Replacement Rocker Panels

[alabamatacomaguy]

Was hoping to get the collective opinion of those with experience but I am going to have to replace the rocker panels on both sides.

Im hoping to hear all I need is just the outside panel but like everything with the fj im sure ill need both inside and out. The prices out there vary so much I am not sure where to buy. I wouldnt mind paying alittle more for thicker steel since this seems to be a rust prone area but i dont want to pay to much (this project is killing my wallet enough already)

Ive been searching alittle and found these different options. I have to pick one and I want to make an educated purchase to get the best product for the money but also dont want to pay more for something exactly like somebody else is selling just a different website selling it.

http://www.mcssl.com/store/real-steel-cruiser-part/catalog/product/c02df875d62c4e4287a4469fd792c013

http://www.ebay.com/usr/rscp2011?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

http://www.tpi4x4.com/online-store?...age=flypage.tpl&product_id=405&category_id=33

If they were in better shape maybe i could get these but mine are to gone...dam rust

http://www.tpi4x4.com/online-store?...age=flypage.tpl&product_id=405&category_id=33



If you have bought these from somewhere online could you post up your experience and if you got just the outside or had to get both. I figured i would start with just the outside and if once inside it was to bad to save or work with patching up then order the inside

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

these seemed to be a better price if i have to get inside and outside but they say you get what you pay for. Does anyone have experience with this brand/site
http://www.extremebends.com/40-seri...89_30/rocker-panel-inner-outer-pre-1979-p-104

 

[QuackAxel]

note sure about all your options but Cool Cruisers makes some. If yo were gona do both sides, inside and out..... it would be around $450.
ouside.
http://coolfj40.stores.yahoo.net/rocpanout19t.html
inside
http://coolfj40.stores.yahoo.net/rocpanin19th.html

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

note sure about all your options but Cool Cruisers makes some. If yo were gona do both sides, inside and out..... it would be around $450.
ouside.
http://coolfj40.stores.yahoo.net/rocpanout19t.html
inside
http://coolfj40.stores.yahoo.net/rocpanin19th.html

thanks that looks like a very good option, i just found the cbi site and emailed them as well. I have gone through so many parts websites for different things i forget what i see where, i remember seeing that a day or two ago and forgot about it

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

im trying to figure out why the sor rockers cost so much more than the others. honestly if they are alot better i would consider it but i cant tell why they are priced so much more. They are the set of in and out for both sides but thats more than i want to spend on this

http://www.sor.com/cat115b.sor

 

[kruisinkid]

you will find that SOR costs a lot more for everything. you should also assume that with fj40 sheet metal parts, there are really only 2 or 3 shops in the country making them and all the resellers buy from them and...resell them.

real steel (the ebay page you found), classicparts4u (ebay user name) are 2 of the actual manufacturers of sheet metal parts. that ebi cruiser inner/outer rocker set is a new one to me. if i were you, i would buy 1 of those ebi pieces and try it out. maybe someone else on here has used them before and can vouch for the quality.

 

[RAYJON]

just a thought---make a set, its a flat peice of sheet with 3 bends and some holes,

a sheet of 16ga will run you less than 100$, take measurements and have the metal place bend it or find someone with a finger brake, you can cut it with a jigsaw and some good metal blades.. you will have to trim what is there anyway so you will have a pattern.. to make it from... and you will have the rest of the sheet left to patch the other cruiser rust...

you could also bend up some edge pieces for any other places you have to fix, just leave one side long so you can trim it..

you could also trim them and make some 2" by 3" boxed steel rock sliders to go in the place of the rocker... I've seen that done and made to look real close to stock...

lots of options, its just steel.. if you mess it up you can always cut it off and weld on more...

good luck which ever way you go..

 

[SouthBostonFJ40]

Pacol is also a manufacturer. I don't know if they are still in business or not. I know some people were having problems getting their parts so do your own due diligence before sending them any money.

 

[winnie]

EBI is in British Columbia ... folks on here have used them ... their stuff is good ... they make 3/4 tubs too if I remember correctly ... Aqualu is in BC too ... didn't know they made rocker panels and will check that out ... I believe CCOT makes rocker panels ... as RAYJON said, making a set (or having them made locally) is worth considering ...

 

[SSCR]

I have only good things to say about Real Steel.

