Rock sliders
- Thread starter The
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Jumping into this late, but I used to have the Poison Spider sliders with the step. I used to pivot around stuff too and thought they worked very well for that. That was until I went to the mini-boatside design. Now, most of the time I don't even hit the rocks I used to catch up on.
It's inevitable if you wheel in difficult terrain that you will hit your rockers. I just do it a WHOLE LOT LESS now. This reminds me of the frame side body mount designs. You have the huge honking boxed in versions that protect the isolaters well. Then you have the simplistic design that is raised up out of the way that doesn't need the protection because it's out of the way.
What's better than pivoting around an obstacle? Not getting caught on it in the first place.
It's inevitable if you wheel in difficult terrain that you will hit your rockers. I just do it a WHOLE LOT LESS now. This reminds me of the frame side body mount designs. You have the huge honking boxed in versions that protect the isolaters well. Then you have the simplistic design that is raised up out of the way that doesn't need the protection because it's out of the way.
What's better than pivoting around an obstacle? Not getting caught on it in the first place.
Yes, it provides a lot more stiffness to the top edge since we don't have the benefit of a backer and an overlay with that design. However, this is a very location specific design since it isn't for anything but to keep the rocks out of the door openings. The little hook rocks I mentioned above tend to go right over the door sill and then wreck the door opening. The little rail keeps that from happening or has so far. Height is also important since the height keeps it from hooking under rocks that stick into our V notches we need to climb out of.
My needs are my own so what I like/want aren't what might work for others. I had the Poison Spyder Rocker Knockers on my TJ before and liked them and never had any body mount or tub damage from them. When I did this new build I went with the Savvy sliders based on everyone's reviews but I'm finding I don't like them. And YES I miss have the small tube for a step but as I said my needs are my own.
Have I used the tube to rotate off of trees and roots and rocks? Many many times. Could I do the same with the Savvy sliders? So far yes they seem to work but I do miss having that extra stand off from the things I might lean or rub into which to me seemed to keep them farther away from my doors & tub.
I don't know when or if I've ever had those tubs cause me to hang up on something that cause me to stop my forward progress... Have been wedged between trees before where I wished I was 6" narrower? Yes... So I guess if I didn't have those tubes I might have squeezed through? Maybe but again since I had my mind on other things I can't confirm nor deny.
Also since I'd stretched my WB the Savvy sliders don't really "fit" anymore so they're coming off and I'm installing GR Mini-Boatsides this winter I'd guess.
Have I used the tube to rotate off of trees and roots and rocks? Many many times. Could I do the same with the Savvy sliders? So far yes they seem to work but I do miss having that extra stand off from the things I might lean or rub into which to me seemed to keep them farther away from my doors & tub.
I don't know when or if I've ever had those tubs cause me to hang up on something that cause me to stop my forward progress... Have been wedged between trees before where I wished I was 6" narrower? Yes... So I guess if I didn't have those tubes I might have squeezed through? Maybe but again since I had my mind on other things I can't confirm nor deny.
Also since I'd stretched my WB the Savvy sliders don't really "fit" anymore so they're coming off and I'm installing GR Mini-Boatsides this winter I'd guess.
Same here. The wife has them on her JKU and they work great. Haven’t had any problems with them.
I would say so, for example the jeep that just crawls the local malls anything goes no matter how big bulky or weird it looks because that’s the preference of that owner. or lets say someone who mainly hunts, or overlands could get away with a bigger bulkier step/slider for the most part since the likelihood of them actually getting in a situation where they might use it is low. Then you get to the people that do difficult trails that’s kinda where I would lean towards something closer to the body and not the large steps/sliders, like for me I’m leaning towards more of a boatside or something like old savvy’s design based off of the trails I like to run and how I wheel.
To summarize...
When and where nothing matters, then nothing matters.
When things begin to matter and problems begin to need solving, then the solutions to those problems narrow and begin to take on an increasingly consistent shape.
To further summarize, this bullshit assertion that the South and PNW somehow benefit from bigger bulkier slider rails only suggests that it does not matter if these slider rails are bigger and bulkier. They are not presenting a meaningful problem to be solved.
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A stand off, be it Savvys or a tube, can be helpful at times, others not so much (I don't run a tube rail). I've seen them keep a rig's sill, door, and windshield frame out places you don't want to be only to watch the next cookie cutter right behind without, hit. Are boatsides better? Absolutely. What's even better than that? A tow rig and a tube buggy.
You always come across so certain, almost angry, that a competitive JV rig is the only way. But that’s just not true. Arguing over a one-inch stick-out is like arguing WMS or wheelbase. Sometimes full-size is dumb. Sometimes long-wheelbase is too. Other times, that 93-inch WB on 35s with a 63 WMS just won’t cut it. And that’s fine. There’s no world championship trophy on the line. Who cares if you winch once in a while anyway?
Dibs on the take offs.........
Daughters got first claim rights... If she doesn't want them we'll talk...
You are confusing me with someone else who is pushing for KOH builds as the only way to build.
I was having this general conversation with someone recently. The majority of us accept and make compromises in certain (many) areas. I wanted mini boat sides with no steps. I also have a wife, and a toddler in a car seat. So the GR's with steps are a great assistance in getting him into the back and climbing behind the seat to buckle him into his car seat. They're also great for cleaning the top.
Plus, I feel like it's really splitting hairs to worry about the extra inch or so that sticks out compared to something like the Savvy's. Will they maybe get hung up from time to time and cause me to winch? Sure, but being an inch off the right line could also cause you to get hung up. There's a million little things that can go against you off road. And honestly, I'm far more likely to get hung up on a diff that's a foot off the ground or control arm brackets than I am my sliders (for the type of wheeling I do).
I would also rather my slider hit a tree than for the top to lean over that extra couple of inches and damage the top. But that's just my preference.
Fortunately, at the end of the day, we're each allowed to spend our money the way we see fit, whether it's the absolute best for every situation or not. If every TJ on here was the same, we'd still argue. And given an unlimited budget, we would all do it a little different. Hell, for that matter I would've been better off buying a 4-door JK with a family of 3 and a 75 pound dog, but I bought what I wanted.
I thought we were talking about people who get on trails (and fireside roads are not trails), and not people going hunting or driving to the mall. There is a difference between a step/nerf bar and a product designed for trails. That is the context of the discussion.
Not confused.
I like Blaine. Ive always enjoyed discussions with him over the last 25 years or so.
We’re discussing the TJ platform, so KOH builds are irrelevant to the discussion. What’s incorrect with describing what happens on the trail and designs that overcome those situations in the best all-around way? Getting the best is a small price to pay when body damage is possibly involved.
Your right,I tell the same thing to dumb people that say(oh my screen protector is broken,good thing I had it)lol,the truth is the screen protector broke because it’s a thin piece of glass,if you had nothing the gorilla glass on the phone wouldn’t have broken anyway.
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