5.3 BUILD LJ - Part 1 Boatside Rockers

[Ryanclimbs]

Ok Here goes Jeep/juggy build number 6 for this year... however it will mostly be done in 2014... I bought a Jeep LJ that was fairly well built as a sleeper jeep. It looked like a fairly stock LJ but had alot of great mods. It had a professionally installed Chevy 5.3 crate engine backed by a rebuilt TH350 and lomax 300 twinstick 4:1... the Jeep has less than 20K and the engine is slightly less. It also has Teraflex CRD 60 axles with 5.13 gears and ARB's (luckily with 60 outers as well, alot of the CRD 60's have smaller outers.) The suspension is 5.5" lift with OME shocks. It also has 39.5 Irok Bias tire on TR beadlocks. So it is a well built jeep but my standards are high and I want this to perform on and off road very well. This is my personal Jeep that I will likely have for the next several years.

Here are the plans:

• Boatside Rockers
• Raise front fenders 3" and cut the hood for a highline conversion, add metal fender liners
• Slightly comp cut the rear opening up wheel area and ad a skin
• 4link, with 14" coilovers and bypass shocks
• PSC Hydro assist ram and box
• Rebuild cage
• Probably trade the iroks out for a set of sticky's
• Truss the axles and do a slight rebuild and possibly extend the wheelbase slightly

So the first thing I needed to do was trim the rear opening to get it ready to be skinned and open the wheel well slightly on the forward side. Then cut off the rockers that the previous owner had welded on... Here is the starting image:

One of the first things I did was trim the rear warn bumper making it a little slimmer, mostly for looks:

Next i lopped off the previously welded rockers with my plasma cutter and cleaned it up with a grinder:

Next i removed the front fenders and the diamond plate "rocker panel" and cleaned things up:

Here is an image of the back cut. I cut as high as I could still keeping the inner fender walls in tact:

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Now we are ready to install the boatsides. I chose the Boatsides by Dave's Customs. I love the way these look but more importantly they are bolt on... most boatsides you need to weld on... I live in WI where nothing survives the salt on the road so I have a need to remove things every few years and re powder coat them etc... Dave's has an excellent reputation and were very happy to work with me on requesting full length rockers etc... The showed within a couple weeks of custom ordering and were packaged extremely well and came with easy directions. I called and emailed several times and the communication was awesome!

Next we measured as the directions said 2.25 inches under the door opening and 2 inches under the vehicle making a straight line and cutting the body off:

Here is a shot after the body was cut away:

Next we clamped up the boatsides... I had them cut everything long long so i could cut them as I chose. We used a set before we drilled the bolt up holes.

I decided to weld the nuts to the inside of the body before putting everything together so I had to make a small bolt to aid in the welding process:

Once everything was clamped and in place I cut the rear rocker to length and tacked a cap on it

At this point I needed to put the front tube fenders on and i moved them up 3" for more upward wheel travel...

Then I cut the front of the rocker to length:

You might notice I "changed my mind" meaning I cut the rocker and ended up welding it back on to recut it longer... you will see that later

I didn't want to cap the front because I want to the ability to powerwash inside the boatside... but I didn't want to leave a knife edge either so I slightly capped it:

I pulled them off at this point finished welded everything, grinded and polished then put it back on... eventually it will be powder coated...

There it is! The first side is done! I will repeat these steps for the other side and then probably tackle the rear skin next! Stay tuned!

[email protected]

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Here are a few shots of the finished edges next to the uncut rocker:

Even though I opted to weld the nuts inside the body in most cases Dave's recomends cutting larger access holes inside the body in a few places which I did... here is a photo of what it looked like... you can cut them any size but I used a 2" hole saw

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Boatside welds at front wheel opening

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Trim for the cut DIY hi line hood... Took 3" off

 

[Ryanclimbs]

So I decided to do some cagework...

Side supports added

Front V supprt added

Side laterals added

TOP VIEW

Also welded a stinger on... still needs some reinforcement work

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Been spending a little bit of time continuing the work on the cage and tubing... Ended up welding on the steel tube fenders on the front, I was debating between trying to keep them as bolt on accessories but in the end decided I wanted the strength of welding everything together... Which at this point means I will have to paint the whole vehicle but I'm okay with that!

So I ended up welding the tube fenders to the TJ Grill and then mounted the TJ grill to the frame by welding some 1.75 tubing for core support...

I ran a series of tubes to tie everything together and I'm sure I will probably do more once I start the coil over project in the front!

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Well I decided since I hard mounted the front clip I need to change out all the poly mounts for hard mounts These are the 45° mounts underneath the body attaching to the frame

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Tied in the back of the cage this morning... Had to do some tube bending to get around all the gas tank parts etc.

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Started the rear coil over process... Tied the frame into the cage and started building shock mounts

 

[ridered3]

Always like to see an LJ being built up. Not used to seeing that drivetrain in many of them though! Build looks great.

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Had to gain 3/4 in... So I frenched in a some 1/4 in steel brackets I made then mounted the rear coilovers... Photos are at full droop...

Before...

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Front factory coil spring mounts gone and fronded down for the front coilover process to start!

 

[Bumpers]

Re: Re: 5.3 BUILD LJ - Part 1 Boatside Rockers

Subscribed.. I love reading over build threads

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Picked up new battery ... I have had several optima batteries and they just haven't lasted very long seems like the last as long as they're Warranteed for about two years and that's it!

My grandfather was a heavy machinery contact tractor and swore by deka batteries... So I found this deka battery at Napa it's AGM with gel for about 175 bucks with the seven-year warranty!

 

[greentaco]

Glad to hear u got the warranty , my uncle deals napa battery's and we've had horrible luck with em lately, hope ur luck is better, good lookin build

 

[Ryanclimbs]

It is always a tough decision to decide whether to have something powder coated or to do the painting yourself so with this project I have decided to have anything that's going to get beat up regularly such as the chassis the stinger the rock rails and the skins painted with the three stage Kbs coating... That way I can touch it up whenever I need to and I have been very impressed with the product... So being that I am working in my garage in a Wisconsin winter and the company recommends that rhey cure at 80 degrees I needed to make a heating house ... so I painted them on a set of sawhorses and then made a cardboard tent with the heater underneath them to bake them

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Started the front coilover setup process still have a lot of work to do on it but here is where I am so far any suggestions?! Everything cycles correctly so it this point I just need to continue tying everything in... And reinforcing it. Plan on connecting the coil over hoops to the inside tubes of the fenders and also Installing a removable brace over the engine... I am sure I will weld on a few more gussets in the process

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Used KBS coater on the chassis and roll cage

 

[Ryanclimbs]

Cut holes in hood for coilover mounts to stick through... And holes for hood louvres (which i'll install after the hood is painted... All the holes will get auto trim too!