Torsion box/Rocker/Support area questions

[Tumbleweed1C4]

I know this has been addressed a bunch, but I can't seem to find clear pics of what it should look like all done. Or maybe I am just slow. The PO did a crappy job of repairing the floor and rockers and pillars, and the torsion boxes are gone. A bunch of stuff is gone under there. The floor supports are homemade steel bars that cantilever off the frame and bolted to bottom of floor pans. Looks like they chiseled out some part of tub at rear of where torsion box would be. Front to back support looks like it is some sort of channel but I don't know if it added or what is left of torsion box. I don't have an assembly manual, maybe I should get one. I am not sure how to attack it.

First picture is laying looking up at driver side body mount where cab floor meets bed floor. That support rail at the outboard end is demolished/gone. You can see the rail that goes forward toward the front cab mount.

2nd picture shows the rail, where it terminates, the cantilever support, and what appears to be original style floor support.

3rd picture is the demolished whatever-it-should-be where I think aft end of torsion box would be at B pillar/front of bed

4th picture is this same area on passenger side

5th picture is passenger rail and cantilever support looking toward front tire

[Tumbleweed1C4]

Better picture of passenger side b-piller/bedside joint




How she sits waiting for me this morning

[sockalaminski]

Looks as though you have a mess on your hands. What kind of budget are you looking at?

[notsolo]

Here are some photo's from drivers side front and back, yours has been butchered up and is missing the whole torsion box. LMC catalog has a break down of the parts.( Blazer steel body parts page 39).

[Tumbleweed1C4]

Originally Posted by sockalaminski

Looks as though you have a mess on your hands. What kind of budget are you looking at?

Well, budget-wise, whatever it takes I guess. I am not looking to do it on the cheap, other than I hope to do it myself. I just want it to be right. I cant imagine what it would cost to have somebody do it. I have a wire feed welder, willing to do it, (maybe able), just find that I am paralyzed by not knowing where to start and even what the end result is supposed to look like. Unless you are willing to come do it for a couple hundred bucks...

[Tumbleweed1C4]

Originally Posted by notsolo

Here are some photo's from drivers side front and back, yours has been butchered up and is missing the whole torsion box. LMC catalog has a break down of the parts.( Blazer steel body parts page 39).

Good God, I wish the bottom of my truck looked like that. Thanks for those. It looks as if the rail I referred to on my truck is what one side of the torsion box attaches to, am I looking at that right? At least I have that to work with if so. Maybe the mangled part is aft part of torsion box?
The cantilevered supports I took pictures of, I realize now those are supports for the roll bar. It all needs to come out, they fixed the floor by just placing a second floor on top and some fiberglass mat. Surprisingly, fiberglass mat does not stop rust. They tried to fix the bed by the tailgate that way too
If anybody else has pictures or sage advice, please go ahead.

[notsolo]

search blazer torsion box repair or replacement, should give you some other builds that have done this.... and this 1 had an alternative....67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=271111

[sockalaminski]

Just from what I see in your pics, you are looking at $1000 to $1500 in patch panels and parts alone. I had rust similar to yours but not quite as bad, and my rocker box structure was still in good shape. The only place I have found the b-pillar, angle bracket, and rocker braces are at GMCPauls.com. All the other stuff should be available from multiple sources.
I snapped a few shots under mine as I have it apart right now, it will give you a good view.

B-pillar and corner support (little black triangle lower right)

Inside B-pillar

End shot of rocker box

B-pillar to Rocker Brace, ignore the notch at the top, mine is modified

Rocker cover attaches to the rocker box, brace and bed floor supports

The rocker box attaches to the floor brace that wraps up around the firewall, to the floor pan at the seam, and to the inner and outer rocker panel via spot welds.

[69-72]

I don't know if this helps but here is a shot of the entire underside.

[mcmlxix]

here is my contibution ....

[Chulisohombre]

You are going to need a lot of patch panels on yours. It's missing a lot. Like all of the rocker box and ends. Gonna cost a lot of sheetmetal even if you to it yourself. At least the rest of the truck looks ok. Hopefully no more of that kind of work was done to the rest of the body. Cool pics of the underbody of your trucks guys. Not too often you see hem on the rotisserie like that. Saved them for myself as a reference as well.

[1972 Jimmy]

I'm currently repairing the floor, inner rocker, outer rocker, rocker box reinforcement panels on mine right now. If you ever want to see something in person you are more than welcome to come on down to look at mine.
Eric

[Tumbleweed1C4]

Ummmm, wow guys, that was huge. This forum never ceases to amaze me. Those were all some great pictures, thanks for the effort, and in all my searches before I had never seen it laid out like that. Thanks very much. As far as the cost, yeah, I guess that is a lot but what do you do. The rest of the body isn't like this, but then again no other part of the body is as complicated as this area. I sure don't want to see any of these junked, so I don't see it as option to start over and search for another. I guess it is my job to save this one. Those rotisseries sure look like the ticket. I may have to delay purchase of parts to get one of those, it must save a lot of hassle.

sockalaminski, special thanks. That was a lot of effort.

1972 Jimmy, I would like to take you up on your offer. Not too many of these in northern Michigan. I don't even know of another one. Always jealous of some of the guys on this forum that can hook up and help each other out. I am single dad for the next couple of weeks while wife is out of town, so I probably won't be able to come down for a little while.

[mcmlxix]

I think the best method would be to repair the body on the frame with the hard top installed. I would also replace all the body mounts and align all the current body panels first. Once all that is perfect, then start replacing rocker panels one at a time...

[Tumbleweed1C4]

Originally Posted by mcmlxix

I think the best method would be to repair the body on the frame with the hard top installed. I would also replace all the body mounts and align all the current body panels first. Once all that is perfect, then start replacing rocker panels one at a time...

Yeah I might have jumped the gun on my rotisserie envy. I get your point, probably a lot smarter...

[1972 Jimmy]

Originally Posted by Tumbleweed1C4

Ummmm, wow guys, that was huge. This forum never ceases to amaze me. Those were all some great pictures, thanks for the effort, and in all my searches before I had never seen it laid out like that. Thanks very much. As far as the cost, yeah, I guess that is a lot but what do you do. The rest of the body isn't like this, but then again no other part of the body is as complicated as this area. I sure don't want to see any of these junked, so I don't see it as option to start over and search for another. I guess it is my job to save this one. Those rotisseries sure look like the ticket. I may have to delay purchase of parts to get one of those, it must save a lot of hassle.

sockalaminski, special thanks. That was a lot of effort.

1972 Jimmy, I would like to take you up on your offer. Not too many of these in northern Michigan. I don't even know of another one. Always jealous of some of the guys on this forum that can hook up and help each other out. I am single dad for the next couple of weeks while wife is out of town, so I probably won't be able to come down for a little while.

Come on down anytime. PM me when you have a free day to come on down. I agree with the previous post that you need to have the hard top on and panels aligned before you start.
Eric

[DURRTY]

this is a really helpful thread, thanks for the pics and info.