 

[winnie]

yes, I should have noted Real Steel ... the rocker panels rot in part because of the brackets holding them in place ... I'm not sure those brackets are available for replacement, at least I haven't found them ... I've only seen people cleaning up the originals or making them ...

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

Currently my garage is alittle over 4hours away from my fj and with work I'm not able to get there except thanksgiving/ Christmas or major vacations.
I have the fj in a storage unit near me with some hand tools in it for when I get free time. The plan was always to get the fj and do almost everything myself in my own garage learning as I go but that's not possible for a few years.

I found a welder (on Craigslist) he's a professional that was looking for side jobs outside of work and has done jeep floorpans and rockers before. Our first plan was to patch up the rockers but after he thought about it he figured it would be best to get replacement panels for them as I wanted it to be as stock looking as possible and he thinks most of what I have needs to go.
I'm cleaning everything up and taking the pass seat out and trans tunnel off before I drive it to him. We are hoping the gas tank won't be to big of an issue to pull out as he is using a replacement panel for the drivers floor pan from classic to current that came from a previous owner and he is going to patch the pass side floor hole as that side seems to be in much better shape. He also might have to create some bracing under the driver seat where rot has gone crazy we figured some square tube or something.



Back to rockers


The reproduction rockers I've seen forsale all look pretty similar which makes it even harder to choose. If I had any money left I would choose by what site I was ordering other stuff from but for now I have to stop at the rockers. And worry about other panels in the future.

I figured I would check this thread for a few days and use that to help make my decision or find a new option from suggestions here. Thanks to everyone who's left a reply


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[PWCO70crusier]

The rocker panels are easy to make. I agree with 16 or 18 ga depending on how thick you want to go. Thinner metal is easier to work with but shows a lot of the imperfections. I picked up sheet metal from a duct work/ac shop for about $35. It takes practice, but overall its not too hard to do.
kyle-landcruiser.blogspot.com

 

[Trollhole]

I've been using Real Steel for a few years now. Their stuff is spot on.

 

[Cormaney]

these seemed to be a better price if i have to get inside and outside but they say you get what you pay for. Does anyone have experience with this brand/site
http://www.extremebends.com/40-seri...89_30/rocker-panel-inner-outer-pre-1979-p-104

I talked with the owner of EBI and he said that the rockers that he has does not have the correct angles going up the A and B pillars. This will cause the doors to not fit correctly.

 

[bikersmurf]

I talked with the owner of EBI and he said that the rockers that he has does not have the correct angles going up the A and B pillars. This will cause the doors to not fit correctly.

Steve (the owner) seems to be a standup guy. It doesn't surprise me that he'd give it to ya straight, and tell you the limitations of the product. I think you could make them work, but it sounds like they're typical aftermarket parts which aren't perfect.

 

[shipmag]

I was happy with Real Steel rocker panel and floor pans. used a harbor freight 1/4" recipicating saw to cut it off the piller worked good for me. going to use Eastwood rust converter with the extension tube to spray behind the panels using the bottome two drain holes to sneak the tube up through. Suppose to convert the existing rust so it wont rust any more.

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

I just realized some of the rocker panels forsale look like in the picture they don't have the lip where the door closes against. That was the main part I was wanting to make sure it was prebent as that looks the hardest to reproduce

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[shipmag]

My bad my rocker from real steel included the lip here is a partial pic of the back portion of the panel. Zoom in and you can see its all one piece. The top rolls over the edge and down the inside about a 14 inch once its welded in place just hammer the 1/4 inch lip flush with the inside. the rear top of the panel was a bear to cut thats where the 1/4" recipicating air cutter came in handy without cutting the rear Qtr panel.

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

My bad my rocker from real steel included the lip here is a partial pic of the back portion of the panel. Zoom in and you can see its all one piece. The top rolls over the edge and down the inside about a 14 inch once its welded in place just hammer the 1/4 inch lip flush with the inside. the rear top of the panel was a bear to cut thats where the 1/4" recipicating air cutter came in handy without cutting the rear Qtr panel.

Thank you that is very helpful. My lip is eaten up pretty good on the passenger side and driver side under so I figure I will replace both. I want to make sure I order the best or closest to oem shape as i want to do it right the first time and not return to it in a year or two when I'm getting into hard doors.

I'm leaving toward the real steel fun they do indead have that lip. I'm emailing them now



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