Jeep JK Rock Rails & Winch Bumper Fabrication

[rocket5979]

I decided to make some rock rails and a nice front bumper with integrated winch mount for my girlfriend's Jeep JK. So far things are progressing well with only minor injuries in the form of smashing my head on the front differential while taking measurements and cutting a notch out of my finger with my cutting wheel. haha. Part of the game when working in the garage.


The general gist of the project is:

Rock Rails: I am using .125" x 1 3/4" DOM tubing for the rails and .125" x 1 3/4" square steel tube to mount them directly to the frame via welded butt plates and gussets. I plan to have the outer part of the step portion offset 15* upward to give it a more aggressive look and more clearance.

Front Bumper: Using 1/4" x 2" x 5" rectangular tubing for the front bumper main structure. The winch mount will be 1/4" plate steel with gussets all welded to the back of the main structure and a slotted hawse fairlead for a synthetic line going through the same. Front bumper connected to frame with 1/2"-13 Grade 8 bolts w/ nuts as well as threading through the .25" thickness of the bumper structure too. I plan to weld the recovery points directly in front of this location to maintain maximum rigidity and minimal torque transfer to the bumper itself.

Here's some pics of what I am working with. I borrowed the tube bender from an electrician friend of mine. It makes bending this 1 3/4" DOM tube so much easier and faster!

Click to read more...

 

[RICH17]

I need to buy more tools

 

[rocket5979]

Update: 24 March

Last night I stayed up notching tube and tacking it together for the step portion of the rock rails. I burned through one bi-metal holesaw blade being an idiot, but other than that it all went well.


This morning I did a little CAD modeling for the front bumper side plates, top plate, and skid plate. Hopefully I can get access to a certain fellow Jeep Club-member's CNC plasma cutter later this week so those can be buzzed out of some plate steel!



Here are some update pics.

 

[EmersonHart13]

[MENTION=2449]ilikemtb999[/MENTION]

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Those look awesome. Make me some.

 

[EmersonHart13]

Hell yeah, I'd take some for my Montero... Because mall crawler

 

[rocket5979]

Rock rails all finish welded and ready for their coating of Herculiner before being welded onto the frame of the Jeep. Then it will be on to finishing the front bumper & winch mount.

 

[crooks]

Are the ends on the straight bars open or did you weld something in there? Shit looks great. How much do those pipe bender run? I need a cool bumper.

 

[rocket5979]

Thanks! They are not open. I didn't want water and debris making it inside to cause corrosion.

I borrowed the bender from a friend, but they normally cost around $10k.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Are mine on the way or....?

 

[rocket5979]

Are mine on the way or....?

Sure! They will arrive via pony express in about 5 years.

 

[EmersonHart13]

That's 5 years earlier that Joel was gonna get them...

 

[rocket5979]

That's 5 years earlier that Joel was gonna get them...

 

[rocket5979]

Using a CNC plasma cutting machine to cut out the parts for the front bumper that I modeled in CAD the other morning.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

That's 5 years earlier that Joel was gonna get them...

My rockers aren't very close to things, couple that with short wheel base and they're low on the want list. I want a swing away tire carrier far before sliders.

 

[EmersonHart13]

I bet he could build that too.

 

[crooks]

Holy fuck! I want a cool kid front bumper. Can we be friends?

 

[snakebyte]

The rock rails reminds me of the poison spyder ones, looks great.

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Using a CNC plasma cutting machine to cut out the parts for the front bumper that I modeled in CAD the other morning.

it's nice having friends with cool toys to borrow

 

[rocket5979]

it's nice having friends with cool toys to borrow

Very nice!

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Looks like a DIY job on the CNC machine?

Im slowly working on building one myself at the moment. Not plasma, just a router table

 

[rocket5979]

Looks like a DIY job on the CNC machine?

Im slowly working on building one myself at the moment. Not plasma, just a router table

It is. He is in the process of upgrading to a table and transom capable of cutting 4'x8' x 1/2" thick steel. This table will cut just shy of 2'x4' x 3/8". I would like to CNC my mill one of these days, but it will be a while before that happens.

 

[rocket5979]

We put the first coat of Herculiner on the rock rails and letting it cure overnight before applying the second coat in the morning. The garage is a bit too cold to allow things to cure quickly!

Making further process on the bumper structure. I did the cutouts for the winch cable and the hawse fairlead bolt pattern for the front. Also cut the inlets for the long recovery points and welded them front and back inside the bumper tube.

Tomorrow I plan to weld the winch mount plate on the back with the gussets, relocate the brake booster vacuum pump, and tack all of the bumper dress plates on that I cut on the CNC plasma the other day. It would be nice to have the bumper tubework done and the entire bumper finish welded tomorrow, but I am doubtful that will happen.

 

[rocket5979]

Update: 29 March

Almost there! Just have to weld the front grill guard hoop at a 20* forward angle then cut, notch and weld the DOM tube fender guards before coating it all. Too bad I ran out of shielding gas last night! Off to Airgas to fill my bottle.

 

[rocket5979]

I am finally healed enough from surgery that I can finish the Jeep project! Rock rails are welded on. They aren't going anywhere anytime soon! I just need to finish weld the fender guards, drill and tap the holes for the foglight mounts, wire the lights, and then coat the whole thing in bedliner to be done with it!

I think the edges of the fender guards look a little off, but I think that is due to the fact that I haven't trimmer the fenders back yet. Once that happens, then I think it will all come together nicely.

It will be hard to look at that empty spot where a winch should be! I think I have her convinced to buy one for her Jeep this Fall, though. Probably going to be a Warn 8,000lb w/ synthetic line.