Replacing rusted Wagoneer rockers

[jbroncoh]

I have a '79 Wagoneer with a lot of rust around the edges. I know how to cut the fenders with ease but I'm slightly confused about the rocker panels. If possible, I'd like to completely remove them & replace them with some heavy duty steel tubing like you see on a lot of trucks now days. Is it possible? I've heard that the rockers may provide structural support for the tub. Will I need to weld in supports on the steel? Are there any aftermarket products that may help? Weight is not particularly an issue. I'd like to keep it down but the 401 doesn't seem to care. Any & all info will be greatly appreciated. Thanx.

[timmirvin]

Welcome to the forum!!!!!!!! I am not as experienced as most on here when it comes to answering your question, but I am sure some one will chime in. Also there is a search engine for you to check archived info on this.

Good luck......

[jbroncoh]

Thanks for the warm welcome Timmirvin. O.k. everybody, feel free to start chiming anytime here.

[Kaiserjeeps]

Welcome jbroncoh!! Earlier this summer I removed my drivers rocker from my 69 waggie I'm restoring. 130 spot welds (whew) and some prying and it was out. I actually found a factory replacement at the dealership. One thing I noticed was the amount of support the rocker provides for the door frames and even the roof. If you decide to remove yours to replace with a nerf bar type setup, you might want to leave the door sill part of the rocker. I can flex my roof by lifting on the center pillar the rear door mounts to. If you could find a piece of steel that sleeved into the pieces that weld to the rocker you should be OK. You will need to provide door sill support to tie in the door frames and keep them rigid. If it were me, I would avoid a bunch of work by making a strong nerf type bar that was mounted just outside the rockers to the frame. Rub rails of sorts.. I would not cut your rockers out. It will be more work than you think. I just today signed up for a body and fender restoration class. Maybe I'll know more soon... Good luck and again welcome from Portland OR..... Kaiserjeeps....(al)

[Rande]

May be that these folks can help out with replacement parts.

"Yes, the inner and outer rockers for the M715 will fit the J10. The rockers
are $48 a side and go the whole length. The inner rockers are $22 a side.

Marcia Greene
JeePanels Plus
96 Reservoir Road
South Paris, ME
04281
Tel: (207) 743-7671
Fax: (207) 743-6867
email: jpplus@jeepanelsplus.com
web: www.jeepanelsplus.com (http://www.jeepanelsplus.com)
WE MAKE WHAT WE SELL"

[Jeep20]

If your inners are good I'm with Kaiserjeeps, don't remove the whole rocker. You can cut the outer rocker skin off (without weakening the structure) and replace that with another skin. I've been in the autobody business for 8 years and very rarly do we take out the entire rocker if a skin will do. If you want a different look don't buy a replacement skin, fab up your own with some tubing and sheet metal. It might take alot of work, but if it's the look you want it may be worth it.

[Mikel]

I'm curious... If you just remove the outside areas of the outer rocker, how do you rustproof the inside of the welds?
I thought of doing that in my truck, but the inner rocker ended up being a bit too rusty so I abandoned the idea.

[Jeep20]

We drill a 1/2in. hole where needed for access, put in the rust proofing wand and fill it with a product called sealout made by WK products. I think Rustfre still makes a product that would work well. Then we plug the hole with a body plug after the edges are coated with primer and a little urathane to make sure the plug stays. We also have a boroscope to make sure we have the product where we want it.

[Kaiserjeeps]

Hey jeep20, can an everyday guy like me buy the sprayer and product to do ths myself? I've been thinking about something like this. If so, do you know where I can buy the stuff? Thanks... Al T.

[jbroncoh]

O.k. guys, you've all given me a bunch of useful & very valuable information & I thank you all. I now realize that there is an inner rocker & an outer rocker panel & that the outer can be replaced without losing the necessary support provided by the inner. Good stuff. I'm still left with my original question though. Is it possible to remove the outer rocker & replace it with a good solid piece of rectangular steel tubing while keeping the inner rocker in place? Would there be a good straight line for the steel to run from front to rear. I'd like to completely replace the outer rocker with the steel tubing which would be more durable & far more superior against rocks & other such obstacles. Any other info or resources you may have are still greatly appreciated. Thanx.

[Jeep20]

jbroncoh, anything is possible. I do not know what specific problems you would run into, but with a welder, metal, and a little ingenuity they can be overcome. The only thing I would do is make sure the inner rocker is sealed to whatever you choose to put in there. blending the hinge pillars and dog leg area in with some sheet metal shouldn't be that difficult.

Kaiserjeeps, I'll do some checking and get back to you.

[Kaiserjeeps]

Thanks Jeep20!!