80s for us and humidity is through the roof! [emoji19]

Fine by me. Highest form of flattery. [emoji14] I'll say I would delete the #4 brace though. I'm usually one for overkill but I don't think that one is necessary. Also, I'm still planning on adding a brace to the leaf spring hanger. Different style though due to the space restrictions.

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[XJ Wheeler]

Got the 400 grit out and smoothed down the putty, and generally more prep work. A bit more seam sealer in places forgotten. More putty, more sanding...

9149

And finally first full coat of primer!

9150

Ran out of my rusty metal primer so I had to switch to self etching. Sprayed much better and more even.

9151

9152

9153

9154

You may have noticed i'm not dealing with the top side. That's because i'm planning on switching to the drivers side since this side is near drivable and I can do those things here and there when I have time... aaand its heating up so i'd like to get the rough stuff like cutting, blasting, and welding on the ground done before we hit 100.

[blazer2]

You got some talent. Looks like the way it should have came from jeep off the line.

[XJ Wheeler]

You got some talent. Looks like the way it should have came from jeep off the line.
Thanks Dave! Can you imagine if they had built them how we like em. Probably be more expensive but WORTH IT! :D

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[Pookapotamus]

Those would look great yellow! Just sayin' :)


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!

[XJ Wheeler]

Those would look great yellow! Just sayin' :)


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!
I actually agree. Show em off more. :D

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[XJ Wheeler]

Back to work! In days leading up to now...

I finished the paintwork underneath. Somewhat a waste though since once do the drivers side I've still got a little work to do on this side. Turned out pretty glossy, its suppose to be satin. Makes the rest look bad...

9178

9179

9180

9181

9182

9183

[XJ Wheeler]

Closer shots...

9184

9185

9186

9187

[XJ Wheeler]

And work on the drivers side commences! Its definitely worse than the other side.

9188

9189

I wanted to see just how bad it was, and even most of the parts that still attached split easy peasy. Did all this with a flathead.

9190

After some cuttin'

9191

9192

Oh, and apparently there's two bolts on the inside of the front fender that are impossible to get to from the outside. The passenger side had some repair work done before I got it and the bracket that this bolts through is missing, so this is the first I've had to deal with it. So instead of removing the whole front clip I drilled a few large holes in the headlight bucket. Not pretty but works!

9193

[XJ Wheeler]

Today I got the angle all cut up and shaped, but not before I gave the front floor pan a few whacks to allow the angle to sit flat.

9194

9195

9196

9197

9198

[Pookapotamus]

The gloss will die down after the first drive, looks great!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!

[4.3LXJ]

Very nice Jake. Rust monster really got to that other side. But I am sure you have the cure

[XJ Wheeler]

The gloss will die down after the first drive, looks great!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!
Yeah, that's what I was thinking but never had it turn out THIS glossy. It's fine either way, I may Bedline some of it anyway.

Very nice Jake. Rust monster really got to that other side. But I am sure you have the cure
Oh yeah, grinder and sand blaster is just what the rust doctor ordered. :D

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[XJ Wheeler]

Blasted the angle and the area it is to cover. I'll blast the rest but have to wait for now.

9203

[XJ Wheeler]

Today I welded the angle on. The metal was pretty bad in the rear so I had some issues with burning through there. I'll probably have to cut that out and patch it later.

9210

9211

9212

9213

[XJ Wheeler]

Got a few things out of the way so I'm back to it!

Yesterday was interior disassembly day.

9332

And today I got the outside pieces; fender, flare, etc off and rough cut the tubing to check its fitment.

9333

[XJ Wheeler]

Trimmed some of the inner rocker and the seatbelt nuts to get the tubing to set right in its new home. And I got the ends cut down to a 30* angle.

9336

9337

[XJ Wheeler]

Weather has been delaying a bit but I have gotten some done.

Because the tubing will reside where the rear of the fender mounted I had to trim off a few inches, then bend the end up to sit flat atop the tube. Its a tight fit but hopefully it'll fit well. I forgot to snap a pic of this but probably already posted the other side earlier in the thread.

Next I marked up the pie cut at the front side of the tube and cut it out. My late grandpa's old short sledge came in real handy for bending the side in. :D

9363

9364

Once I got the pie cut done and clamped down I got to making the templates for the end caps. I saved a little time by modifying the passengers side ones I previously made. Today I got them cut out of some leftover 1/4" steel from another project. A bit of grinding to get them to fit snug, a bend for the rear piece, and a heavy bevel for the weld pool they're ready to go on... if the rain holds off!

