What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Cutting out Rockers... Replace With square tube??

jekquistk5

jekquistk5

Weld nekid
GMOTM Winner
Joined
Jan 18, 2004
Posts
13,346
Reaction score
5,195
Location
Pinckney, MI
Does anyone have any good pics of this. I need to replace/ take care of my rockers before they are gone, and would like to incorperate the slider into it. I think a few guys in AZ are doing this. Do I have to tie the sliders into the frame, or will welding to the body be enough? Thanks
 
Does the tube just attach in that one seam on the outside, or is there any other supports?
 
It butts up against the body mount sections and is also welded to them.

Rene
 
i used 2x3 1/8' on my truck, works good. i don't have it supported at all, just welded into the rocker. its nice and solid.

that reminds me, i still need to do the pass side :doah:
 
I used 3x3 x .120" wall. Landed on a few boulders, pivoted on a few and have jacked the entire side of the truck up with a hi-lift under them...

Rene
 
I had sliders into the body for years. Never had a problem. I am now boatsided and have some frame mounts (using bushings), but that is more to compliment a slew of other mods ( <- has any body seen my rear fenders, I lost them somewhere :laugh: )
 
Here's a few pic's of mine......2x3 1/4" IIRC?? :doah:

13650DSC00571.JPG

13650DSC00570.JPG

13650DSC00415.JPG

13650DSC00413.JPG



Lot's of :hack: :grind:
 
big83chevy4x4 said:
i used 2x3 1/8' on my truck, works good. i don't have it supported at all, just welded into the rocker. its nice and solid.

that reminds me, i still need to do the pass side :doah:
Click to expand...
:laugh:

I had some free time sunday and just did the same thing. Actually you described my truck exactly.

My thoughts, I love my plasma cutter. It cut the old rockers, the rust, the body supports and the new box tube like it was paper. I was done cutting everything in under 35 minutes. Everything was clean and smooth. :D

I did weld my sliders into the old body mounts. The center one line up fairly close. two tabs of angle iron closed the gap nicely.

I had some rust on the rear body mount so I had to cut a scrap of 12 awg to extend the body mount out to the slider. Then welded them together.

I plan to run 2-3 pieces of 1 inch square tube stock under the trucks body and across to the other slider if I ever get it put on. I have no plans to tie them into the body and certainly not the frame, but I like the idea of bracing both sliders for side impact.


It will be another week or two before I finish the other side, but I will try to get pictures up if you still want them.
 
Thanks, I'm heading to my parents house tomorrow, and picking up some needed tools, like my grinder, hobart 140, and anything else you guys can suggest to get this done, and fast! Oh and I don't have a torch/plasma cutter
 
Mine look a lot like tRusty's with the exception that I moved mine up about 3-4" higher, including cutting the bottom of the doors off to fit them. The tubing is 3x3x3/16. There is a decent amount of beef around the A and B pillars to tie them into but I did add some bracing back to the body "subframe"..........these are the body rails that run forward and back just outboard of the frame rails. The outer section of the cab supports (that run from the body mounts to the rocker) were rotted on mine so I just cut them off. I have 1.5x1.5x1/8" wall tube that welds to this inner subframe along the cabmounts and runs out to the rockers. I also have 2"x1/8 angle iron running between the subframe and the rockers in which my seats mount to. Keep in mind I needed new floors also (which is now 1/8" plate) so some of the braces were used to support the new floor.

I've jacked the entire side of my truck off the ground from the rockers with no issues, including the doors still opening and closing easily.
 
good article on offroad.com...

linky

I'm basically going to follow his model... trim the stock sheetmetal pretty much all the way up to the little lip that the door seal attaches to. I'm using 4x2x0.120 wall tube that I plan on adding an extra 1/8" to on the bottom for rock protection. Just like the guy on offroad.com, I'll weld it to the lower portion of the outter body, to the body sub-frame and then use a piece of angle to bolt it along the length of the floorpan also. I have some 1/4"x4" steel I will probably make some brackets out of that will run along the sub-frame for added beef. After the cage goes in I'll decide if I want to link it into the rockers as well... ought to be plenty beefy.

j
 
I am going higher on the project truck , so the slider bottom is just in line with the floorpan . Going to run supports to the 83 frame mounts to help support the 77 body when we do it .

On the Tan 83 I went so the top is butted up to the door sill . And on my tub , there was a nice piece in the rear to weld a brace to . Not to fame on this one , and its real thick tube . Welds are right to the door sill , and behind it to the kinda wall that was created by the cutting ( air space in old rocker ) .

6434slider_side.jpeg

6434slider_rear.jpeg

6434skider_front.jpeg
 
I too have been staring at my rockers for awhile pondering the sliders and a boatside setup. Now my K5 has no rust on the rockers pan etc. etc. The only rust was cut off the front fender lowers long ago. I know that is hard to believe but in NM and living in a garage it's entire left it just doesn't have any. So with that what would everyone think of using 4x4x1/4 angle iron for the slider. It should fit nice up on the pince weld and then flush down the side to the lower door sill. I could stich weld the entire side of the angle iron to the body then on the backside square tube to the lower frame. I figure with the body being rustfree why cutout the supporting metal that is there. I know the square tube would be stronger then the angle iron but shouldn't it still serve the same purpose by displacing force of an impact and helping to not get hung up on a rock?
 
Has anyone done this on an 88-98 truck? My rockers need replacing but I still want it to look decent because the wife won't get in it if it looks like crap (hmm, maybe that's a good thing). I'd just like to see it if someone's done it because I can't visualize it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom