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Ford rock rails vs. Rock Sliders

Basssquatch

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Hello,
Im new to the industry, do the ford rock rails serve and do the same purpose as something like N-fab Rock sliders?
Are they the same?
Please help
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babraunagel

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Rock rails and rock sliders are different names for the same thing. Generally rock rails are attached to the frame of an off-road vehicle, however Ford has installed the Bronco rails at the pinch weld and state that it can support the entire weight of the vehicle should it get hung up on a boulder.
 

mike8675309

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It depends. The stock rock rails tuck close to the body and work well for some use cases. Some aftermarket units are both wider (to provide some use as a step) and a little deeper providing a little more help from rocks, but also cutting into the ground clearance a little bit.
 

Mattwings

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I think hard core rock crawlers will prefer frame mounted options, but so far my factory rails have done a great job of protecting the rocker panels and acting as a pivot on rocks and stumps (within reason). Note- I am in an area dominated by sand and our exposure to rocks is not nearly as extreme as other terrain.
 
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Murph56789

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The ford rock rails will only last so long with actual rock crawling. If you doubt you’ll drag the sliders or only do it occasionally, they’ll probably hold up. But being they’re only attached to the pinch weld there’s no way they will not deform that sheet metal over time. I switched to frame mounted rock sliders because I want to be able to drag the whole weight of the bronco across them repeatedly over time.
 

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Tricky Dick

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This is a surprisingly passionate subject for some people.

I've seen the claim that the OEM sliders are boron steel like the roll bar. I modified mine and they cut pretty easily, so I have doubts about that.

The biggest downfall IMO for OEM is no outer rail. You'll still see rocker or door damage if you drop on a rock at the right angle. I added my own outer rail and they've been taking a beating since.
 
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Frankie945

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Oem rocker protection will get you by, but if you want to feel confident not tearing up your bronco off-road get some real rock sliders. Here’s Lod signature sliders I haven’t bounced them off any rocks yet but I’m confident when I do they will do their job.
Ford Bronco Ford rock rails vs. Rock Sliders C64014A1-36DF-48DE-AA9D-56C3DEBE2744
 

ATLBronco75

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I hate seeing people say that the OEM rails attach to the pinch weld because it’s just not true. While they certainly have some brackets on the pinch weld the main support goes 4-6 inches up behind the pinch weld and anchors deep into the body. It still isn’t frame mounted but it’s a lot more than putting all the weight on a pinch weld.
 
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Basssquatch

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This is a surprisingly passionate subject for some people.

I've seen the claim that the OEM sliders are boron steel like the roll bar. I modified mine and they cut pretty easily, so I have doubts about that.

The biggest downfall IMO for OEM is no outer rail. You'll still see rocker or door damage if you drop on a rock at the right angle. I added my own outer rail and they've been taking a beating since.
Did you add an outer rail to the ford OEM rock rails? If so would you mind posting a picture? thank you
 
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Tricky Dick

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Did you add an outer rail to the ford OEM rock rails? If so would you mind posting a picture? thank you
Yes. There are more pics in the link in my signature.

PXL_20220515_192208109 (1).jpg
 

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Tricky Dick

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How is the bestop softop compared to factory soft top? is it quieter?
I haven't rode in a factory soft top that wasn't open so I can't compare.
 

dcg2

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Murph56789

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I hate seeing people say that the OEM rails attach to the pinch weld because it’s just not true. While they certainly have some brackets on the pinch weld the main support goes 4-6 inches up behind the pinch weld and anchors deep into the body. It still isn’t frame mounted but it’s a lot more than putting all the weight on a pinch weld.
It’s still just sheet metal on the body. I even saw frame mounted sliders bend up into the rocker after enough time on large rocks (80s bronco). The stock sliders will be fine for most people but watch over time as people that do serious rock crawling will fatigue the mounts and bend it into the body.
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