By Emilio on Thursday, October 11, 2001 - 09:31 pm: Edit

how strong are the rocker panels? I have the side steps installed but would like to remove them. The only thing stopping me from removing the steps is the fact that they are great for preventing damage to the rocker panels.
Should I keep them to protect the truck or should i lose them...
I realize that removing them gives me a bit more clearance.
thanks guys

By Eric N (Grnrvr) on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 04:53 am: Edit

If you are going to remove them I would really consider getting a set of rock sliders.. You will get sill damage if you don't. I think you are talking about that weak plastic cover and it won't do any thing for protection.

By Redsrover (Redsrover) on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 05:49 am: Edit

Listen to Eric. The plastic sills are nothing more than trim. Mine are bowed and buckled on both sides. Next $500 I run across will go straight to rock ware or RTE for a set of sliders.

Red

By peter matusov on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 12:06 pm: Edit

IMHO, rocker panels aren't worth even installing rock sliders on. The metal is thin enough that you can poke a dent in it with a screwdriver, without much effort.

i haven't looked under rigs with RTE sliders, are they mounted on the frame or body?
One fellow in San Diego made frame-mounted rock sliders - not as pretty as others, but very functional.

In some sense, having steps is worse than having nothing at all. Take'em off and sell on ebay!

peter

By Ron on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 12:37 pm: Edit

RTE basically boxes the sill.

RW mounts to the frame and also with a bushing under the sill (hard to describe)

Ron

By Eric N (Grnrvr) on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 01:10 pm: Edit

I like the RTE ones as they have a little built in step on them kind of like a running board. This will keep my fiance from whining about the lift when I get it as it is easier for her to get in and out. If they mounted to the frame they would be perfect... However, I seem to remember that John had some ideas about linking the sliders into a under the truck total protection package of some sort. Wonder if he did away with that idea.

By p m on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 02:25 pm: Edit

RW would be Nick and Ron from San Diego, right?

peter

By Ron on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 02:28 pm: Edit

RW

Rockware.net

Matt is the head honcho there.

We have RW sliders on the disco.

Ron

By Discosaurus (Discosaurus) on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 02:49 pm: Edit

hehehe...

beware the RTE nerf bar sliders if you like straight sills and you wheel in big rocks...

keith
discosaurus

By p m on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 03:56 pm: Edit

yeah, they may put quite some leverage on these sills... i would think twice before even jacking up the disco using these as support.

peter

By Eric N (Grnrvr) on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 04:24 pm: Edit

Nothing is perfect.

By Alex Schubow (Alex) on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 04:27 pm: Edit

Keith is right.... And I know this from experience. IMO The mounting system needs to be beefed up somehow (don't know how yet) or the lever needs to be shortened.

OTOH, I have jacked the vehicle up on these and dropped on them hard w/o incident...until the incident....

Alex

By Discosaurus (Discosaurus) on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 04:47 pm: Edit

haven't you dumped that thing for some goat-ropin' mud-boggin pos yet ???

k
d

By peter matusov on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 05:56 pm: Edit

what happened next, Alex?

2-door disco?

peter

By Eric N (Grnrvr) on Friday, October 12, 2001 - 10:16 pm: Edit

Well, there is always one thing for sure and that is no matter what you get it will have it's problems.. Whether you get the RTE, $G, Rockware, or make your own you will be better off then not having any. Nothing is perfect and every thing has a weakness or downside to it. I like my RTE sliders as they serve the purpose that I bought them for. They protect better then the plastic (and other sliders that are out there), they give a little extra space for people to step on when getting in, built very well, and on top of that they look nice.. No matter what you get someone somewhere will have had an issue with it.. I hear a lot less complaints about RTE products then I do about anyone elses.

By carl on Saturday, October 13, 2001 - 10:58 am: Edit

check out Trek Outfitters sliders and talk with Matt, tell him Carl sent you. Great product!