what is the purpose of rock sliders?

[cantspell]

Hello,

OK, know what they are, and that some use them as steps and jacking/towing points. But they still aren't the lowest point on our trucks, the transfere case is still lower.

I've taken off my stock running boards, and need to find something useful to hide the holes...

 

[Robb]

Their main purpose is to protect the bottom of the body. If you take a wheel over a rock that is just a little taller than your body clearance, they save you.

 

[Klowns]

I can't find the stupid video, of someone going over the top of a rock and landed right on the passenger side door. It's to slide off of rocks, hence rock sliders.

Would you rather be going over and obstacle and come down on your nice rock sliders, or on your body, mainly door areas, and spend too much fixing it.

 

[cantspell]

but wouldn't you hit the transfere case first??? Or is it that when your going over rocks, etc, your obviously supposed to go over it with a wheel, in which case....ahh, i see the virtue of the rock slider...it's just without any lockers, i pretty much stay way from such obstacles.

 

[410Fortune]

good idea. !!!

Eventually as you get more and more into it you will find out why you need them........

 

[Texplorer]

So this doesnt happen!!!

Hope you dont mind Jarrett.

 

[Alec]

Ah Gerald, the poster-geezer for "Chicks dig body damage!"



J/K

 

[Muskrat]

not bad, starting to look my my rockers, and I play on pretty good size stuff, without lockers, but I need to find sliders that are about 9ft long

 

[cantspell]

what's the difference between sliders and nerf bars?

After reading the threads on sliders, it seems OK to weld/attach onto the pinch weld?

 

[Texplorer]

The difference between sliders and nerf bars is that sliders are made to protect your rockers and take a beating. Nerf bars are just there for a step and were not made to support the wieght of the vehicle.

 

[Alec]

Rock sliders should be attached to the frame, not the body. Nerf bars and steps attach to the body, actually putting the body at more risk than if they weren't there. The purpose of sliders is to extend the strongest part of the vehicle, the frame, out to protect the body.

This is the same principle by which a rollcage should be attached to the frame and not just the floorpan.

 

[Robb]

Sliders can be attached to the frame and the pinch seam. The mounting at the frame will take most of the "grunt" when hit.

 

[dejello]

Originally posted by Alec
Nerf bars and steps attach to the body, actually putting the body at more risk than if they weren't there.

Mine actually attached to the frame when I had them, but yeah, I wouldn't trust them to take a hit....

 

[becker69]

My OEM side-steps are absolutely CRUSHED!! Completely dented and bashed to sin (now they are rusting in AZ!! They are attached to my pinch weld and I have to disagree that they don't put my body at "more risk than if they weren't there" They have saved my 'Trac lower tupperware a bunch of times. I have purposely left them on because they were free and they take some of the bashing instead of my rockers/doors. As soon as I can afford it I want some like Rick has where it is wider than the square tubing so it still offers some kind of step uses for my kids

 

[cantspell]

I guess the easiest way to get one made is to go to a local fabrication shop??????

 

[Alec]

He's out of town for a while, but CoryL from CRLcustoms.com offers some very good ones.

 

[Robb]

Yes, Cory knows exactly what he is doing when it comes to stuff like rock sliders!! His will be mounted at the frame and pinch seem.

 

[cantspell]

I know he does great work, but i also know his sliders are a great price, especially for those of us up here in Canada (mind you, it's getting a little easier). I think i'll take it to a shop around here, and then depending on what they say, i may just leave it as it for a while (I sanded and painted the brackets that are used to hold up the factory running boards, so at least now it's all black, and the truck looks higher). Or get the sliders from CRL.