Attaching Wild Horses Rock rails to frame

[Johnnyb]

My rocker panels are pretty well toasted due to various trail activities .
I plan on cutting the most damaged section off leaving maybe one or two inches of sheet metal to straighten out below the doors. This will include cutting in back as well. I'm not sure if I will have enough meat in back to attach the rock rails the way Wild Horses instructions tell you to.
Either way, I would like to increase the strength by attaching the rock rails to the frame.
I can see how some square tube could be welded to the back of the rock rails and then also welded to the frame. I'd like to do the welding on the rock rails and as much fabrication as possible so I can take the whole assemblies to be powder coated before final installation.
Does anybody have examples of this, or possibly photos?

Thanks,
JB

 

[Yeller]

At this point I’d just weld some rectangular tube in place of most of the rocker material. Welded only to the body. Paint match as well as possible and be done.

If you really want the rocker guards. Add some tubing behind them and add arms to the rockers with tabs on the frame and spring eye bushing. It works well to keep them from pushing in.

 

[Okie69]

At this point I’d just weld some rectangular tube in place of most of the rocker material. Welded only to the body. Paint match as well as possible and be done.

If you really want the rocker guards. Add some tubing behind them and add arms to the rockers with tabs on the frame and spring eye bushing. It works well to keep them from pushing in.

So would I!

But for real. They’re already smashed so might as well go for it right?!

 

[WILDHORSES]

Jim's .02
If you want to run the WH rails just bolt them completely through the rockers. Long bolts with large diameter washers on the inside of the rockers. Use shorter bolts on the front and rear to attach to the fender and quarter panel.

I don't like tying them directly (no bushings) into the frame. I think there is way to much movement between the body and frame so if they are tied into both the body being the weaker part usually gets torn up.

This is what I prefer that I can't write into an instruction sheet because not everybody is a fabricator. Make large gussets one at the front and one at the back. Weld them to the back of the Rails/Skies and bolt them onto the triangular rocker supports at the front and rear of the rocker panel. I usually have them bolted through the striker post as well. Large gussets. What I'm trying to do with this method is disperse the shock load from bashing into rocks "trail activities"

I'm not opposed to lopping off the rocker entirely and going with the rectangular tubing, we have done that method a time or two as well. Good luck with the project.

Jim

 

[Johnnyb]

Jim's .02
If you want to run the WH rails just bolt them completely through the rockers. Long bolts with large diameter washers on the inside of the rockers. Use shorter bolts on the front and rear to attach to the fender and quarter panel.

I don't like tying them directly (no bushings) into the frame. I think there is way to much movement between the body and frame so if they are tied into both the body being the weaker part usually gets torn up.

This is what I prefer that I can't write into an instruction sheet because not everybody is a fabricator. Make large gussets one at the front and one at the back. Weld them to the back of the Rails/Skies and bolt them onto the triangular rocker supports at the front and rear of the rocker panel. I usually have them bolted through the striker post as well. Large gussets. What I'm trying to do with this method is disperse the shock load from bashing into rocks "trail activities"

I'm not opposed to lopping off the rocker entirely and going with the rectangular tubing, we have done that method a time or two as well. Good luck with the project.

Jim

I've already got your rails and I kind of like the look. I've got a lop off most of the rockers due to damage, but I should be able to leave and straighten the entire vertical face on the rear and about two - three inches on the front. That should leave me enough room to get the rails mounted and I'm considering building gussets from the back of the rail to my cage mounting points which go through the u channel strengthening ribs on my floorboards. This would keep the rails moving the same as the body and provide additional strength for the metal which will be missing after I chop the damage part out of my rocker panels.

Thanks,
John

 

[74BroncoCO]

Once my rockers got trashed I cut them off 3/4" below the door sill and welded in two pieces of rectangle tube in their place; one flat and one vertical. I absolutely love the extra clearance there. The mistake I made was welding them to the body. I have come down on them hard several times and it has messed up the alignment of everything. To do it all over again, I would probably make the same rails, but weld them only to the frame and leave some gap between body and rails.

 

[WILDHORSES]

I've already got your rails and I kind of like the look. I've got a lop off most of the rockers due to damage, but I should be able to leave and straighten the entire vertical face on the rear and about two - three inches on the front. That should leave me enough room to get the rails mounted and I'm considering building gussets from the back of the rail to my cage mounting points which go through the u channel strengthening ribs on my floorboards. This would keep the rails moving the same as the body and provide additional strength for the metal which will be missing after I chop the damage part out of my rocker panels.

Thanks,
John

Sounds like you've got a handle on it. Happy fabricating
Jim

 

[Yeller]

Once my rockers got trashed I cut them off 3/4" below the door sill and welded in two pieces of rectangle tube in their place; one flat and one vertical. I absolutely love the extra clearance there. The mistake I made was welding them to the body. I have come down on them hard several times and it has messed up the alignment of everything. To do it all over again, I would probably make the same rails, but weld them only to the frame and leave some gap between body and rails.

Part of the secret to making this work well is to add supports to capture the cage, it adds so much support to the body and helps it maintain alignment. If you’re hitting hard enough to mess up body alignment, there will be damage just about no matter how you mount them.

 

[joshua]

So would I!

View attachment 919619

But for real. They’re already smashed so might as well go for it right?!

What size tube is that?? Love it!

 

[Yeller]

2x6x3/16

 

[joshua]

2x6x3/16

Writing that down rn. Thanks!

 

[Colo77Bronco]

I'm about to try to figure out this challenge. Wild Horses Rock Rails attached with supports at the two ends mounted to the train similar to how people attach square tubing when they cut the rockers. Then, I want to figure out how to modify the inner aspect of the rock rails and the mounts for AMP power steps to have them tucked up under but both mounted. ALSO do not want to drill my actual rockers so this can all be removed without body damage since I have a perfect new tub. Support will have to be at both ends and solid attachment along its length underneath. Gonna be fun to figure out.

 

[74BroncoCO]

Part of the secret to making this work well is to add supports to capture the cage, it adds so much support to the body and helps it maintain alignment. If you’re hitting hard enough to mess up body alignment, there will be damage just about no matter how you mount them.

Indeed! This is certainly one of those hind-sight scenarios.