Are you looking for the Best Jeep Rock Sliders to protect your Jeep, add to the rugged looks, and increase your Jeep’s off-road and Jeep overland capabilities and increase Your Jeeps Value?
Adding Rock Sliders to your Jeep will add to its thicker body cladding, and rugged look and also offer protection to the Jeep’s body by taking in the impact and allowing your Jeep to slide or deflect obstacles when off-roading or Overlanding.
Jeep Rock Sliders are one of the essential Jeep off-road mods that protect your Jeep when off-roading in your favorite Jeep Off-roading Trails, they work by sliding over trail and road obstacles such as rocks, steep hills, trunks and protect the rocker panels from getting damaged, installing Jeep Rock Sliders is also a great way to upgrade your Jeeps value if you choose the right ones.
Before installing Jeep Rock Sliders it’s important to make sure you have researched to help you make the perfect Rock Slider buying decision by identifying the right Rock Sliders for your Jeep.
Below, we have listed some and compared some of the best aftermarket Rock Sliders available for purchase today, and also answer some of the questions you might have regarding Jeep Rock Sliders.
So, Let’s dive in!
Featured Top 3 Best Jeep Rock Sliders
How we Picked the Best Jeep Rock Sliders.
- For this guide, we drove some rock-crawling Jeeps with aluminum and steel Rock Sliders and checked how old they have been installed on the Jeep and their current conditions and repair cost.
- We choose Rock Sliders that were able to withstand heavy impact from bumps and rocks, as well as offer other additional benefits such as side stepping on them.
- We also checked the compatibility of the Rock Slider with most Jeep models such as the Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Cherokee, and the Jeep Gladiator truck.
Related Post >> Do I need Jeep Skid Plates on my Jeep?
What are Rock Sliders on a Jeep?
Rock Sliders are bars made from aluminum or steel attached on the sides of Jeeps to protect the Jeep’s undercarriage and body from damage when off-roading or Overlanding, they are the most common upgrade accessories amongst Jeep Rock Crawlers, Mud Jeep Pluggers, and extreme Jeep off-roaders.
What Makes a Good Rock Slider?
When buying Rock Sliders for your Jeep, you should think and consider the following factors that will determine how well the Rock Sliders will be useful to you, and how well they will work as intended:
Jeep Rock Slider Construction Material.
There are two types of Rock Sliders available in the market today based on the materials used to design and make them, they include aluminum Jeep Rock Sliders and Steel Jeep Rock Sliders.
The best Jeep Rock Sliders are made of steel, because Steel is stronger than Aluminum, and will offer more protection to your Jeep’s undercarriage and body in case of an impact. However, steel Rock Sliders are heavier than their aluminum counterparts hence more and more aluminum Jeep Rock Sliders are gaining popularity because of their budget-friendly costs and offer lighter Jeep Rock Slider options.
It’s important to understand the purpose of a Jeep Rock Slider before making a purchase, and that’s to protect your Jeeps undercarriage, over time aluminum Rock Sliders are not able to withstand heavy impact and are prone to dents, wear and tear after some time on the trails.
Jeep Rock Slider Construction Technique.
There are also two types of Rock Slider construction and installation techniques, the first and the most common one with off-roaders and rock crawlers is welded-on Jeep Rock Sliders, while occasional off-roaders require bolt-on Jeep Rock Sliders.
Most aftermarket Rock Sliders are made to be easy to install hence they feature a bolt-on installation process and design, when installing bolt-on Rock Sliders you will need to drill holes in your Jeep frame and so many people including the Jeep runner team believe drilling your Jeeps frame will affect the integrity of your Jeep frame and your Jeep frame might rust right after drilling.
Weld-on Jeep Rock Sliders on the other hand are more stable and are a solution for rock crawlers and serious off-roaders who need a stable Rock Slider they anticipate lots of impacts on their Rock Sliders hence they weld them on their Jeep to make them strong and prevent unnecessary accidents, being loose, or falling off the Rock Sliders.