9365

9366

[Pookapotamus]

Looks great!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!

[Carves]

Lots of good looking prep work happening there XJ Wheeler.

Looking forward to seeing it all finished .. :thumbsup:

[XJ Wheeler]

Thanks guys! I learned from the first side so now I have a cardboard "to do" list on the window... keeps growing. :smiley-scared003:

Went ahead and drilled the hole for the front air fitting bung. I've read this helps to let any gases and expanding air out during welding so it doesn't try to blow the weld out... Meh, had to do it anyway so why not!

Then I sprayed some primer in the tube to hopefully aid in rust prevention, especially since it will build moisture being a air tank. Probably didn't cover anywhere near a hundred percent but much better than it was without. And the "caps" got welded on, as well as the pie cut. All the end welds are double pass, and mostly double on the pie cut. I won't be able to pressure test it till I get the air fitting bungs welded on so I hope they hold... :pray:

front

9371

9372

9373

rear

9375

9376

[XJ Wheeler]

Got the welds ground smooth and looking shiny.

9389

9390

9391

9392

9393

9394

[XJ Wheeler]

Next, I modified some steel female air line fittings to be cheap bungs for the fittings and valves.

Here's my homemade lathe setup. :D Cut the ends off and ground down the hex part to round it out as well as get the zinc off it for welding.

9395

And welded in place. Just one to two passes a piece for today. I need to pressure test them and see where the pile of weld needs to start... :rolleyes:

9396

9397

Just how tight it is in the rear.

9398

[XJ Wheeler]

Feels like the last post was longer ago... I do at least have a good excuse! We had some massive flooding in the Houston area, and even though we don't usually flood at my house (thankfully) it was like quicksand under my jeep for weeks. And of course the perfect time to get sick! So finally I am over it and am starting to get back to it. I have only started sand blasting the air fittings and surrounding areas to finish welding those but am glad to be back at it. I can't wait to have this DONE! I realized I started on the floor in NOVEMBER... :crazy:

[XJ Wheeler]

I've been working on the fittings for a bit and I admit, i'm a bit discouraged. I spent two DAYS filling leaks in the rear two and one after another kept popping up. Fill the tiniest little leak and another shows up half way round the fitting. Probably did this 50 times and still, I ended work on it with a tiny little leak. I fill like i'm trying to exterminate ants in their hill with a cigarette lighter. One after another pops out of a tunnel. If it continues I may just use that little leak as a mini blower to cool off on the trail, or some other completely sane thing to not say I gave up on it.

The front went well though. Better than I ever could have thought. No ant hill...

9505

[Mudderoy]

I've been working on the fittings for a bit and I admit, i'm a bit discouraged. I spent two DAYS filling leaks in the rear two and one after another kept popping up. Fill the tiniest little leak and another shows up half way round the fitting. Probably did this 50 times and still, I ended work on it with a tiny little leak. I fill like i'm trying to exterminate ants in their hill with a cigarette lighter. One after another pops out of a tunnel. If it continues I may just use that little leak as a mini blower to cool off on the trail, or some other completely sane thing to not say I gave up on it.

The front went well though. Better than I ever could have thought. No ant hill...

9505

I seem to remember hearing that making an air tank out of bumper, etc... is a near impossible task, from a professional builder.

[XJ Wheeler]

I seem to remember hearing that making an air tank out of bumper, etc... is a near impossible task, from a professional builder.
It's the type of welding/wire I'm using. If I could tig weld, it would be no problem. My welds are too porous and the air escapes through it. I just have to go all around stopping it from seeping out.

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[4.3LXJ]

Jake, do yourself a favor. Get some gas tank sealer, pull the fittings and slosh some around. Works really well on Mighty Mite gas tanks. We sealed over fifty pin hole leaks first try and has lasted several years

[XJ Wheeler]

Jake, do yourself a favor. Get some gas tank sealer, pull the fittings and slosh some around. Works really well on Mighty Mite gas tanks. We sealed over fifty pin hole leaks first try and has lasted several years
Can I still weld on it once I do that? That does sound like a good way to go if I can't get it sealed with the welder.

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[4.3LXJ]

No, you can't use that much heat on it.

[XJ Wheeler]

No, you can't use that much heat on it.
That's what I was figuring. I'll remember it for a last resort. I also wonder how much pressure it would seal. I'm planning on running 125-150 (when I get a compressor).

