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Installing Mopar Rock Rails for the Jeep JL

Rustycoins26

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Cameron
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So I purchased some factory take-off rock rails for my new jeep to cover up the pinch seam. Got a really good price on them and I like the look a lot. I was wondering if anyone else thought about putting rubber washers between the hardware and the jeep. I’m trying to avoid damaging the paint along the pinch seam. I know they come from the factory without rubber washers so it’s just metal right on the paint. This bothers me a bit. I also tried to find something that would sit in the holes of the pinch seam to prevent the screw from resting directly on the paint. I know I’m being overly cautious but it’s just something that I wanted to bounce of others.
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Headbarcode

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So I purchased some factory take-off rock rails for my new jeep to cover up the pinch seam. Got a really good price on them and I like the look a lot. I was wondering if anyone else thought about putting rubber washers between the hardware and the jeep. I’m trying to avoid damaging the paint along the pinch seam. I know they come from the factory without rubber washers so it’s just metal right on the paint. This bothers me a bit. I also tried to find something that would sit in the holes of the pinch seam to prevent the screw from resting directly on the paint. I know I’m being overly cautious but it’s just something that I wanted to bounce of others.
If it were me, I'd just hard mount them like the factory does. Rubber washers used as standoffs would require the use of nyloc nuts and not fully torquing the hardware. That would introduce movement and vibration between the rails and pinch seams, which could cause more damage than if they were cinched down.

One thought that just popped to mind. What about a strip of vinyl over the pinch seam? An awl or ice pick can stab a pilot hole in the vinyl and the hardware will stretch it open, essentially adding some paint protection to the holes themselves. This method would allow the rails to be fully tightened down, so not only will the vinyl protect the seams, but there won't be any movement or vibration.
 
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Rustycoins26

Rustycoins26

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Thank you for the advice! This is the kind of input I was looking for. So I actually just purchased some 3M paint protectant film for the door sills (were people tend to step). I’ll just cut some squares out and use it on the pinch seam. Thanks again!
 

Headbarcode

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Thank you for the advice! This is the kind of input I was looking for. So I actually just purchased some 3M paint protectant film for the door sills (were people tend to step). I’ll just cut some squares out and use it on the pinch seam. Thanks again!
Glad to be of some help.

And by the way, welcome to the community Cameron!
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