bedside reinforcement/rub rails

[stan1688]

I'm sure it's been talked about on here, but I haven't been able find it.

I've been doing harder and harder trails as my confidence goes up so I've been debating on narrowing (dovetailing) the rear of my Blazer to keep the body from getting completely trashed.

After a lot of debating and looking at pictures, I think I just like the looks of the stock rear too much to narrow it. Plus, the top is nice for winter.



I would like to avoid putting some sort of tube on the outside of the body like this:

If I were going to do that, however, I would do it like Mnorby did on his old Blazer, except I'd put the tube right at the body line:

I would prefer to have the reinforcement hiding, like adding a piece of square tubing behind the body line that's tied into the cage. Maybe even run beside skins and brace them to reduce weight? I'm sure it wouldn't be worth the effort to add plate steel to the outside of the fender and make it look good, but who knows.



Anyone have any good ideas?

 

[diesel4me]

Ever see the stuff rivited to the side of a P series step van,that looks like a pipe sliced in half with the outer edges flanged out for the rivets?..I think that stuff is very strong and looks pretty good too..

 

[stan1688]

That's a good idea, but I don't think I'd like the look.

That makes me think that a panel riveted to the body might look cool, but might be hard to match the curves.

 

[diesel4me]

Yeah,that stuff is for straight runs only pretty much....
....they used it to prevent the sides of the step van body from flexing ,and to increase impact resistance from cargo inside or a vehicle or other obstacle denting the outside of the panel..we sold some of those reinforcement strips off P series to customers with jeeps for rub rails,,some guys used them under replacement floor pans to stiffen them up too...

 

[owenst7]

I find that the body line/crease is my highest contact area in the rocks. I'm just starting my tube chassis and I'm going to skin the body back over it. I'm probably going to put tube behind the sheet metal right there. I'll try post some pictures if I remember.

 

[rdn2blazer]

WHat about adding a second, or even third factory sheet metal skin to make it thick enough to not dent as bad? It's doable. Can even rivet it for a cool old school military bomber airplane look.

 

[stan1688]

I find that the body line/crease is my highest contact area in the rocks.

I agree. That and the top of my beside has seen some contact, as well.

I'm just starting my tube chassis and I'm going to skin the body back over it. I'm probably going to put tube behind the sheet metal right there. I'll try post some pictures if I remember.

This is the same idea I had. I worked up a pic to show what I had in mind. I wanted a pic from straight behind with a cut bed, but this was the best I could find:

The black lines are the braces and the yellow lines are meant to represent a tube on the cage. It would obviously require some cutting on the inside, but that wouldn't be a big deal. The lower brace could be made of square tubing to match the body line and the top brace could be round tube to match the curve at the top.

WHat about adding a second, or even third factory sheet metal skin to make it thick enough to not dent as bad? It's doable. Can even rivet it for a cool old school military bomber airplane look.

That's a good idea. Might get a little tricky to match the fender opening if it's not stock, though. It could probably be done fairly cheap if junk yard sheet metal was used.




Keep the ideas coming.

 

[blazinzuk]

Find another tub and start getting it ready?

I don't know how you wheel but I have helped a couple guys do something similar to what your thinking. Took 1/8 plate and formed it to the body. On an early bronco. Not as hard as a Chevy. It lasted a while but if you keep on modding you keep on doing harder stuff.

It took a couple years but it was pretty soon that his whole body was dented up wherever we hadn't done it.

We probably added 300 lbs to the body from just what we did. I bet you could add a couple hundred more easy. Thats just not the plate but bracing and other things too.

Not trying to discourage you or anything just trying to play devils advocate for a bit

 

[stan1688]

I appreciate your input, Eric. I know you have a lot of experience in this type of stuff so it's good to hear your thoughts.

Do you think just the bracing I posted above would be worth the effort to help keep the rear sheet metal straighter, longer? I don't get to wheel but a handful of times a year. I'm sure it'll end up as a truggy-type thing one day (like yours), but I guess I'd like to do as little cutting on the back end as I can, at least right now.

 

[blazinzuk]

I wouldn't worry too much about the top rails. Like other guys have said most of the damage is lower.

In all honosty if you braced up everything below the body line that would help with most of the damage.

The hard part to protect is the corner. I looked for a long time at some way to make a bolt on type part for corner protection. But its pretty expensive to make anything that would be thick enough to handle a hit. Its even hard to make several thin pieces and laminate them together.

I know you don't like the looks but the rub rails are the best way to go. I did one on a scout some time ago, we cut the tube in half and very very carefully welded it on. Took some time sanding the welds down but it melded into the body quite nicely. We ran braces from the cage to the rub rail like you are thinking anyway. After painting you could hardly tell it was there. Looks like we had sunk the tube into the body

Other than that the wheel well tube is a great idea to protect too. Once again those are only as strong as the braces going back to the frame or cage. I have seen guys that have just welded them onto the fender collapse the fender and the tube held up. Kind of funny looks like the hulk hit just above the tube and smashed it in above the tube.

Looking forward to what you do and to see how it holds up in the future. Contrary to popular belief I love the way a stock blazer looks ( well stock body anyway)

 

[stan1688]

Cool. Thanks, Eric.

Lets keep the ideas flowing!

 

[Greg72]

Two free ideas:

1. Make the bedside skins removeable. This is what I'm doing on the "Might As Well" build. The inner structure stays intact,, and you can still incorporate a rub rail inside the void between the inner and outer bed skins for some extra protection. Yes, it's quite a bit of work, but so are all the other ideas you've considered.

