Rockslide Engineering sliders/steps any good? How's the install?

[RacerAV]

I've always thought they were pretty cool, but will they hold up to actual impacts? Need the skids for more? How's the install? I'm tempted to just drop the Jeep off at 4WP and have them install them and the lights. Save me the time and sweat. I've never had good luck letting others work on my vehicles, I notice every error pretty quick, then kick myself for being lazy...

I want some sliders to protect from door dings (My 2017 Recon Rubicon had the Hard Rock rails with that top step plate, worked GREAT at denting door edges of would be dingers... lol)

I've got two small kids that can barely get into the Jeep as it sits stock with 35s. Future 2" lift I'm sure won't make it better.

I have and will take some smaller hits on the sliders, nothing like KOH, but I'd like to be able to rely on them off-road...

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[Captn_Obvious]

I absolutely LOVE mine, the wife basically couldn't get in after going to 4 1/2 inch coils and 40's. Yes, they can take real hits, but you really need to get the skids option if you plan on truly using them as rock sliders

 

[Mbryson]

Love my Rock Slide Engineering sliders/steps. Don't wheel the JT hard enough to really "use" the sliders. I do scrape and bump a bit on the belly and on the hitch. The sliders may get some contact but I don't think it'll be significant enough to need the extra armor. I wheel moderate trails for the most part with the high end for the JT being Poison Spider, Metal Masher, Hells Revenge and the like. Not sure I'd take mine on the Rubicon or not? I'd be VERY careful on the Rubicon if I did.

The install took me a good half Saturday. The biggest snag was the body mount bolts. I took probably half the time routing wiring if I remember correctly. It did also take me a while to "tune" the door sensors.

 

[Readyt]

Love mine and did the install myself with a helper, no problem, but it took about 5 hours. Second time By myself was a real PITA and took all day. To explain: After three years, when it got cold the steps had a tough time going back up. Basically the structs wore out. Rock Slide replaced them but to install the struts I had to remove the steps and reinstall. That time by myself.

New version uses a spring set instead of a strut so problem solved. I have scraped mine up and they are easy to touch up. If I was going to do rocky trails like the Rubicon frequently, I would get the additional armor plates. Otherwise you don't need them. Definitely tougher than anything else out there and you never have to worry about someone opening the door and hitting the Jeep.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The only real challenges are:
Wiring, especially on a JLU 4xe, and the door switch wires are a tad short. The power switch bracket sucks as far as location, etc. but it can work ok. (it presses really hard on a big harness in the JLU)
I literally had to bend the bracket and reshape it a bit for my JT as otherwise, it blocked the OBD port and I could not get my bluetooth adpater plugged in again. I could see a dealer being unable to connect and not being happy, so I had to bend the bracket for clearance. And it's so danged thick you could hang the whole Jeep from it - minor, world problem I know...

The body bolts. Broke one on my JT, they weren't too bad on the JLU. Heat those bolts if they resist your efforts! And I broke one with a 15" breaker bar so it doesn't take a 2 or 3 foot bar with cheater to break the body bolt (or I'm just too danged strong?)

Helper is handy, not absolutely necessary. Helper on the JLU, did the JT myself. JT was easier due to lack of bazillion volt batteries under the back seat like the JLU 4xe has

On our JLU I ran the hot wire to the high current fuse stud - I'd have to check which 1 because the 4xe is a tad different than the JT and non-4xe in that area, and it worked so well I'm looking at moving my JT's power steps hot wire to one of those studs and off the main battery terminal to clean up wiring.

This is how I got mine lifted into place on the JT - I used blocks and figured how high the step would need to be to slide straight into the pinch weld seam holes, lifted the step onto the blocks, slid it all closer to the Jeep, then slid the step into place. All I had to do was lift the step up onto the blocks, then slide it into place. No messing with it, no fussing, no scratched paint.

What prompted these was my wife's handicap and bad knees - and her new purple Jeep.....
Well worth is as I got a nice "thank you for getting and installing these" and a hug.

Be careful, heat the body bolts, if you don't want this to happen.........

Jeep documentation on body bolts says to heat the body bolts with one of these to release the thread locker (and they use a whole tube per bolt!) - I bought mine after I broke a body bolt. Buying the tool first would have been cheaper......
Many get by fine - in fact, the install on our JLU went ok with just a propane torch to heat some of the bolts. But you'll find enough posts warning of broken bolts, you have to figure some never admit they broke a bolt, so beware........

Love 'em. They are the best accessory I've added to our Jeeps.

