There is no doubt that armor for your rig can save you some headache in the life of your vehicle. And there are certain areas that are more susceptible to damage than others. Bumpers are key because your vehicle is in motion in the fore and aft direction which makes that likely areas to get dinged and bumped. The rocker, the area right below the door sill is likely to get caught on a rock, tree stump, or Prius while driving around and if that section is dented badly enough, you might not be able to open your door. The rockers are also great spots to use as a lifting point for a hi-lift, unless you try to just put it on the rocker panel itself, in which case you might not reach the rocker anyways because of the body contour. Also, your rocker panels are not designed to withstand the weight of your vehicle like a frame or axle.
I’ve been very lucky and I drive with lots of caution and finesse to have avoided destroying my rocker panels in the 9 years that I’ve been wheeling my XJ. But I know my time was coming so I had to get some protection on there. When looking at the hundreds of different options I couldn’t find something that I really liked for my application. Lots of designs tuck up very close to provide some extra clearance but in doing so you give up a lot as well. The models that stick out farther provide an area to stand on which would be great for loading my roof rack and helping my vertically challenged wife and kids enter and exit the Jeep. After weighing the tradeoffs I decided I wanted something that would stick out far too be of use in a way more than just as protection.
When I started creating a design I figured that I could try and use that space as something more than its original intended use. That’s when I enlisted the help of a friend who specializes on building pressurized tanks for a fire extinguisher supply company. He and I discussed the design needs and characteristics and off he went.
The result is some very stout rocker protection that also provides a total of 16 gallons of storage for sure that can easily withstand 300 psi of air pressure. It also can be used as a step and a lifting point. And with some creative use of some heavy rubber, the rocker guards will also keep the rocks, mud and road salt/water spray to a minimum.
The next step is to add a compressor so that I can refill these tanks on the trail, add the necessary components and plumbing. Then I’ll have to add air tools to my field tool bag…. which is something I’m really looking forward to.
Do what kind of compressor do you recommend?
2 Responses to Project Rocker Protection + On Board Air