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Opinions needed: Best frame mounted Rock Sliders that serve well for body protection and as a step?

Dkretden

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I have the Roam frame mounts. I really like them both as a step and for protection. I slammed them once on a ledge at Hidden Falls in Texas. No issues.

that said, I don’t do “rock crawling” and I am NOT slamming these rails routinely.

so far, so good for me.
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Dkretden

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If you actually go off road, do not get the ROAM. I got them to protect my body... and they didn't serve me well at all. I maximized the Gap between the "Rock" Rail and the Body. But the flex a lot, and if you come down on them EXPECT Body Damage. See the Pictures Below. I have a 2 Door JL

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Wow!

are these the frame mount or body mount version?
 

xaugievike

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I have LOD signatures. Can echo prior post about not needing to mess with body mounts. I have not bounced them off anything to be able to offer experience there. the are super well made though.
 
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BadA$$Rubi

BadA$$Rubi

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I have the LOD Destroyers and praised them highly for about a year. I rock crawl a lot, and now my rocker panels look a lot like the pictures @DonBucket posted. I have full length creases down the side the length of the sliders. I installed all the optional bolts.

I now have rocker armor I never wanted just to cover up the damage.

The sliders are bent permanently closer to the body at this point.

I’m seriously considering switching to body mounted sliders. I think the frame mounted ones just have too long of brackets that will bend into the body if you use them for serious use and there isn’t anything you can do about it due to the length. Maybe with a weld on option you could mount them lower, but then they are lower.

Anyway, if you will pound them on rocks, don’t get the LOD Destroyer. For occasional use they will be fine. Took 12+ months of regular abuse before I ran into problems.
I will be switching but not sure what to yet. They currently scrape the paint off my rocker armor but at least the body damage has stopped.

Picture from yesterday

EDB41577-A853-413B-B741-FA57257891DA.jpeg
Another unfortunate badge of honor. I don’t have faith that body mounted rails would protect any better. Adding body armor seems to be a must have if I’m going to play hard.
 

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tonygiotta

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Looks great and I like removable steps. How close is the slider tubes to the pinch weld flange? Do you need to floss that area?
The top of the mounting arms are pretty darn close to the bottom of the pinch seam. I do have to take my wash mitt off and "floss" the area between the slider and the body when I wash it. That being said, I beat up on them pretty good on the Rubicon. (Rustoleum Satin Black is a very close match.) Came down hard on them more than once, plenty of sliding, pivoting, and high centering on them as well. The only place there was any contact with the body was the small gap between the arms and the pinch seam. Honestly though, I'm unsure whether it was the sliders flexing, or just the movement of the body on the body mounts. You can see the small chip on the arm's weld bead in this picture:

Jeep Wrangler JL Opinions needed: Best frame mounted Rock Sliders that serve well for body protection and as a step? IMG-2049



The frame mounting on these is stout. Each arm is triangulated, and they bolt on in a variety of different planes for added rigidity. Compared to other frame mounts, installing them is somewhat labor intensive. It requires drilling the frame and installing some rather unconventional nut plates inside the frame rail. You also have to remove body bolts, but only the rear ones which don't seem to be as problematic as the fronts. I'd say my main gripe with these sliders is that they don't stick out very far beyond the body, however, I think this same attribute is what helps keep them from flexing into the body. Since they don't stick out much, there isn't as much leverage applied to them when they come down on a rock.
 
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BadA$$Rubi

BadA$$Rubi

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The top of the mounting arms are pretty darn close to the bottom of the pinch seam. I do have to take my wash mitt off and "floss" the area between the slider and the body when I wash it. That being said, I beat up on them pretty good on the Rubicon. (Rustoleum Satin Black is a very close match.) Came down hard on them more than once, plenty of sliding, pivoting, and high centering on them as well. The only place there was any contact with the body was the small gap between the arms and the pinch seam. Honestly though, I'm unsure whether it was the sliders flexing, or just the movement of the body on the body mounts. You can see the small chip on the arm's weld bead in this picture:

IMG-2049.jpg



The frame mounting on these is stout. Each arm is triangulated, and they bolt on in a variety of different planes for added rigidity. Compared to other frame mounts, installing them is somewhat labor intensive. It requires drilling the frame and installing some rather unconventional nut plates inside the frame rail. You also have to remove body bolts, but only the rear ones which don't seem to be as problematic as the fronts. I'd say my main gripe with these sliders is that they don't stick out very far beyond the body, however, I think this same attribute is what helps keep them from flexing into the body. Since they don't stick out much, there isn't as much leverage applied to them when they come down on a rock.
Thank you TonyG for your opinions. All of your points are noted. I agree, the shorter the brackets, the less flexing. I’m considering body armor along with whatever I end up choosing. I’m also reconsidering body mounted rails in lieu of frame mounted. After checking out a few different manufacturers today, there definitely is alot more attachment points and may offer more rigidity and protection. Still undecided though.
 
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BadA$$Rubi

BadA$$Rubi

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I have the LOD Destroyers and praised them highly for about a year. I rock crawl a lot, and now my rocker panels look a lot like the pictures @DonBucket posted. I have full length creases down the side the length of the sliders. I installed all the optional bolts.

