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Best Combo Rock Slider Rail and Step

Dav6662

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https://www.shrockworks.com/JJT-SL-pr-16305.html

I have not put these on my Gladiator but did have these on my ‘02 TJ. They are heavy but extremely well built. They mount to the frame rather than the body so that they truly become rock rails and protect the body vey well......once I get mine mounted on my Gladiator I will post pics
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Flmthwr65

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I am in love with my AMP research rock bars and step combos. Very sturdy solid steel when you need Rock slides no loss of height on your truck and when you need them they pop down and they are there. Also they have two motors to run them one in each arm which makes them very very beefy
 

piroman683

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https://www.shrockworks.com/JJT-SL-pr-16305.html

I have not put these on my Gladiator but did have these on my ‘02 TJ. They are heavy but extremely well built. They mount to the frame rather than the body so that they truly become rock rails and protect the body vey well......once I get mine mounted on my Gladiator I will post pics
i have them only JT and I love them!
 

LTCSlacker

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Wha
I have experience with both the ACE & RockHard sliders.

I bought the ACE sliders in 2018 for my JLU. They come away from the vehicle enough to be used as a step, but have no protruding step to get hung up on anything. They mount to the frame so they are super sturdy! The cons - they don't hide the pinch seam along the bottom edge of the Jeep, and the powdercoating didn't hold up around the welds ... showed rust pretty quickly.

Due to the 2 cons above, I went with the RockHard 4x4 Patriot sliders for my JT. Also, the slight down-angle available should serve as a slightly better step when I go up to 37s. The powdercoating has a bit more of a shine than the more matte appearance of the ACE ones. I can't say whether this is a pro or con yet. I did add some 1" wide strips of grip tape to limit slipping when wet. I LOVE that the RockHard sliders mount to the frame, but also cover then pinch seam. It gives them a more finished look.

Both brands will protect you against most parking lot door dings, keep your body away from rocks, serve as a step, and support the weight of your vehicle for jacking.

JLU June 2019.jpg


Decals on.jpg


Grip Tape.jpg

(Disregard the spots on the rail. It had rained, and I didn't wipe them off before this pic.)
What mudflaps did you use with your Ace sliders?
 

Dav6662

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Curious how much the rock hard sliders weigh
 

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msujedi

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Wha


What mudflaps did you use with your Ace sliders?
On my JLU, I used the Mopar ones.

On my JT, I have the Rockhard Patriot sliders. I'm making my own removable mud flaps using a $25 generic set.
 

rvillano8188

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I've now spent months spinning myself into rock slider step oblivion, and have come up with a few options (I've now eliminated the ROAM and LOD options as neither one seems close to market). I don't do a ton of offroading, and when I do it's not extreme. I care about 3 things really:

Protection from flying debris coming from road and minor offroad protection of rocks

Flow of the body (the body is slightly rounded on the sides of the gladiator, so I'd like it to follow the form) - This one I haven't heard talked about much, so anyone who has feedback on the below options feel free to chime in!

Lower stepping point for the boss of the house (can barely get in now, but will be completely unable to when I go to 37's and a 3.5 jks lift)


RSE - https://www.quadratec.com/p/rock-slide-engineering/step-slider-kit-jeep-gladiator-jt - $2200 - If you want to pull the trigger and money not an option, these are really nice in person, provide protection and the drop step. I can't do that price on rails, but some people can.

Ace - https://aceengineeringandfab.com/collections/gladiator/products/ace-jt-gladiator-rock-sliders - $700 - Similar to Rock Hard Angled up in look. They lost me because I wanted to sell the existing rock rails to recoup costs, and I just don't like the look of them without the stock rails. Nice setup if you're keeping the existing rail.

Rock Hard Angled Down - https://www.rockhard4x4.com/product_p/rh-80106.htm - $650 - Sturdy, well made, cover pinch seams completely, but worried about slippage on the pipe (can be rectified by putting skid tape, but I would rather not modify a modification)

Body Armor - https://www.bodyarmor4x4.com/product/jt-rock-crawler-steps/ - $375 - Newer, cheaper, but have yet to see a pic of them on a JT, and at that price point I'm reluctant that it's too cheap. Would love feedback on these but right now, I'm not going to be the guinea pig.

Mopar Extended Performance - $1k (850 with 15% off?) - well built, good looking step that's close to factory, but not a huge drop and my wife is super short. Unsure if it will actually serve it's purpose at current height.

Road Armor - https://www.quadratec.com/p/road-armor/stealth-running-board-steps-gladiator-jt-520stp4b - $1172 - Really nice looking step, but their thickness and lack of ability to carry weight (250 Lbs load rating seems miniscule) makes me wonder if this is just a step with minimal protection. At that price point, seems weird to not provide both.

So at this point, I continue to wait, while funneling my rail funds toward other things. If I had a gun to my head, I'd buy the rock hards angled down for a better step, with a close 2nd being the Mopar.
 

bastage

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flyerness

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I've now spent months spinning myself into rock slider step oblivion, and have come up with a few options (I've now eliminated the ROAM and LOD options as neither one seems close to market). I don't do a ton of offroading, and when I do it's not extreme. I care about 3 things really:

Protection from flying debris coming from road and minor offroad protection of rocks

Flow of the body (the body is slightly rounded on the sides of the gladiator, so I'd like it to follow the form) - This one I haven't heard talked about much, so anyone who has feedback on the below options feel free to chime in!

Lower stepping point for the boss of the house (can barely get in now, but will be completely unable to when I go to 37's and a 3.5 jks lift)


RSE - https://www.quadratec.com/p/rock-slide-engineering/step-slider-kit-jeep-gladiator-jt - $2200 - If you want to pull the trigger and money not an option, these are really nice in person, provide protection and the drop step. I can't do that price on rails, but some people can.

