okay after a few wheeling adventures in my DD YJ the only straight pannels are the rear corner guards. so I am looking at finishing off the whole flat side of the jeep in the same 12ga steel. the only thing I can't figure out is how the hell to attach it. I can weld it, rivet it, bolt it??? along the bottom it will be bolted along with the 4" angle iron rocker guards, but I can figure out if I should use rosset welds which will cause rust after a while, rivets which are pretty weak in my opinion, or bolts which will stick into the cabin all over the place. So what are the suggestions. there is a cj5 local that I see a lot and he did something similar but he welded it all around the top edge (ie where the hard top would mate to the body) but it looks pretty sloppy.

So what is your advice?

Anyone think 12 ga is overkill? (I am trying to balance weight vs strength and am kind of torn between 12 and 14ga)

and I am not sure if this is PBB worthy but I definitly know it would get no intelligent replies on JU

Considering that the old CJ's had 18 ga and the newer models probably thinner, 12 ga sounds awfully thick and heavy.
I've seen pannel crimp plier that put an off set Z on the edge needing patched in but that sure won't work with anything heavy.
16 ga would be a good choice for new pannel beef ups but anything heavier would go into the realm of 'armor'.
Have you thought about leaving the primary body outlines, then riviting on sheet aluminum panels?
Crunch it up, pop it off, then cut and tack on new skin
:smokin:

armor is what I am looking for though, here is the short story of my YJ picked it up was going to leave it alone and on the street only, one month later the bodywork was done and rust free and repainted (hey it cost $70 in paint and supplies) then the carpet fell out some armor went on and things like the sway bars and track bars got lost forever took it out a few times now it is dented bashed and ugly. I want to make it a little tougher on the outside cause new car body pannels are weak. So I am looking for armor, it won't be long till this jeep is the mild to moderate trail rig and I need another driver, I like the rivet idea for what you said it is easily replacable. I am not looking to replace any of the stock pannels just cover them up with something that won't move everytime I try to drive around a great big wisconsin tree. thanks for the input, keep it coming

I have one wheeling buddy that says just weld the damn thing another agrees and one more that says rivet the fawker. I know people on this board have done stuff like this.

your going to probably double the weight of the tub if you do 12 gauge. I wouldn't trust rivets to hold it on there, and bolts offer one more thing to catch on stuff. Good luck welding 12 gauge to sheet metal if you thought the side looked ugly before

just get the overlay panels from JC Whitney if your so concerned about the way the side of the Jeep looks.

Rocker panels should be all you need for pivoting around stuff.

I agree rocker pannels would be great but the problem is when I picked up the jeep under both the jeep logos was real rusty so I did a crappy welded in patch and simply threw some of my favorite out of sight body tool liquid nail. Now if anyone is the great state of wisconsin, illinois, michigan, or even minnesota could get some 6X6 angle iron that isn't 3/8 thick (plus it is heavy and like 5.50 a foot for 20 feet of it) I would just throw that on and it would cover all the uglieness, but I have called evey place I can find and no one has it. so I was looking at what they do offer and that is 4X4 1/4" which would be great but it leaves some rel ugly body work out in the air. not that I really care but it is a DD. So I figured I would plate the side of the truck and then throw the 4X4 over that. the local steel shop (not so local) does have 6X4 in 5/16 which is still a bit thick for rockers but I suppose if I was planning on 1/4 anyway and the steel sides that would probably be quite a bit heavier. I just figured since in all likleyhood the YJ will be my pure trail rig in the next 2 years I would protect it as much as possible. Keep in mind this is coming from a guy who has 2 jeeps and only 1 body pannel between the 2 is even slightly straight. so here ends my rambling, either I find 6X6 which doesn't exist around here, I settle for the thicker 6X4 or I plate the whole side run the 4x4 and forget about light body dammage.

any other ideas

P.S. I agree rivets are not a good idea, bolts are crappy and the welding will not look great but I really don't care.

5/16 rockers is big time overkill.

keep in mind the frame is only 3/16" thick and does fine

exactly my point, so what the hell do I do? There are about 10 steel shops within 60 miles and when they say hey we don't have that they all refer me to one of two shops in the area when they don't have it I am kind of SOL. and I absolutly refuse fo pay $$$ for rockers someone else made, they are too simple to pay for. my other option I guess is to go but a big $$$ piece of plate 1/4 inch an have it bent into a 6X6 piece but that would be a lot of coin too. It is always nice to have 1/4 plate laying around though.

Find a shop with a big shear and a big brake. Have them cut you a piece of 5/16 sheet the length you need x 10" wide and have them bend it 90* Wha-La you have 5" x 5/16 angle!

If you can't find a shop that has the equipment call a well established machine shop that does a lot of fix and repair (a Job Shop) and they will know someone that has the equipment needed to do the job.

While your at it, you might want to find someone with waterjet or lazer capabilities and have your own logo cut into the top half of the angle before it gets bent. Just a thought.

I think 12 gauge might be a bit overkill, I'm sure a 20 gauge or 410 will put holes in your body panels just fine.

BAHAHAHAHA:laughing: :laughing:

Bird or buck shot??
Tungsten slug?

don't laugh, two of my buddy's and I were out on some property doing some shooting and when we were walking back to the trucks the one guy (a marine) asked if he could shoot the others truck, jokingly he said yes and before he could say anything else he has smoked a hole in the side of his bronco II with a .22 pistol. he didn't really care but it was funny later that afternoon when we found the bullet sitting in the rear hatch area. I can only imagine what a 12 ga slug would do...

I think steel duck loads would work best, maybe 3" mag for penetrating power, slugs would give it a cool "ghetto veteran" look.

Never tried it my self, but I have been told a 12 Ga tungsten slug will go through a engine block at 100 yards. I think it might go through sheetmetal:rolleyes:

I told one of my club member's he could go try out his new 44mag pistol out at my property, only to end up with holes in all my parts trucks and Jeeps, not to mention my storage trailer.

I got a box of WWII amor piercing shells with my German 9mm Mauser rifle, huh, huh, huh, shootin' stuff is cool, huh, huh, huh

Call me anal but 12 gauge is awful heavy to throw on. I'd run my rig as light as possible. Throw some rockers on and call it a day. Jeep bodies are like women the more of these:beer: :beer: :beer: you drink the better they look:D But if you absolutely think you need it go a smaller gauge and then you won't have the prob of the rivets holding as much. Call me weird but bodydamage kinda gives me a chubby.:goofball:

moveaside I am not a big fan of yours but I agree on this point, body dammage builds character and I like it. That aside I was looking for a way to keep things straight since it is a DD when a cop notices things like a bashed side pannel, broken lights they draw attention to the dozen or so other legal violations that my truck exhibits. I was just thinking about the g-friend who likes to drive the YJ and the cops you like to pay attention to it. I am pretty set on just the 6X4 and send it at that.

12 guage tungsten slug, wuss!

Try a 50 BMG! That WILL break an engine block at 300 meters+

Just make sure you have it tucked away before you touch it off!

Back to the subject at hand please, there are armored cars that are built to withstand being shot, no need to build your rig for something its not intended to do.