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[4.3LXJ]

It dries to the consistency of flexible rubber. Since you would be pushing against it with pressure I think it would be good for probably a good 1000#

[XJ Wheeler]

It dries to the consistency of flexible rubber. Since you would be pushing against it with pressure I think it would be good for probably a good 1000#
I like the sound of that. :D Thanks for the tip.

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[XJ Wheeler]

Think I got it wrapped up... finally. I had a few more leaks in the fittings and a couple in one of the end caps. I checked, double and triple, to make sure its good. Barring a overnight pressure hold test (has about 116 psi now) i'm calling it done. Time to move on!

9528

[XJ Wheeler]

It held! Double checked the gauge because its been sticking and its good. Really glad to have that behind me!

9540

Saturday I got to blasting the inner rocker. Went well and looks much better. The worst of it was in the rear part, same as the passenger side. All the blasted areas got some primer for now.

9541

9542

[XJ Wheeler]

Been busy, as much as possible anyway.

First off, I got the holes clearanced for the bracing with the ol grinder.

9576

Got the braces made up, cut to around a 30* angle on both ends, and later the edges beveled for welding.

9577

One in position.

9578

And finished blasting the floor between the "frame" and angle steel. I scraped off as much undercoating as I could first, as its much quicker and cheaper than blasting through it.

9579

9580

A bit of primer. Not dry here, so that's why it's glossy.

9581

[XJ Wheeler]

The other day I got the braces tacked to the rocker tube and today I fully welded them to it. And yes, that is my welding table. :rolleye0012:

9700

9701

9702

9703

9704

[4.3LXJ]

That beats the bumper of the Jeep I had for a welding table when young

[XJ Wheeler]

That beats the bumper of the Jeep I had for a welding table when young
Lol, but yours was mobile. :D

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[4.3LXJ]

At the time it was not, :bang: but I did use that bumper to straighten the barrel of my antique muzzle loader :smiley-taunt002:

[XJ Wheeler]

Now thats ingenuity!

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[4.3LXJ]

Yup, and it worked. Shot it many times. A teeny weeny 69 caliper :D

[abebehrmann]

The other day I got the braces tacked to the rocker tube and today I fully welded them to it. And yes, that is my welding table. :rolleye0012:

]


Looks awesome Jake. I'm taking notes


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[XJ Wheeler]

I feel like this is that one project i'll never finish! I injured my wrist and with the heat I've been delaying but its cooling off a little now and well, i'm tired of babying the wrist so screw it, i'm getting back to it. Today, I blasted the areas for welding, scraped up as much of the factory seam sealer as I could to keep from catching it on fire, and test fitted the rocker tube to make sure its fitting close to the angle iron... close enough! If all goes as planned I weld Tuesday! Looking forward to it, other than the splatter burn...

[XJ Wheeler]

Got the rocker assembly tacked up in place. I battled with the seatbelt nut inside the factory rocker for a couple hours. Not sure why I never noticed it before but it won the battle. I didn't want to notch the tubing nor could I cut any more of it so the tube got pushed out 1/8" from the angle. Not much but still bugs me. Its done now so hopefully more welding tomorrow.

9833

9834

9835

[4.3LXJ]

Looks real nice Jake

[abebehrmann]

Looks great Jake! Sounds like you're just like me, that's something nobody will ever notice, even if they were looking for it, but it still drives you crazy!

[jonb8]

Lookin good, you'll love it when your done. Are you gonna plate the bottom? I sit down on mine all the time on big rocks (with the weight of the entire jeep) and it sounds horrible but slides right off.

[XJ Wheeler]

Lookin good, you'll love it when your done. Are you gonna plate the bottom? I sit down on mine all the time on big rocks (with the weight of the entire jeep) and it sounds horrible but slides right off.
I do plan on it eventually. I've still got some research to do to figure out what material I want to use. Lightweight but strong enough. What did you use?

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[XJ Wheeler]

Progress!!!

I've gotten the underside fully welded, along the angle and the braces to the frame stiffeners. A couple of the welds around the braces were pretty bad so I ground them down and redid em. Not much to look at, i'm not cleaning it yet to keep it from rusting until I get to painting.

9838

9839

Now you can see why I cut the floor extra and folded the pieces up.

9840

9841

I also welded the inner fender to the front and rear of the tubing. I have a feeling i'll need to redo a little of the rear though, its tough to not burn through there because its ridiculously thin.

9842