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LOD Rock Sliders? Armor Lite vs Destroyer Series?

MrFenderpicks

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I have been on the hunt for some steps / sliders.
I wanted something that is easy bolt on and off, that will not give me any fitment issue.

The biggest choice was between Roam and LOD.
But i am leaning more towards LOD than anything else.

Saw LOD have a few variance of their steps, and was wondering if anyone have insight on which is better in terms of pros / cons.

Jeep JL Armor Lite VS JL Destroyer Series

I know the Armor lite utilizes brackets vs the destroyer which have the brackets welded onto the slider itself.
Are there reasoning why they designed their Armor Lite the way they did vs all welded on from them directly?
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mjaga

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I'm in the same boat as you. In for the responses.
 

Engine Guy

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Hi!

I have the Destroyer steps on my 2019 JLUR. I had wanted to wait for the Armor Lite, but I needed something sooner.

I love my Destroyer steps / sliders. They can be a bit difficult to install in a driveway. I'm pretty handy and have a reasonable selection of tools, but drilling and tapping the rearmost bolts is tough. If the Armor Lites have separate brackets, that may be a little easier. The Destroyers are tough, at least in our East Coast wheeling. I can't speak to how they would perform at somewhere like Moab, but the design is solid.

I will say that having a large step is great for my family after just installing a Metalcloak GC 2.5 lift.

For me the only drawback is the wait associated with LOD products (I also have their front bumper). I understand that they are made on the USA, to order, it just makes planning a bit difficult if you are trying to get ready for a big trip. Quality takes time...

If I were doing it again it would probably boil down to the lead time. I would also recommend finding a local powder coat shop to see if that would change the final timeline.

Good Luck and post picture!
 
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MrFenderpicks

MrFenderpicks

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Hi!

I have the Destroyer steps on my 2019 JLUR. I had wanted to wait for the Armor Lite, but I needed something sooner.

I love my Destroyer steps / sliders. They can be a bit difficult to install in a driveway. I'm pretty handy and have a reasonable selection of tools, but drilling and tapping the rearmost bolts is tough. If the Armor Lites have separate brackets, that may be a little easier. The Destroyers are tough, at least in our East Coast wheeling. I can't speak to how they would perform at somewhere like Moab, but the design is solid.

I will say that having a large step is great for my family after just installing a Metalcloak GC 2.5 lift.

For me the only drawback is the wait associated with LOD products (I also have their front bumper). I understand that they are made on the USA, to order, it just makes planning a bit difficult if you are trying to get ready for a big trip. Quality takes time...

If I were doing it again it would probably boil down to the lead time. I would also recommend finding a local powder coat shop to see if that would change the final timeline.

Good Luck and post picture!
Thanks for the input.
Can you elaborate what and why made it difficult to install?
I like the idea of the FIXED brackets as i wouldnt have to make adjustments and it SHOULD contour as designed right out of the box

VS

The armor lite that have separate brackets that can be tweaked in terms of up / down / side to side
 

Engine Guy

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Sure!

Once you have the sliders in place you can identify where the rearmost bolts need to go. In a perfect world I would have then taken the sliders back off again and worked with the frame rail bare. I didn't, which is completely on me. I drilled the frame rails with the drill sizes that are called out for tapping to the threads on the supplied bolts. LOD recommends a slightly different drill size and they have the bolt cut the thread. That may work great, I'm not sure. I had the correct tap and did it my way. The challenge is that either way the last drill size is quite large. Even with a drill that has a clutch, the usual drill twisting your wrist problem rears its ugly head because you are on your back working in a limited amount of space, with limited leverage. I hurt my hand pretty badly when the drill picked up... If I had done this on a lift with the vehicle above me I don't think it would have been a problem. The other option a lift affords you is the ability to use a drill that clamps to the surface on which you are working.

You are right in that the Destroyers fit one way and the gaps are very even and look great.

Hopefully this helps!
 