The Shape of the Jeep Rock Sliders
There are three designs of Jeep Rock Sliders that you should know about, kick-out Rock Sliders, fill plates Rock Sliders, and slider angle Rock Sliders.
- Kickout Rock Sliders: Kick-out Rock Sliders have a wider rear than the front of the Rock Sliders, and when installed appear bigger on the rear wheels and stick out on the rear side of the Jeeps frame.
- Fill plates Rock Sliders: Filler plates have an extended metal part that protects your Jeep’s body from mud, rocks, and water splashes. Fill plate Rock Sliders are perfect for a family Jeep, and will help by providing a stepping space for people to board the Jeep.
- Slider angle Rock Sliders: Slider angles have a tilted angle towards the upper side of the body, they are normally 0-25 degrees twisted towards the body making them more in contact with the body of the Jeep, they are common with rock crawlers.
Best Jeep JL Rock Sliders
EAG Tubular Running Board Side Step Rock Slider
EAG is a reputable Jeep parts and accessories manufacturer specializing in Armour and protection Jeep accessories, they have products ranging from bumpers, grills, fenders, doors, and Rock Sliders, among others.
They have a filler plates Rock Slider design and have a side step that will allow your family to board the vehicle with ease, they also will be able to protect your Jeep JL from rocks, mud, and other elements, the reason we choose the EAG Tubular Running Board Side Step Rock Slider is the fact that the Rock Sliders are made of steel (3/16″ steel sheet and 2″ x 0.120 steel tube) and not aluminum offering versatility, durability and flexibility all in the designs of the Rock Slider.
The installation process is through a bolt-on system, unfortunately, there are no weld-on options, the parts of the Jeep JL Rock Slider have a black powdered coated finish that protects them from rusting, and the plate on the Rock Slider also has recovery mounting holes on the simple die plate design that will allow you to recover your Jeep JL from the sides.
Currently, the EAG Rock Sliders fit the 2018-2021 Jeep Wrangler JL 4 Door and weigh only 84.2 pounds despite having heavy-duty steel bars and plates.
The EAG Tubular Running Board Side Step Rock Slider is one of the best Jeep JL Rock Sliders available in the market today, the company provides both text and video installation guides that are easy to follow.
Tidal Steel Side Step Rock Sliders
Tidal Rock Sliders Side Bar Body Armor fits 2018-2022 Wrangler JL 2 Door, the Rock Sliders are made by Tidal Automotive, an automotive company that specializes in tubular doors, bumpers, fenders flares, and more Jeep and other vehicles body protection accessories and parts.
Tidal Steel Side Step Rock Sliders have a Slider angle Rock Sliders design, and the Rock Slider tends to lean toward the body of the Jeep JL, the materials used to design the Rock Slider are 3/16″ steel sheet and 2″ x 0.120 steel tube, making them stronger than its aluminum competitors.
Tidal Rock Sliders have 2 inches of wall steel tubing and come at a slider angle Rock Slider design that gives you ample clearance when off-roading or driving near obstacles that might otherwise touch and rub other fill plate and kicked design Rock Sliders.
We recommend Tidal Steel Side Step Rock Sliders for rock crawlers, and extreme off-roaders, however, one disadvantage about them is that they don’t offer a weld-on option, it’s just a bolt-on Rock Slider that allows you to install the Rock Slider on your Jeep JL without having to drill any holes., you just use basic hand tools and bolts to mount the Rock Slider.
Tyger Auto Star Armor Side Step Rock Sliders
Tyger Auto Star Armor Side Step Rock Sliders is one of the highest quality Rock Sliders that will be able to protect your 2018-2023 Jeep Wrangler JL 4 Door (Incl. 2021-2023 Jeep 4xe) from anything you throw at them. The rock slide design has filler plates allowing you and your family to have a small sidestep to help board the vehicle.
Tyger Auto Star Armor Side Step Rock Sliders have three tubes running parallels to the frames of your Jeep, and they are made of Heavy-duty 2-inch diameter & 0.120-inch wall thickness tubes and weigh only 97 pounds.
