Rock Sliders / Rocker Guards Guide
- Thread starter JMT
- Start date
I've got a minute so here's what I could find on the rockers you have listed so far:
ARB ($466-492)
Backing Plate: Driver & Passenger Reinforcement Plates.
Rugged Ridge ($299-399)
Backing Plate: No.
Genright Mini Boat Side Rocker Guards w/Bars ($599)
Backing Plate: Full Length.
Genright Standard Rocker Guards w/Bars ($399)
Backing Plate: Full Length.
Poison Spyder Rocker Knockers with Sliders ($375-415)
Backing Plate: No.
Warrior Rock Sliders ($)
Backing Plate: No.
Metalcloak Rocker Rails ($399)
Backing Plate: No.
JCR Rock Sliders Crusader ($459+)
Backing Plate: Driver & Passenger Reinforcement Plates.
Rokmen Mercenary ($399)
Backing Plate: 10 Zinc Plated Reinforcement Plates.
C&C Fabrication ($225-328)
Backing Plate: No.
Rock Hard 4x4 ($300-340)
Backing Plate: No.
TNT Customs Standard Rocker ($270-350)
Backing Plate: Driver & Passenger Seat Tie In.
Warn ($329)
Backing Plate: No.
Motobilt ($275)
Backing Plate: No.
Savvy Rocker Steel Slider ($559)
Backing Plate: Full Length Aluminum Backing Plate.
Nemesis Billy Rocker ($649)
Backing Plate: Unknown, no online instructions or documentation.
————————- Below are a couple popular options local members run, feel free to add/remove whichever want you want ————————————-
Mopar Rubicon Rocker Guard
Backing Plate: No.
Blue Torch Fab Rocker Guard
Backing Plate: No.
Shrockworx Rocker Guard
Backing Plate: No.
LOD Rocker Guard
Backing Plate: No.
AtoZ Rocker Guard
Backing Plate: No.
Hanson Offroad TJ Rock Sliders
Backing Plate: No.
Trailhead Customs Rock Sliders
Backing Plate: No.
Killby Enterprises Trail Boss Rock Guards - Discontinued
Backing Plate: 2x 21.5" Backing Plates & 2x 2.5" Backing Plates.
AEV Rocker Guard - Discontinued
Backing Plate: Full Length Backing Plate.
EVO MFG Rocker Guard - Discontinued
Backing Plate: Full Length Backing Plate.
Currie Enterprises Rock Ribs - Discontinued
Backing Plate: No.
*** My personal favorites include the Savvy Rockers, Evo MFG, Kilby Trail Boss, JCR Offroad Rocker Guards, Rokmen Mercenary Rocker Guard, & the ARB Rocker. I haven't meet anyone running any of the others (Including the Warn one, thought I would have saw that one by now).
Hope I didn't throw a monkey wrench into your post!
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Its not about the thickness of material of the rocker. Its about the fact that companies that put in proper time to make a stellar product need more reinforcement than the tub’s sheet metal can provide. I could jump up and down on any of the favorites I listed above. Maybe its overkill, but I know for sure that AEV, ARB, Savvy, Rokmen, and Evo aren’t what you call underbuilt product companies. Its a strong possibility its overbuilt for it’s intended purposes.
Didn’t see this sorry, lifetime warranties are fantastic, but mounting these things are a pain, you don’t want to remove it more than you have too. If the rocker fails to the point where you need to warranty it, chances are your tub is already damaged.
OP
Not at all. I went on a similar crusade effort tonight. I was about five pages into Google search results for off-road fab companies. Found a few rock sliders, but again none with back plates, though one had a rail that runs inside for extra support.
If the backing plates are a necessity, and most of these companies are out of the TJ rock slider business, then we’re down to SAVVY, ARB and JCR. Pretty slim pickings. I wonder if @mrblaine or @Jerry Bransford would mind chiming in on whether 3/16” Rock Sliders are sufficient to hold up to real life beating on the rocks, or whether you need backing plates too?
Thanks for the data mine. I’ll get it plugged in. Lots of help for folks
My previous TJ's 3/16 rocker guards from 4XDoctor bent inward and bent/wrinkled the tub underneath them. They had no internal bracing. It took a BFH to beat that side flat enough to install the replacement Savvy rocker guards.
OP
Oh yes, I talked to Tanner at TNT, no countersunk underneath, but swears bolt heads never damaged beyond removability. I was thinking hard about the Genright’s. JCR looks interesting. Will see where the fundage is in May. If good then maybe Savvy, but I got to save for lockers, regear and s35 in Jan 2019From what I understand its to reinforce the tub mount. I look forward to learning if it truly matters or not.
Edit: Don’t forget Genright & TNT!
Nearly all of the ones I have seen use regular bolts on the underneath vs countersunk bolts, let me spit some words. If your Jeep touches salt with a countersunk bolts, you will strip the head so easily trying to get it out. Grade 8 bolts will hold up just fine down there. Remember your body mount will 99% of the time before it hits one of those bolts. I do have countersunk bolts holding the step to the rocker although those are backed by a flange nut and not a nutsert (Although had I had some additional nutserts I would have put them on the aluminum panel to hold the step).