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RubiJR

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I have the Destroyers and they are awesome. I used a step drill from Harbor Freight and it was not bad and then the bolt which did tap it for me. There are some optional bolts that go in the front and one required a right angle drill attachment and destroyed 2 bits trying to get it drilled which was the hard part for me. And if you do go that route make sure to use washers to space it out evenly from back to front. Another factor for me is the cost and the extra "steel" slider that you would need if you think you will use the slider at all. Aluminum can turn into a sharp angle that can be a problem. The Destroyers are heavier because they are steel. The drop step is an awesome addition and if I'm lucky LoD will come out with a Destroyer attachment or reverse engineering kind of workaround will come to me and I can find a way to make some. I think the Armor Lite brackets will be strong if not stronger than the destroyers and less weight.
 

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i have the LOD signatures on my jeep. My 11 year old helped me put them on. Used my bike jack to lift the slider close to position and then was able to bolt them on. I did not do the extra holes on mine (the drilled holes) im in Va and am not slamming my jeep on rocks and stuff. I like them, i think they look good, and passengers can use them as a step. The best part was not having to mess with the body bolts like some other sliders require.
 

JDJL

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I placed an order for the LOD signature rock rails 3 weeks ago, and I'm still waiting for a shipping confirmation. From everything I've read, it's worth the wait. I looked at several other options. The reason I went with the LOD rails is based on all the positive reviews and the fact that I don't need to touch the body mount bolts.
 

Headbarcode

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I've been very happy with the all steel original Destroyers. Only real trick to installing them, is having a second set of hands to help. And a little wiggle jiggle to slide the mounting brackets past the body bolt washers is all that was needed to avoid loosening the body bolts.

The aluminum version is a bit lighter than the steel, but will weigh the same with the optional steel skid plates.

The reason why the steel version comes in one piece vs the bolt on brackets for the Lite, is simply that you cannot weld aluminum to steel. Also, aluminum brackets would need to be thicker to equal the strength of steal, which would in turn drive the price up even further.
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KansasJL

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I have the LoD signature series sliders on my Jeep. I installed them myself with a floor jack and a chunk of 2x4 to help distribute the weight. As somebody else mentioned if you decide to drill for the optional extra bolt on the front a right angle drill is a must.
There are a few people on this forum that have had issues with the destroyer series slider flexing into the rocker panel and causing some slight body/paint damage. I haven’t had an issue with the signature series but it isn’t as much of a step and the destroyer series. Some grip tape on the top helps a lot with traction getting in and out of the Jeep with muddy or wet shoes.
 

MarkY3130

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I used to have the Destroyers. I’m one of the people that had them flex into the body and crease the body the length of the sliders. I had done all the optional holes/hardware.

I did not use a right angle drill. I transferred the marks to the inside frame rail and drilled them from the inside out (both faces). At least that’s how I believe I did it, that was nearly two years ago and I just recently bought my first right angle drill attachment.
 

Headbarcode

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I have the LoD signature series sliders on my Jeep. I installed them myself with a floor jack and a chunk of 2x4 to help distribute the weight. As somebody else mentioned if you decide to drill for the optional extra bolt on the front a right angle drill is a must.
There are a few people on this forum that have had issues with the destroyer series slider flexing into the rocker panel and causing some slight body/paint damage. I haven’t had an issue with the signature series but it isn’t as much of a step and the destroyer series. Some grip tape on the top helps a lot with traction getting in and out of the Jeep with muddy or wet shoes.
LOD recently mentioned that the Signatures were a stronger design than the Destroyers. Had that little tidbit been added to their product description, I would've gone with the former and some hockey stick tape. I only went with the latter because of the formed step for my wife, who likes to think she's a full 5' tall.

Thanks to Marks heads up to the community, I now know to keep a closer eye on them.
 

jimim

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I have armor lites. I bought them due to the brackets being separate for ease of install and also cause of our winters here in NEPA. I wanted something that could maybe stand up to the salt sprays they use on the road.




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