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Rock Sliders/Minor Boat Siding

vtblazer

vtblazer

1/2 ton status
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Location
Central VT
Rock sliders/boat siding...call it what ya want but either way, I gained clearance.

Cut 5.5" of body away.
Most of it was junk, either bondo or rust so no big deal.

Once I cut the rocker out (what was left of it) the door sagged terrible due to the inner kick panel that was no longer attached to the floor because of rust.
To cure that I laid a tube along the floor and welded it to both the floor and the inside of the kick panel.
Then welded in a vertical tube from the first tube, up the kick panel and tied it into an existing firewall support.
No flex now. :D

The rock sliders were "as built" working with what I had to deal with.
(existing tubing for the roll cage mainly)
Mounted to the frame in 5 places with cross bracing on each tube, as opposed to the original rock slider that only had three tubes with zero extra bracing. (say stress riser)

Used up most of the 20ft stick of 1.75 DOM doing it too.

The saw horse pics show the 'before and after' the best.

dcp_4973boatside.jpg

dcp_4977boatside.jpg

dcp_4995boatside.jpg
 
is everything basically all tied together now, frame, cage, body?
 
MNorby said:
is everything basically all tied together now, frame, cage, body?
Click to expand...

Looks like it is but no, it's still all separate except the lower portion of the firewall/cage/floor brace that keeps the tub/firewall from flexing.

Gotta cut down the doors now. :grind:

dcp_5006rockersupport.jpg
 
VT, you are THE MAN! Great setup, great pic's, (as usual). Looks like they will make a nice step too. One question, cutting that much away, how will it look from the side? Will it show too much of the frame, etc, in behind? Man, keep up the good work, gotta love where your rig is headed!
 
swyfor5 said:
VT, you are THE MAN! Great setup, great pic's, (as usual). Looks like they will make a nice step too. One question, cutting that much away, how will it look from the side? Will it show too much of the frame, etc, in behind? Man, keep up the good work, gotta love where your rig is headed!
Click to expand...

Thanks, now need to finish up the other side.

As for being steps, they sit @ about 36.5 inches to the top of the outside tube so getting in is gonna be interesting. (haven't even tried yet)

Exposing the frame was my intent, so yeah it's visible now.

This is as far as I currently want to cut up/modify the blazer but time will tell about that decision. :whistle:

Here's pics showing how it looks from the side & back to give ya an idea.

dcp_5012boatside.jpg

dcp_5013boatside.jpg
 
Awesome, looks real good. Might have to get a run at it and jump through your new tube doors! Mine, I have to grab the steering wheel and swing up in. Wife might have a bit more trouble ! Any ideas on how you might clean up the door opening floorboard/rocker area when you move on to finishing the bodywork, etc., area?
 
I'd like to see a side-profile shot from even further away (bumper to bumper) to really get a feel for the overall look.....

Once you get past the initial shock of it, this type of mod would save me COUNTLESS hours of rusty metal repair.....

  • No cab supports to fix
  • No lower rockers to fix
  • No Rocker boxes to fix
Hmmmmmm....... and better clearance too. :saweet:
 
Greg72 said:
I'd like to see a side-profile shot from even further away (bumper to bumper) to really get a feel for the overall look.....

Once you get past the initial shock of it, this type of mod would save me COUNTLESS hours of rusty metal repair.....
  • No cab supports to fix
  • No lower rockers to fix
  • No Rocker boxes to fix
Hmmmmmm....... and better clearance too. :saweet:
Click to expand...

Gotcha covered dude. :D

2nd/upper concrete block is 52"s high FYI.
Chopped the door some and peeled the dumbass rubber off it so it can be properly painted.


Just shocking ain't it. :smirk:

dcp_5018boatside.jpg

dcp_5019boatside.jpg

dcp_5027boatside.jpg

dcp_5028boatside.jpg
 
Last edited:
awesome work. Looks like the rear wheel wells need to be opened up to matched to the front. Definatly tough looking!!!!
 
o/t but have you thought of a good way to open the rear wheel wells, VT? Not only in likw double tubbed but open? I haven't messed with mine yet as I am still trying to get it wheelable/ driveable
 
2wdBlazer said:
awesome work. Looks like the rear wheel wells need to be opened up to matched to the front. Definatly tough looking!!!!
Click to expand...

No real interest in matching for looks, only cut the fronts cause I had to.
Does make the rear wheel openings look dinky doesn't it...:doah:

Opening the rear wells would become major work real quick IMO.
Currently there are no quarter panel rubbing issues but do get rubbing on the bed floor at times.
If I ever go 42's, thing's might change but for now it's not a priority.

So to answer MNorby's question, nope, not given it much thought yet.
 
Good Pics!

So with the modified door, is the lower part of the window regulator still attached to the door? Just wondering how likely you are to still have working windows that roll up and down.....or if that is one of the things that has to be sacrificed for the clearance.

From the look of that one side shot of the door, it looks like the "guts" are all still intact.....no room for speakers anymore though, eh? :wink1:


The "look" is starting to grow on me..... :thinking:



:usaflag:
 
Greg72 said:
Good Pics!

So with the modified door, is the lower part of the window regulator still attached to the door? Just wondering how likely you are to still have working windows that roll up and down.....or if that is one of the things that has to be sacrificed for the clearance.

From the look of that one side shot of the door, it looks like the "guts" are all still intact.....no room for speakers anymore though, eh? :wink1:


The "look" is starting to grow on me..... :thinking:



:usaflag:
Click to expand...

The lower portion of the window regulator 'was' attached to the bottom of the door but all that was needed was to reattach it (weld it) to the side and everything is all set and still works correctly.

The "look" is all good IMO.
 
that is outstanding work.. i would like to do this also but i was wondering wha tyou thought about welding the sliders to flat plate that bolts to the outside of the frame rails instead of welding direct? is there any reason that u didnt do this? just wondering before i make a set and end up doing it wrong! hehehe i would also like to eliminate the rocker boxes with seperate bracing.


Ray
 
jaros44 said:
Nice work, looks good to me. Is there an end? J.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim,
yeah, there's an end and it's getting close too.

Not willing to take it to much further than it already is now.
 
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