I guess what I’m getting at there are trade offs on which hardware and used, just be aware of the consequences of the countersunk bolts on the bottom.
My info will be biased towards actual use in the rocks where it matters and it will follow a set of general rules that one should adhere to when designing a slider system for the same application. Fair warning, if you do not have the need for a proper design rail, then ignore the rules and do whatever you like.
Do-
Use small fasteners and large quantities of them. The tub sheetmetal can be deformed and pulled outward simply by overtightening the very small 5mm bolts that hold the flares on. That means you have to adopt a fastening solution that functions in similar fashion to how they build airplanes.
Use an internal brace to sandwich the unsupported areas of the tub. Lots of small fasteners to spread the load out over as large of an area as possible and then an internal brace needs to be incorporated in the larger unsupported areas under the doors.
Use a slider that contacts the rocks which can be replaced without welding or replacing the whole assembly. We have seen far too many damaged tubes and slide rails that would cause you to replace the whole rock rail or cut and weld a new tube on.
Wheel well to wheel well is mandatory. The unprotected bits under the flares are in danger, protect them.
Go under the rig and get the torque box protected. We have crushed and mutilated the torque box many times and it has to be protected.
Don't
Ever use any part of the body mounts to mount a slider. That is dumb, shortsighted, and shows a very clear lack of understanding about what constitutes a proper level of mounting and protection for the rig.
Cut the corners of the rock rail into the corner armor. That leaves a small tab hanging that does shit for protecting anything. If it isn't wheel well to wheel well, don't use it.
Use a small number of big fasteners. The sheet metal isn't strong enough.
Miss areas because you don't want to install nutserts. Nutserts are good, use them to your benefit.
Hang down below the edge of the tub. Put two bends to go from the edge over to the torque box and then flatten out there. Otherwise, you are giving up precious ground clearance in an area you need it the most.
Put a tube step on a slider backer. The leverage from the step increases the rotational force against the slider and isn't good for anything or anyone.
Generally-
Put anti-seize on the countersunk part of a flat head. The surface area being large relative to the shank size is what causes problems.
Bolts on the underside away from the edge of the tub are not really an issue.
Slideability is dependent on radius size. The smaller the radius, the harder it is to slide against a rock. The worst is a sharp angle iron corner that digs in. The near best would be something about the size of the rear corner bend but that is obviously too large so keep the radius as generous as is feasible. Sharp bends are bad, don't use them.
Any rail that has a 90 degree bend at the bottom edge is not worth owning. Send it back.
This thread managed to become even more useful than expected. I appreciate your time breaking the stuff down Blaine, great explanation.
I suspect that won't be true for as long as we'd like.
OP
Thank you. Savvy looking better all the time. These are great rules to follow as I will be on the rocks. JCR May be looking pretty good too, need to look at it a bit more.
Edit: No, the JCR slider is a nice boat side, but the slider is not WW2WW for the TJ, only the backing plate, so a no go.
The Genright Mini Boat Side Rockers look pretty close to fitting the bill...Need to check for coverage of the torque converter.
The TNT basic sliders have two bends. However, no brackets, though I bet you could fab some easily to put inside the tub. One other problem is the rear under the tub mounts to a body mount. Another problem is they are not WW2WW.
The TNT Guardian's ($530) have two bends. Require body mounts to be cut off with a body lift and new mounts ($106) welded on. Not WW2WW. Other than that they look good, but not as good as Savvy or Genright Mini Boat Sliders
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Well looks like we have a new contendor in the TJ slider market:
http://www.artecindustries.com/TJ_Rock_Sliders
Here are some photos from my previous TJ's install of Savvy's 2-piece (plus an internal brace) slider as designed by mrblaine. It replaced my bent up 3/16" slider from 4XDoctor. Rounded radius on the bottom to make it easier to slide on rocks, 2-piece exterior to allow a damaged rub rail to be replaced independent of the main body, nothing to hang up on the bottom, and braced internally which significantly strengthens it. Aluminum where it can be, steel where it needs to be. No compromise design. Not cheap but if you want the best...
OP
I hear ya! When I cut through all the baloney and got the good advice from @mrblaine, it narrowed the search down very significantly. The only two that meet all teh criteria, as far as I can tell, and that I know of, are Savvy and Genright (Mini Boat Sliders), that’s if you want the best, and something that will holdup to some serious hits. If you want them for looks or light stuff, maybe some other brand would work. I should re-write the guide! LOL
Yeah, I have a couple trips planned this year already where I will be getting into some rocks. I'm tired of watching my buddies have fun, while I protect my precious baby. I need to get armored up, so I can use those lockers and that low gearing I paid extra for!
OP
Small update for DIY Fabricators. I found this design on a website, so it is not original with me. It looks very good, although I have not measured the length to see if it is WW2WW. The double bend is an excellent feature (120* and 150*), and it appears to have plenty of underbody coverage where you could tub mount, the preferred method. If someone could fab some of these up for <$300, they might have a venue...
i have a question about slider installations. now i know trying to seal against water between the slider and the body is out of the question . better to let it drain. so in order to avoid all the little grit and rocks which are bound to work their way in would it be advisable to run a bead of silicone just on the top ?