Sliders & Rock Chip Protection ?

[MileHighWT]

I've seen a couple of posts and videos of guys who have gnarly levels of rock chips on the rockers (which doesn't concern me THAT much, except for future rust) and on the doors (which concerns me a lot...) from sasquatch equipped Broncos. Anyone with the factory sliders, or aftermarket sliders, seeing rock chips up on the doors? Factory sliders seem like they would protect the rocker from rock chips very well, but they're so narrow, I'd imagine you could still gets chips higher up on the doors. Most aftermarket sliders seem like they'd protect the doors better, but not the rockers.

What are y'all seeing out in the real world?

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[Headsong]

I've seen a couple of posts and videos of guys who have gnarly levels of rock chips on the rockers (which doesn't concern me THAT much, except for future rust) and on the doors (which concerns me a lot...) from sasquatch equipped Broncos. Anyone with the factory sliders, or aftermarket sliders, seeing rock chips up on the doors? Factory sliders seem like they would protect the rocker from rock chips very well, but they're so narrow, I'd imagine you could still gets chips higher up on the doors. Most aftermarket sliders seem like they'd protect the doors better, but not the rockers.

What are y'all seeing out in the real world?

Sliders won't protect anything. Only mudflaps, maybe the right sort of stepside replacement.

 

[Ksjrb03]

Rock chips anywhere down the side. I have one next to the fuel door lol. Still refusing to get ugly mud flaps. Dr color chip kit works great. Side steps could help if they tuck up close to front tire and stick out a lot, but I’m also refusing that for now. I’ll get new tires before I get mud flaps.

 

[MileHighWT]

Rock chips anywhere down the side. I have one next to the fuel door lol. Still refusing to get ugly mud flaps. Dr color chip kit works great. Side steps could help if they tuck up close to front tire and stick out a lot, but I’m also refusing that for now. I’ll get new tires before I get mud flaps.

Does your FE have OEM steps on it?

 

[66GT]

I've seen a couple of posts and videos of guys who have gnarly levels of rock chips on the rockers (which doesn't concern me THAT much, except for future rust) and on the doors (which concerns me a lot...) from sasquatch equipped Broncos. Anyone with the factory sliders, or aftermarket sliders, seeing rock chips up on the doors? Factory sliders seem like they would protect the rocker from rock chips very well, but they're so narrow, I'd imagine you could still gets chips higher up on the doors. Most aftermarket sliders seem like they'd protect the doors better, but not the rockers.

What are y'all seeing out in the real world?

I thought the doors were aluminum?

 

[MileHighWT]

I thought the doors were aluminum?

Aluminum doors still rock chip..

 

[Kekov721]

Is it truly just the tires? Or is is a design flaw and you are screwed no matter what tires unless you have the mud flaps? (I am also in the camp of mud flaps are ugly as all hell- I am going to get the zroadz side steps though in hopes that will help)

 

[66GT]

Aluminum doors still rock chip..

Yep. Bigger problem is preventing all the damage. How far up onto the fender/door is the rock damage occuring?

 

[710-oil-614]

The Go Rhino DSS sliders are as much of a step as I am willing to add.

Concerned with the way the territories have been beating the hell out of other Broncos - I have a set of Falken Wildpeak AT3s sitting at the dealership waiting for my Bronco.

Will these still grab and throw stones? Sure. Hopefully though the combo of the Wildpeaks and DSS will cut down on it.

 

[MileHighWT]

Yep. Bigger problem is preventing all the damage. How far up onto the fender/door is the rock damage occuring?

This is the info I was really after.

My hope is that there will be a slider design that 1) looks good and 2) gets close enough to the front of the pinch weld/front flare so that it blocks that opening between the flare and body and provides at least SOME protection. A tube-style rock rail isn't going to do much, but it seems like 95% of the slider designs which have come out so far are either bent from plate or have a welded plate on top to serve as a step, so rocks can't make it through.

I also wonder if the tires are throwing rocks from down where the tire touches the road (in which case the giant ugly mud flap option is the only solution), or if they're flying out of the tread further from the ground where a shorter flap that doesn't look like hot dogshit will do the job.

 

[nd2002]

This is the info I was really after.

My hope is that there will be a slider design that 1) looks good and 2) gets close enough to the front of the pinch weld/front flare so that it blocks that opening between the flare and body and provides at least SOME protection. A tube-style rock rail isn't going to do much, but it seems like 95% of the slider designs which have come out so far are either bent from plate or have a welded plate on top to serve as a step, so rocks can't make it through.

I also wonder if the tires are throwing rocks from down where the tire touches the road (in which case the giant ugly mud flap option is the only solution), or if they're flying out of the tread further from the ground where a shorter flap that doesn't look like hot dogshit will do the job.

It throws stuff pretty high up. Results in some really loud pings on the doors.

sliders won’t do much IMO. Need mud flaps.

Photo shows mud spray pattern, but you can hear rocks pinging the doors close to the window also.

It also dings up the fenders, which I care less about. Notice how this spot is “modular” on the Braptor?

 

[tater_70]

I'm old, not cool, mud flaps, zroadz steps for me. I'm not spending 60K to have my ride all ground up on the gravel roads I live on. Yep, I'm the guy that still likes a spotless look, even on a Bronco.

 

[MileHighWT]

It throws stuff pretty high up. Results in some really loud pings on the doors.

sliders won’t do much IMO. Need mud flaps.

Photo shows mud spray pattern, but you can hear rocks pinging the doors close to the window also.
It also dings up the fenders, which I care less about. Notice how this spot is “modular” on the Braptor?

My hope is that a wider slider, ala ARB or whatever, would be more protective than the OE ones. Obviously anything that's close to flush with the body isn't going to do much.

IE....

Looks like it would provide a reasonable amount of protection. I dunno if anyone is actually running these yet.

Are guys with the factory steps seeing the same results?

 

[@BadBlueBronco]

PPF is your friend..

Badlands rock rails won’t do shit to protect, a larger slider/step can help but PPF is what you want for the doors.

My silverado I sold for the bronco had a gellcoat on the rocker panel. Very smart and after 130k miles I had no rock chips

 

[nd2002]

My hope is that a wider slider, ala ARB or whatever, would be more protective than the OE ones. Obviously anything that's close to flush with the body isn't going to do much.

IE....

Looks like it would provide a reasonable amount of protection. I dunno if anyone is actually running these yet.

Are guys with the factory steps seeing the same results?

Yup. But the point I should’ve made clearer is that it throws rocks up through the little gap between fender and slider, AND lower to the ground where it shoots towards the rear fender. Assuming a wider slider/step would solve for the latter, but will need mud flap type coverage for the front doors

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