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Factory Rock Rails or Wait for Aftermarket Rails + Steps

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sjp

sjp

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Silver-Bolt

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I will do aftermarket for the bumpers and rails. The factory steel bumpers are going to be thin gauge stamped steel. The rails I want a step and further away from the body.
 

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Yes! That's what I need. So, a couple of questions (for you or anyone):

1) Do the current factory rock rails bolt onto the body or the frame?

2) Has anyone seen the factory rails up close, or seen any specs on them? I can't find anything. Maybe I just don't know where to look.

Thanks, folks.
The factory rock rails are body mounted.

I don't think specific specs have been released. One of the reps at one of the events said they would hold 3x the vehicles weight, but I don't really trust that. You can just look to the Wrangler with the same style factory rails. There are lots of people who decided to rely on it and suffered damage when they slid off a rock. They'll manage light to medium strikes but dropping the whole weight of the truck on one of them isn't advisable.
 
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The factory rock rails are body mounted.

I don't think specific specs have been released. One of the reps at one of the events said they would hold 3x the vehicles weight, but I don't really trust that. You can just look to the Wrangler with the same style factory rails. There are lots of people who decided to rely on it and suffered damage when they slid off a rock. They'll manage light to medium strikes but dropping the whole weight of the truck on one of them isn't advisable.
Thank you very much. Very helpful!

I may get them anyway to protect the body until aftermarket catches up. I know it will cost me, but may be worth it in the long run.

Then I'll add "bumper and bolt-on-frame rails/step/slider" to my 2022 (or later) budget.
 

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The factory rock rails are body mounted.

I don't think specific specs have been released. One of the reps at one of the events said they would hold 3x the vehicles weight, but I don't really trust that. You can just look to the Wrangler with the same style factory rails. There are lots of people who decided to rely on it and suffered damage when they slid off a rock. They'll manage light to medium strikes but dropping the whole weight of the truck on one of them isn't advisable.
The rep I spoke to said that each side could support the entire weight of the car. When I mentioned that I had read each side could only support half the weight of the car, he backtracked and said he wasn't sure.

Wish they would get their act together on this kind of stuff.
 
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ColoradoGuy

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Hopefully we don't have to wait too long for a good aftermarket step/slider option. I plan to take my Badlands rock slider off immediately to keep it like new for resale. I have a feeling that it will sell pretty well.

The factory step that is available on some of the other trims is not bad but I'm hoping to find something a bit nicer... maybe even a retractable step.
 

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The rep I spoke to said that each side could support the entire weight of the car. When I mentioned that I had read each side could only support half the weight of the car, he backtracked and said he wasn't sure.

Wish they would get their act together on this kind of stuff.
Both those scenarios are even worse than mine. It can hold the vehicle weight. Great. What happens when you slide off a rock and the force you hit it with is magnitudes greater than the vehicles weight? Is it just going to crumple?
 

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I will likely be going with the powersteps from Amp.
 

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Both those scenarios are even worse than mine. It can hold the vehicle weight. Great. What happens when you slide off a rock and the force you hit it with is magnitudes greater than the vehicles weight? Is it just going to crumple?
I share exactly the same concern. 3x makes sense. 1x or .5x means you're getting body damage. :mad:
 

Hulkbuster19

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I was thinking of adding them to my base build, under the premise that something is better than nothing.....and yes eventually going after market for sliders like on the jeeps that can be used as a step as well.....then doing all of my under body armor after market......but now I am second guessing that notion.....I will still get the front bumper winch combo...the winch is a warn zeon10
and I am pretty sure it has synthetic line.......But I truly hope Bailie built comes out with his front and rear bumpers for this generation Bronco.....if not I will still at some point go after market with them....
 

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I was thinking of adding them to my base build, under the premise that something is better than nothing.....and yes eventually going after market for sliders like on the jeeps that can be used as a step as well.....then doing all of my under body armor after market......but now I am second guessing that notion.....I will still get the front bumper winch combo...the winch is a warn zeon10
and I am pretty sure it has synthetic line.......But I truly hope Bailie built comes out with his front and rear bumpers for this generation Bronco.....if not I will still at some point go after market with them....
Genuine question, what is your intent with using five periods arbitrarily scattered throughout your unformatted block of text?
 
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Hopefully we don't have to wait too long for a good aftermarket step/slider option.
If they wait too long, may be looking at an Acorn Chairlift to get into the front seat. I'm not getting any younger - or taller.
 

ColoradoGuy

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If they wait too long, may be looking at an Acorn Chairlift to get into the front seat. I'm not getting any younger - or taller.
You can do 14ers with a broken arm so I may be asking you for help getting into my Bronco. :LOL:
 

Panzer948

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Thank you very much. Very helpful!

I may get them anyway to protect the body until aftermarket catches up. I know it will cost me, but may be worth it in the long run.

Then I'll add "bumper and bolt-on-frame rails/step/slider" to my 2022 (or later) budget.
I was thinking the same. I assume an aftermarket option, that includes some kind of step too, can be mounted while leaving the factory rock rails in place. I think the factory ones just make the vehicle more complete. However, I have never had a 4x4 with rock rails so I wasn't sure how compatible aftermarket options are with the factory ones left in place.

If this is going to cause incompatibility, I would be better off saving a few hundred dollars and leaving factory off and go aftermarket right away. Any opinions on that are welcome! :)
 
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Apples

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I assume an aftermarket option, that includes some kind of step too, can be mounted while leaving the factory rock rails in place.
It's going to depend on how the aftermarket sliders are built. I know when my friend and I tried to bolt up his JLU White Knuckle sliders they wouldn't fit with the factory rails in place. But that's not necessarily a uniform thing.
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