Alternative to rocker box repair on a '72K5?

[dr1553]

Hello,

I have a 72K5 with serious body sag in the door openings. The doors are pinched shut from it. Of course the 4bolt area of the rocker box is gone. Lower 4" of the a-pillar is gone...normal 1st gen stuff I see. My question is has anyone just taken off the doors and welded some sort of support frame in the opening? I found that if I place a jack under the front section of the rocker box it makes the door openings open back up into position. My idea is that I could jack it up until the doors open and close properly, so I know its in the right place, and then weld some tubing in an x pattern to keep it there. I figure that with the kind of shape that the body is in and how much trouble it would be to fix it back to like new that this is a good alternative. Plus I would loose the weight of the doors!

My main concern is if doing that will fix the body sag or just put tons of stress on another area. The way it is now is bad bad bad. I cant even open the doors without almost yanking my arms off, so it cant stay that way.

If anyone has done it and has pics, that would be cool to see!

Thanks all,
David

 

[southernspeed]

Do a search for 'sliders'. I was looking at an old post the other day as I'm about to do mine. Can't remember who but someone has posted a really good post about putting in sliders instead of cills. Loads of pics. It was a first gen too I think.
Found this. http://community.webshots.com/album/282040178mXBKov

 

[southernspeed]

this may help too.
http://www.jjlaughner.com/truck/rebuild2.html

 

[dr1553]

Speed,

In those pics they are just replacing the rocker panels. On the first gen Blazers with the fully removable top there are rocker boxes under the rocker panels. They keep the body from saging in the middle because there is no roof to do that job. The a-pillars connect to the rocker boxes along with the fenders and floor. This extremely structurally important point, due to water running down from the cowl and getting trapped, is rotted out....gone....on all first gens. So the body sags in the big gaping hole that is the opening for the door. Thats why the doors on my truck are pinched shut.

In the first gen section there is a sticky thread about it. Cancer support group...something like that. But since my last visit here a long time ago this site has become a pay site and I cant post in there anymore. Cant afford the fee at this time.

I wish all I had to do was replace the rocker panels....that would be nice. Check out that thread and youll see what I'm talking about.

Thanks,
David

 

[85mudblazin]

so are you wanting to replace it all?? I did this:pics

 

[dr1553]

Wow!

Thats what I'm trying to avoid by just boxing in the door openings. How much in repair panels did that end up costing you? I would like to do that but my Blazer is in such bad shape I dont know if it would be worth it. That looks really great though! Do you have any pics of it all painted up and finished?

Did your top hold it all in place while you had the boxes out? My top is sitting in the back yard. My doors are pinched shut right now because of the sag. I could jack up on the rocker boxes and then put the top on....that should get in back into the correct position.

Your work looks great!

Later,
David