All You Need to Know About Rock Sliders

One of the most essential accessories for any off-road adventure are the rock sliders. These multi-purpose accessories protect your rocker panels from stumps, rocks and other debris, and give you a convenient place to step on when you’re working around your 4×4. However, not all 4×4 rock sliders are built the same. In fact, there are specifically designed and manufactured rock sliders for specific types of vehicles.

For example, you can find HiLux rock sliders for sale, that are meant for a specific year HiLux, to ensure they fit perfectly. Moreover, you can find HiLux rock sliders for sale that are built of many different materials, the most popular ones being aluminium and steel. The reason steel and aluminium are popular is because they’re very durable, and corrosion and rust resistant.

Aluminium is the most commonly used material for manufacturing rock sliders, because it’s strong, broadly available and very affordable. Moreover, it’s lighter and softer than steel, so it may not always endure what you throw at it. That being said, steel is more expensive, but much more durable and won’t bend as easy as aluminium when it gets hit by a big rock.

Although the material plays a huge role in the toughness and durability of the rock sliders, the thickness is also very important. Most manufacturers have settled for 50mm as the industry standard. The main reasons are because it’s light, inexpensive and easy to bend. Additionally, a layer of coating can increase the longevity of rock sliders.

Additionally, rock sliders need to be securely mounted to your vehicle. When you’re off-roading, you might need the rock sliders to support the weight of your vehicle, and you might need to use them as a winch point if your vehicle flips. The most popular ways to mount rock sliders to the vehicle include: by bolting them on, welding them on the body, or welding them on the frame.

Lastly, perhaps the best part about installing rock sliders is that they don’t interfere with any other stock parts of your vehicle. When you buy them, they’re meant to fit. However, if you start installing different parts you might start to lose space on your frame to mount things. This can be an issue down the line if you want to implement spring hangers, skid plates, link mounts or crossmembers. But luckily, rock sliders are much more essential to the average off-road enthusiast over the other accessories, so it all comes down to weighing your pros and cons.