Ace - https://aceengineeringandfab.com/collections/gladiator/products/ace-jt-gladiator-rock-sliders - $700 - Similar to Rock Hard Angled up in look. They lost me because I wanted to sell the existing rock rails to recoup costs, and I just don't like the look of them without the stock rails. Nice setup if you're keeping the existing rail.

Rock Hard Angled Down - https://www.rockhard4x4.com/product_p/rh-80106.htm - $650 - Sturdy, well made, cover pinch seams completely, but worried about slippage on the pipe (can be rectified by putting skid tape, but I would rather not modify a modification)

Body Armor - https://www.bodyarmor4x4.com/product/jt-rock-crawler-steps/ - $375 - Newer, cheaper, but have yet to see a pic of them on a JT, and at that price point I'm reluctant that it's too cheap. Would love feedback on these but right now, I'm not going to be the guinea pig.

Mopar Extended Performance - $1k (850 with 15% off?) - well built, good looking step that's close to factory, but not a huge drop and my wife is super short. Unsure if it will actually serve it's purpose at current height.

Road Armor - https://www.quadratec.com/p/road-armor/stealth-running-board-steps-gladiator-jt-520stp4b - $1172 - Really nice looking step, but their thickness and lack of ability to carry weight (250 Lbs load rating seems miniscule) makes me wonder if this is just a step with minimal protection. At that price point, seems weird to not provide both.

So at this point, I continue to wait, while funneling my rail funds toward other things. If I had a gun to my head, I'd buy the rock hards angled down for a better step, with a close 2nd being the Mopar.
Just installed Rock Hard's Patriot Series Tube Slider Rocker Guards - Angled Up on my Gladiator Sport S. Wasn't as easy as I hoped and took a bit longer than I would have liked (as it usually does with me), but I'm overall happy with the install. It does provide a nice step for my girlfriend who's 5'3", even though she claims she doesn't need it;).

I drilled/expanded out a few holes in the pinch weld before starting, as there were about 3-4 that were not going to be big enough. No big deal. Removing the body bolts was a bit time-consuming, and a breaker bar is definitely helpful. The front and center bolts came out no problem, but the back body bolt was a bitch. It comes out about an inch or two with a ratchet, then seems to hang. I had to pull and ratchet for awhile before it finally pulled out.

The rockers are bowed, as is the Gladiator body. The initial insert of the rails should have fit well according to the instructions, as it says to first hand screw the bolts to the pinch weld. The back and middle bolts fit fine in the pinch weld. However, my front bolts barely met the holes in the pinch weld, as if the rails were not bowed enough. I was concerned about this would cause damage to the frame.

Ultimately, i was able to tighten the pinch weld bolts enough going from the back to front, and inserted the body bolts. Once I tightened the pinch welds from the back to the middle, the front bolts tightened and fit enough to get the pinch weld bolts on.....albeit a little creaking.

Overall, these sliders seem to be extremely solid and well built. I'm not a mechanical engineer, so I can't comment on previous posts regarding the dangers of mounting to the tub and the frame. I will say that the actual mounts are to the tub and the body bolt area, which still gives it the stability with some flex. Their install video covers this point. I do like how it covers up and protects the pinch weld.

I took it out this weekend and banged them up quite a bit. A few minor scratches, but they took everything with no complaint. I'm very happy with them.

gladiator_rails.jpg
 

whiteglad

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My body tub must be a little more "square" because I did not have to drill out any holes, and all mounting points fit perfectly. Mine are Rock Hard angled up.
 

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Rujonesfamily

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My 2 cents say the rockhard sliders (angled up or down) are the best. My wife, kids, and parents need the steps and swear by them. I love the look but haven't had it scrape a rock or anything yet to test the strength. With that said, they are solid as a rock and my wife ordered a set for her wrangler.
 

salvino

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My 2 cents say the rockhard sliders (angled up or down) are the best. My wife, kids, and parents need the steps and swear by them. I love the look but haven't had it scrape a rock or anything yet to test the strength. With that said, they are solid as a rock and my wife ordered a set for her wrangler.
I recently dragged mine (angled down) on some rocks and logs. They seem to have performed perfectly. No indication they did any damage, just lifted me over the obstacles. Couple of minor rub marks on the sliders.

We love the steps, especially getting out.
 

j.o.y.ride

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One concern I have always had with a plain tube is how well it works as a step, especially for my kid whose going on 9 and practically lives in his baseball cleats. Since he plays 9u travel he has to wear plastic spikes and they have a plastic sole. If he puts the spikes... or the sole especially... directly on the tube shaped slider seems like it would just slip right off.

Any thoughts on that from the various tube slider owners?

I know there's some companies who have a traction plate installed over the bars, so I would tend to go that route, unless someone tells me my concern isn't warranted.
 

Bbannongmu

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One concern I have always had with a plain tube is how well it works as a step, especially for my kid whose going on 9 and practically lives in his baseball cleats. Since he plays 9u travel he has to wear plastic spikes and they have a plastic sole. If he puts the spikes... or the sole especially... directly on the tube shaped slider seems like it would just slip right off.

Any thoughts on that from the various tube slider owners?

I know there's some companies who have a traction plate installed over the bars, so I would tend to go that route, unless someone tells me my concern isn't warranted.
My 11 year old son has never had any issues in football cleats. Had tube on my JKU for 8 years and now have on my JT. The bedliner texture helps some.
 

Squelch

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I have the Rockhard 4x4 sliders angled down, and I put on some anti-slip traction tape that I got at Amazon. The roll I got was 4 inches wide and 60 feet long. I just cut strips to go in between the attachment points.
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