Tyger Auto Star Armor Side Step Rock Sliders offer a Fill plates Rock Sliders design, however, their metal plates don’t fill out the running bars but are designed to be more of a side step, than a plate intended to protect your Jeeps body from off-road elements.
Tyger Auto Star Armor Side Step Rock Sliders are also bolt-on for easier installation on your Jeep JL, this is one of the few designs we saw that are unique, and the products are competitively priced, they also offer a five-year guarantee product will protect your Jeep as they intended, giving your peace of mind.
U-Box Tubular Side Step Rock Sliders
U-Box Tubular Side Step Rock Sliders have the same filler plates Rock Slider design, just like Tyger Auto Star Armor Side Step Rock Sliders, however, the U-Box Tubular Side Step Rock Sliders fits Jeep Wrangler JLU 4-Door Unlimited 2018 – 2022.
The design of the U-Box Tubular Side Step Rock Sliders gives the Rock Slider Aesthetics purposes, and the rugged look of the Jeep will inspire you to get to the trails and enjoy your Jeep JL, without having to worry about your Jeep JL undercarriage from getting damaged from rocks and other off-road elements.
U-Box Tubular Side Step Rock Sliders also feature a bolt-on installation, and you only need a simple jack stand and some basic tools to get the Rock Sliders installed, in the packaging, you will find a text installation guide that will guide you on installing the heavy duty 2.4″ diameter x .079″ thick steel tubing and 11-gauge (1/8 inch) steel Rock Slider and a Side step weight about 68 lbs.
Rampage TrailCrawler Rock Sliders
The Rampage Rock Sliders Fits the 2018-2022 Jeep Wrangler JL Unlimited 4-Door, and feature a double body and rocker guard protection. We recommend Rampage Rock Sliders to off-roaders and Overlanders who want the highest quality Jeep Rock Sliders that will be able to protect their Jeeps undercarriage and also make use of the side step to make it easy to board your Jeep JL.
What we love about the Rock Slider is that’s already welded in place and all the parts are welded together, you only need to install the Rampage Jeep rack on the OEM Rock Slider mounting locations.
Rampage Rock Sliders are built on 1. 75″, 0. 120″ wall steel tubing, that is coated with a black powder coat to prevent rusting, considering you don’t have to drill anything when installing the Rock Sliders, their design makes them free of rust.
What is The Purpose of a Rock Slider?
Stock Jeeps have Rock Sliders in them that Jeep owners use as a sidestep, factory Rock Sliders on Jeeps are removed when upgrading to aftermarket Jeep Rock Sliders. Some Rock Sliders protrude outside and Jeepers use them as side steps to get into their Jeeps, which are mainly lifted to improve your Jeep ground clearance.
When stuck during off-roading, we use our Jeep Rock Sliders as recovery points and tire our recovery gears on the Rock Sliders especially if the Jeep is stuck on the side and there are anchor points on the side, giving a 360-degree recovery points options, allowing you to recover your Jeep from all sides.
For Jeep extreme off-roaders and rock crawlers, Rock Sliders allow them to take sharp turns by making sure the body of the Jeep is in contact with the ground, thanks to the Rock Sliders that sit in between the Jeeps body and the ground, allowing the Jeep to slide over the obstacle.
Last, as you all are aware, Jeep Rock Sliders offer your Jeeps undercarriage protection from obstacles and bumps on the body and Jeep’s rocker panels and take the impact that could potentially damage the body, and Jeep’s rocker panel.
About the Author: James Ndungu
James Ndungu is a seasoned automotive professional with a deep passion for Jeeps. With 40 years of experience in owning, testing, and reviewing various Jeep models, James has gained extensive first-hand knowledge and expertise. He shares his insights, tips, and advice through his engaging writing, helping fellow Jeep enthusiasts navigate the exciting world of Jeeps.
Last update on 2024-10-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