I now have rocker armor I never wanted just to cover up the damage.

The sliders are bent permanently closer to the body at this point.

I’m seriously considering switching to body mounted sliders. I think the frame mounted ones just have too long of brackets that will bend into the body if you use them for serious use and there isn’t anything you can do about it due to the length. Maybe with a weld on option you could mount them lower, but then they are lower.

Anyway, if you will pound them on rocks, don’t get the LOD Destroyer. For occasional use they will be fine. Took 12+ months of regular abuse before I ran into problems.
I will be switching but not sure what to yet. They currently scrape the paint off my rocker armor but at least the body damage has stopped.

Picture from yesterday

Jeep Wrangler JL Opinions needed: Best frame mounted Rock Sliders that serve well for body protection and as a step? IMG-2049
I agree totally that the frame mounted rails have too much flex. You may be onto something with the body mounted rail design. I was checking out a few different manufacturers today. They all seem to offer several more attachment points which I think would provide more rigidity and protection. However, I’m still leery that the impact will transfer back to the body. The question of the day is, which one is better?
 

MarkY3130

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I agree totally that the frame mounted rails have too much flex. You may be onto something with the body mounted rail design. I was checking out a few different manufacturers today. They all seem to offer several more attachment points which I think would provide more rigidity and protection. However, I’m still leery that the impact will transfer back to the body. The question of the day is, which one is better?
That is definitely the question. I bought frame mounted as on the JK it was the ticket and it’s what everyone says you need if you will use them in the rocks.

It appears people are changing their tune on this. Many manufacturers have switched to body mounted and many you tube heroes have as well. I’ve never tried them, but I plan too. I might do Metalcloak as I’ve got a lot of their stuff already and it’s all worked well. I would definitely miss the steps though!
 

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tonygiotta

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Thank you TonyG for your opinions. All of your points are noted. I agree, the shorter the brackets, the less flexing. I’m considering body armor along with whatever I end up choosing. I’m also reconsidering body mounted rails in lieu of frame mounted. After checking out a few different manufacturers today, there definitely is alot more attachment points and may offer more rigidity and protection. Still undecided though.
I'll consider body armor when I have some body damage to cover up. If my rock rails do their job, I don't anticipate it happening. From my experience, body armor (be it stand alone or part of a slider) is just a place to get sand, grit, and grime (maybe salt in your case?) trapped between the armor and your body, slowly eating away your paint. Not to mention all the holes you have to drill in that super thin sheet metal body.

That being said... Prior to getting the Poison Spyder's, I was strongly considering the EVO body mounts. They tie the rail and the armor together, theoretically reinforcing the whole assembly. I followed them since their introduction on another forum, and results were good for a body mount. Took a pounding, and only transferred a small amount of damage to the body.
 
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BadA$$Rubi

BadA$$Rubi

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That is definitely the question. I bought frame mounted as on the JK it was the ticket and it’s what everyone says you need if you will use them in the rocks.

It appears people are changing their tune on this. Many manufacturers have switched to body mounted and many you tube heroes have as well. I’ve never tried them, but I plan too. I might do Metalcloak as I’ve got a lot of their stuff already and it’s all worked well. I would definitely miss the steps though!
I believe MC and has a step integrated in their design.
 

MarkY3130

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I believe MC and has a step integrated in their design.
Timing couldn’t be more coincidental. I just found a used set of the MC Overline sliders down the street from me (Facebook marketplace). Messaged the individual and I pick them up tomorrow.

I’ll get them powder coated along with my body armor and then give them a good testing. I head back to Moab in 3 weeks. Time will be working against me
 
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BadA$$Rubi

BadA$$Rubi

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Timing couldn’t be more coincidental. I just found a used set of the MC Overline sliders down the street from me (Facebook marketplace). Messaged the individual and I pick them up tomorrow.

I’ll get them powder coated along with my body armor and then give them a good testing. I head back to Moab in 3 weeks. Time will be working against me
Okay, I ordered the Metalcloak Overland Rocker & Flip Step and the Aluminum Rocker Exoskins. We’ll have to run these through the rocks and see how well they do. Good luck with your Overlines. Let me know how you like them. I was strongly considering the Genright: #RCG-20104 Alum. Step-Rocker Guards & Body Plates and the Nemesis #1573 Alum. Billy Rockers. Check those out if you get the chance. They both look pretty tuff but don’t have a functional step. I caved to the flip steps. You can mount the steps in the upper or lower position or removed completely. I like those options. I’ll post pics when I get them on.
 

rustyshakelford

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Okay, I ordered the Metalcloak Overland Rocker & Flip Step and the Aluminum Rocker Exoskins. We’ll have to run these through the rocks and see how well they do. Good luck with your Overlines. Let me know how you like them. I was strongly considering the Genright: #RCG-20104 Alum. Step-Rocker Guards & Body Plates and the Nemesis #1573 Alum. Billy Rockers. Check those out if you get the chance. They both look pretty tuff but don’t have a functional step. I caved to the flip steps. You can mount the steps in the upper or lower position or removed completely. I like those options. I’ll post pics when I get them on.
be careful with those rails. They make a great step and ok rail. The overline rails are not much of a step but incredible rail and will take much more abuse

brett
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