f0cker
05-17-2005, 08:04 PM
Finally finished the driver's side rock sliders up. The rig is a '72 K5 Blazer with the full convertible top, so I had to contend with the rusted out rocker boxes. My weapons of choice were a Sawzall, an angle grinder, a BFH, a SFH, a screwdriver, and a welder.
I'd allow about 8 hours to do one side if you've got the rocker boxes, less if you don't or if you have air tools. A band saw/chop saw would make the tube cutting easier, and a buddy or a lift to help with the mock up would too.
Step 1: Mark out what you are going to be cutting out with a sharpie or something. I was replacing my rockers with 2"x3" .188 wall rectangular tubing, with 1.5" .120 wall HREW tube bracing them to the frame, so I made my marks even with the bottom of the door, then began to cut.
Step 2: Using whatever sharp objects you may have lying around, cut as close to the lines you drew previously as possible. I didn't, because I could care less about the 1/4" that they are off. The tricky part of the cutting comes when you reach the A and B pillars. There is alot of metal here, and it takes a while to cut it all out with what I had, but a torch or plasma would make it go alot faster. Because I was cutting so high into the body, I decided to make the top of the rectangular tube be my new doorsill. I cut through the weatherstripping and it's rail, and into the floor. I plan on replacing the floor and seat mounts with 14 ga steel and tubing, so I wasn't worried about messing it up. I replaced the weatherstripping rail with a peice of angle iron, and will be cutting into the bottom of the door (already rusted out) to make it fit better.
*Note: I had to remove the front inner fenders to get better access, and I have yet to cut the rocker boxes out completely. They are a major PITA without air tools.
Step 3: Mock up where you want your rockers to be, and make some measurements. I wanted mine flush, and tied into the frame. Alot of people just tie into the body's main support rails, but since I'm putting a cage in this summer/fall, I decided that going to the frame would be the strongest solution. You'll also need to decide how close together you want to put your braces...I put each frame tie-in about 11" apart, which should be close enough to keep the sliders from bending or flexing too much.
Step 4: Cut the rectangular tube down to the right length, leaving it a little long just in case. Hold it in place with jack stands, a floor jack, a small child, some wood, a homeless person, or some cinder blocks; whatever floats your boat. Tack weld the rectangular tube in place, then get final measurements for your frame braces. Mine ended up being about 17" each, with my sliders being ~68". Cut the frame braces, then weld everything up. Make sure you get a tight fit on the joints, and if you're worried about the frame strength, then box it or plate it where your mounting points are.
Step 5: After you've gotten everything welded up and let it cool down, wipe it off and hit it with a fresh coat of paint. Trim back the rock sliders to be even with the wheelwells (now is a great time to cut those fenders), and cap the ends if you wish.
If you're going to be cagin' your rig soon, then put some thought into where your frame braces are. I put one right under the front of the seats, so I can run a single tube across and tie my seats into the cage and frame at the same time. Before I hear any BS about my current seat mounts...I know. They were a hack job by the previous owner, and I'm only waiting until I can borrow a bender to make new mounts.
The pics of this are here (http://community.webshots.com/album/347788988mGjqLT) , I'll put more up tomorrow after I paint it and get the floor/seat mounts done. I'm interested to see what others have done that is different, and why you did it, so post up.
I'd allow about 8 hours to do one side if you've got the rocker boxes, less if you don't or if you have air tools. A band saw/chop saw would make the tube cutting easier, and a buddy or a lift to help with the mock up would too.
Step 1: Mark out what you are going to be cutting out with a sharpie or something. I was replacing my rockers with 2"x3" .188 wall rectangular tubing, with 1.5" .120 wall HREW tube bracing them to the frame, so I made my marks even with the bottom of the door, then began to cut.
Step 2: Using whatever sharp objects you may have lying around, cut as close to the lines you drew previously as possible. I didn't, because I could care less about the 1/4" that they are off. The tricky part of the cutting comes when you reach the A and B pillars. There is alot of metal here, and it takes a while to cut it all out with what I had, but a torch or plasma would make it go alot faster. Because I was cutting so high into the body, I decided to make the top of the rectangular tube be my new doorsill. I cut through the weatherstripping and it's rail, and into the floor. I plan on replacing the floor and seat mounts with 14 ga steel and tubing, so I wasn't worried about messing it up. I replaced the weatherstripping rail with a peice of angle iron, and will be cutting into the bottom of the door (already rusted out) to make it fit better.
*Note: I had to remove the front inner fenders to get better access, and I have yet to cut the rocker boxes out completely. They are a major PITA without air tools.
Step 3: Mock up where you want your rockers to be, and make some measurements. I wanted mine flush, and tied into the frame. Alot of people just tie into the body's main support rails, but since I'm putting a cage in this summer/fall, I decided that going to the frame would be the strongest solution. You'll also need to decide how close together you want to put your braces...I put each frame tie-in about 11" apart, which should be close enough to keep the sliders from bending or flexing too much.
Step 4: Cut the rectangular tube down to the right length, leaving it a little long just in case. Hold it in place with jack stands, a floor jack, a small child, some wood, a homeless person, or some cinder blocks; whatever floats your boat. Tack weld the rectangular tube in place, then get final measurements for your frame braces. Mine ended up being about 17" each, with my sliders being ~68". Cut the frame braces, then weld everything up. Make sure you get a tight fit on the joints, and if you're worried about the frame strength, then box it or plate it where your mounting points are.
Step 5: After you've gotten everything welded up and let it cool down, wipe it off and hit it with a fresh coat of paint. Trim back the rock sliders to be even with the wheelwells (now is a great time to cut those fenders), and cap the ends if you wish.
If you're going to be cagin' your rig soon, then put some thought into where your frame braces are. I put one right under the front of the seats, so I can run a single tube across and tie my seats into the cage and frame at the same time. Before I hear any BS about my current seat mounts...I know. They were a hack job by the previous owner, and I'm only waiting until I can borrow a bender to make new mounts.
The pics of this are here (http://community.webshots.com/album/347788988mGjqLT) , I'll put more up tomorrow after I paint it and get the floor/seat mounts done. I'm interested to see what others have done that is different, and why you did it, so post up.