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I definitely want some rocker panel protection on this long beast. My style of offroading is overlanding more so than mudding or crawling. I never had it on my old Tacoma but I came close to needing them a few times.
For true frame mounted sliders it seems like custom built would be the way to go and I may do go down that road. However, there aren't many off the rack sliders available and all are ungodly expensive. However several companies market body mounted steps as protection...
I am considering these only because the likelihood I need them is low (once again-overland style offroading and I'm very careful) and because installation is easy. Plus, the price isn't bad.
The million dollar question: do these actually provide any level of protection? Maybe not crashing down on a rock but sliding in a rut and bumping a tree. I know land rover and jeep people run body mounted protection sometimes.
Honestly, I don't care one bit about the step aspect. Just something that could handle a light knock and protect my rockers. I don't think I'll be in a situation that I'll crash down on them.
They look great but I still question mounting to the body. Does anyone actually have any experience with whether something like that would hold up?
I really wanted to convince myself it wasn't worth the hassle to contact someone and have them build me sliders but I'm not sure I can trust anything body mounted.
They look great but I still question mounting to the body. Does anyone actually have any experience with whether something like that would hold up?
I really wanted to convince myself it wasn't worth the hassle to contact someone and have them build me sliders but I'm not sure I can trust anything body mounted.
That was my initial thought when we designed the side steps to be rocker mounted rather than frame mounted. In reality though having made both versions on the same truck, believe it or not the rocker mounted sliders were stronger and that's why we went this route. I might not fully lift the side of the truck with them but I would absolutely trust them to provide offroad protection and take impacts that any other step out there couldn't handle.
Let me rephrase that, it is possible to make frame mounted sliders that are strong but they weighed three times as much to get the same strength because the frame is over a foot inset from the door meaning the sliders have a LOT of leverage when they are lifted from the outside
07-27-2016, 03:14 PM
Rocker panel protection-specifically 2015+ trucks
