Next Venture Corner Armor install

[Atom631]

I'd be afraid to seal it. While you are sealing things out, you're also sealing them in. If the silicone ever leaks (especially from the top) and you get water and muck behind it, it's going to sit in there forever. I'd put a heavy coat of wax or some kind of paint sealer on both the body and the armor panel. Since they are bolted on (assuming the rivnuts are for bolts), take them off every year or so and clean out behind them. Maybe a foam rubber strip around the back edges?

I would definitely leave the bottom unsealed for drainage. and will def be doing a yearly removal and cleaning either way.

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[STW]

yeah Ill be taking them off and they will be paint-matched to the body using body paint.

I was thinking of something like puttinh a bead of silicone (like for windows and doors) along the top and sides. Id leave the bottoms open for drainage. Im just not sure what window/door silicone might do the paint long term.

someone else suggested gutter sealer.

+1 on your plan for a bead of silicone on the top edge and leaving the bottom edge open for draining. I had this question when I put aluminum (diamond plate) corners on my TJ. I used a standard quality long lasting clear silicone calk and practiced a bit so I could lay a straight even bead along the top edge, and I used a tool to bevel that off. That seal lasted more than a couple decades. Left the bottom edge open so water couldn't collect inside and sit. The bottom edge body panels were showing no rust when I sold the TJ 23 years later. Same thing with aluminum TJ rocker panels, even with sliders added.

Now I have the Next Venture aluminum corners on a JLR and my silicon bead plan is the same, but I haven't gotten to it yet.

I am about to put the Next Venture rocker panels on too. They're designed to work with their sliders, and seem like they'll work with other frame mount sliders too; we'll see.

 

[XtremeRetard]

Definitely use a step bit and finish with the right sized bit when drilling the holes.

 

[Atom631]

forgot to update this thread with the finished install. came out great.

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