2. Build a removeable rub rail than can somehow attach to the rearmost cage bar and the b-pillar bars (and maybe down to the rockslider too). It would probably be ugly, but you'd only bolt it in place before a wheeling trip...


-G

 

[diesel4me]

hmmm..like a length of highway gaurd rail you can pin on each side with some hitch pins just before wheeling?...

 

[stan1688]

Two free ideas:

1. Make the bedside skins removeable. This is what I'm doing on the "Might As Well" build. The inner structure stays intact,, and you can still incorporate a rub rail inside the void between the inner and outer bed skins for some extra protection. Yes, it's quite a bit of work, but so are all the other ideas you've considered.

2. Build a removeable rub rail than can somehow attach to the rearmost cage bar and the b-pillar bars (and maybe down to the rockslider too). It would probably be ugly, but you'd only bolt it in place before a wheeling trip...


-G

I actually thought about your build when I first started this post, Greg. It's a great idea if one is willing to take the time to remove and install them.

The removable rub rail is a good idea, too. But again, requires time to install and remove.

hmmm..like a length of highway gaurd rail you can pin on each side with some hitch pins just before wheeling?...

YES!

---






Here's a question for you guys. I initially thought of this as kind of a gag, but the more I think about it, the more it seems like it might help.


What if the space between the outer fender and the inner wall was filled with expanding foam? It wouldn't add much weight but would make that structure more solid. But, would it help that much? Maybe the rub rail from the inside plus the foam? I've never used the stuff, though, so I'm not sure how it would react.

 

[diesel4me]

I never thought anyone would actually DO it!....crude but effective I guess..

As for foam,if it were the type we used to get put in our forkloaders tires at the junkyard,it certainly would make the sheet metal less dentable for sure!--also increase the weight about 500+ lbs too,that stuff is very heavy,unlike other foams!..

This brings back memories of the Duke Boys when they entered the General Lee in a demolition derby,and they got put up against a old Mercury Monetrey that had cement filled rear quarters,nicknamed "the slammer" car!...maybe concrete and rebar filled rear quarters would hold up REAL good?..

 

[496truck]

Dents add character. Man up and deal with it.

 

[6.2Blazer]

See if these pics show up on what I did to mine after installing new front fenders and rear quarters....original sheetmetal looked like crushed pop cans after years of wheelin'.

1" square tubing, 1/8" wall. Stich welded at the body seem, and no reinforcements behind it. It's not meant to holdup the entire weight of the truck when leaning against a rock wall but prevents the body line from being crushed in when rubbing a tree or something.

The other things I have done along with this to help save the body:
- the current tire and wheel combo stick out further than the previous set which helps keep the body away from obstacles
- rear is dovetailed
- front and rear bumpers wrap around the sides
- typical "cut out stock rockers and replace with steel tubing" mod...these stick out as far as possible without being wider than the tires
- built the little rectangle thing off the rocker guard between the door opening and rear wheel well
- not shown in the picture, but later added the same type of thing at the front fender

So far I have had very little body damage with the above mods. The trails around here are usually heavily wooded and tight so most of the damage was from trees, and some deep dirt ruts. I run it fairly hard and not that worried about body damage....but do shy away from places that are guaranteed to lean the body hard against trees or rocks.

 

[stan1688]

Dents add character. Man up and deal with it.

Don't worry, I'm familiar with dents...

See if these pics show up on what I did to mine after installing new front fenders and rear quarters....original sheetmetal looked like crushed pop cans after years of wheelin'.

1" square tubing, 1/8" wall. Stich welded at the body seem, and no reinforcements behind it. It's not meant to holdup the entire weight of the truck when leaning against a rock wall but prevents the body line from being crushed in when rubbing a tree or something.

The other things I have done along with this to help save the body:
- the current tire and wheel combo stick out further than the previous set which helps keep the body away from obstacles
- rear is dovetailed
- front and rear bumpers wrap around the sides
- typical "cut out stock rockers and replace with steel tubing" mod...these stick out as far as possible without being wider than the tires
- built the little rectangle thing off the rocker guard between the door opening and rear wheel well
- not shown in the picture, but later added the same type of thing at the front fender

So far I have had very little body damage with the above mods. The trails around here are usually heavily wooded and tight so most of the damage was from trees, and some deep dirt ruts. I run it fairly hard and not that worried about body damage....but do shy away from places that are guaranteed to lean the body hard against trees or rocks.

Those are all good suggestions.

My rock sliders have kick-outs at the ends of them. Those really help. I also noticed a difference when I went from wide swampers to my current bfgs. They helped keep the body away from obstacles, as you mentioned. I can also attest to wrap-around bumpers - they help.




I'm not afraid of body damage. The purpose of this thread was intended to find ways to prolong the life of the body. I like the looks of a blazer, that's why I have one. And I'd like to keep it looking like one, at least the back half of it (for a while, that is).

 

[blazinzuk]

I think some 1/8 thick plate say about 6" wide welded on the body, put the top at the body line, and the bottom wherever it ends up.

Then add your bracing to it. This will help a ton where the body is widest.

Like you said the wide tires help too so maybe some 1" spacers to get them out a bit.

It takes a ton of time to shape a piece of tube to somewhat mimic the fender opening but usually looks really cool when done and those can hold off the smaller dents. Like what KellyJohn did to his wifes power wagon.

I think in your case its gonna bunch of small stuff you do, wheel spacers, flat rub rail, bracing said rub rail, adding some tube to the fenders etc.

All those things combined will help a ton.

Then you will probably roll it and do what I did

 

[stan1688]

Haha. Don't jinx me, Eric.

Thanks everyone for the input. I'll have to see what I can implement.


Still open to other ideas, thought.