 

[zuki_dan]

Love them also and they have held up fine. First thing I purchased and installed on mine with the skid armor. I have the gen 2 sliders and prefer the full width coverage all the way to the back tire. I have used them numerous times by the back tire to pivot around an obstacle. They do keep a lot of debris off the sides but because the top is flat it will collect debris/mud on the flat surface.

I also broke the rear drivers bolt installing mine. Luckily that mount unbolts and removes from the bottom. I used heat and an easy out socket on the shank and removed it. It was also broken with an 18" breaker bar and I was rotating back and forth trying to get it to break free. There was definitely and excessive amount of locktite on the factory bolts.

 

[Boostnu]

I used an induction heater on the body bolts on mine it made a huge difference getting the bolts in and out. The sliders have been great so far and a big help for my wife.

I can honestly say I’d buy them again.

 

[RacerAV]

Love 'em. They are the best accessory I've added to our Jeeps.

Jealous of your garage man! lol... NICE!

Dang that thing is $450!!! Still easier than snapping a bolt, totally a gamble I guess... Found a couple under $200, might go that route. Or just torch it, but not loving that.

 

[RacerAV]

Anyone know the weight on the pair? With or without armor... I am going to attempt to keep the weight down/saved for other gear. SO, aluminum skids, lighter weight wheels (Black rhino flow formed?) etc...

I know these are going to be heavy. But how much heavier than regular sliders?

 

[RacerAV]

Does anyone have an accurate weight for the 3rd Gen sliders with or without armor? I've read that "shipping weight" is 186lbs. But curious as to the weights of the sliders without all the shipping gear. I'm betting the sliders and armor are close to 100 lbs per side...

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Does anyone have an accurate weight for the 3rd Gen sliders with or without armor? I've read that "shipping weight" is 186lbs. But curious as to the weights of the sliders without all the shipping gear. I'm betting the sliders and armor are close to 100 lbs per side...

RSE support says that an assembled JT power step, per side, is 95 pounds.
So adding a pair adds 190 pounds to the truck's weight.

Frankly I'm a bit surprised as when I lifted each one up onto the milk crates and wood blocks in order to slide them onto my JT, I didn't have THAT much trouble lifting them even with my nasty back pains. I figured 70, but they'd know best.

 

[RacerAV]

RSE support says that an assembled JT power step, per side, is 95 pounds.
So adding a pair adds 190 pounds to the truck's weight.

Dang I checked their site, missed the chat button I guess! Thanks man! Shadows Papa always comes though with the info!

Also... OOF... 95 lbs... i don't think that even includes armor.... crap. I think that is the final nail in the coffin for me...

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Dang I checked their site, missed the chat button I guess! Thanks man! Shadows Papa always comes though with the info!

Also... OOF... 95 lbs... i don't think that even includes armor.... crap. I think that is the final nail in the coffin for me...

Keep in mind, to put these on you take something else off so subtract the weight of the rails, steps or whatever you take off from that 95/side.
For example, on my wife's JLU, those danged stock MOPAR sliders that come on Rubicon aren't much lighter than the power steps so I figure I didn't change the weight of her Jeep much at all.
If you are putting these on a Rubicon JT I bet it's not far from being a wash.

 

[RacerAV]

Keep in mind, to put these on you take something else off so subtract the weight of the rails, steps or whatever you take off from that 95/side.
For example, on my wife's JLU, those danged stock MOPAR sliders that come on Rubicon aren't much lighter than the power steps so I figure I didn't change the weight of her Jeep much at all.
If you are putting these on a Rubicon JT I bet it's not far from being a wash.

True. No clue on the weight of the factory sliders. I'd guess no more than 50 lbs per side though. Whatever it is, I know I'm increasing weight.

I love the look of the RSE, and ARB, guess I have a type lol. I don't NEED the step, but would be helpful. I LOVE having the door ding protection of that boat side sticking out, then obviously the main meat, having rock protection down there for trails, I WILL eventually take this JT to Moab, the Rubicon, etc... No KOH or anything, but I'll put them to use.

 

[tobyw]

Another vote for and glowing review of the RSE step sliders. I skimped out a little on the build of my first Gladiator and didn't get the RSE steps, which made entry/egress a bit too much of a challenge for my personal tastes on a daily basis... This time however, the RSE steps were among the very first mods installed, and it's a total game changer. As far as install goes, the wiring was tedious for me personally because I'm a gear/lever type guy and I despise wiring, even perfectly pre-loomed stuff that practically falls into place like what RSE provides. The only other concern for me was the weatherstrip installation, as having that misaligned would have driven me crazy every time I approached the rig. Thankfully I got it close enough

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