GrenX Factory rock slider modified into side step

GrenX · Nov 15, 2023

Hello everyone, just sharing how i modifed my rock sliders to work as a step. I have extended mine out by 40mm and covered with checkerplate which will be powder coated black in the new year.
We are now offering this modification service to our clients in Melbourne. And full replacement sliders coming later in the year.

DaBull · Nov 15, 2023

Caveman said:
Hello everyone, just sharing how i modifed my rock sliders to work as a step. I have extended mine out by 40mm and covered with checkerplate which will be powder coated black in the new year.

Hi Caveman, How did you modify the rock sliders to extend out by 40mm. Details and photos would be great. With your modification experience, what are your thoughts about also being able to lower them a few more inches to allow an easier step height. My wife is 4'11". From measurements I have been able to gather, it appears lowering the rock sliders a bit would still place the bottom of the rock sliders higher than the ground clearance of the Grenadier. I am not planning to do any rock climbing, however want to have a reasonable clearance, reasonable step height for ease of entry and still be able to do over landing and have the rock sliders provide reasonable protection vs having just side steps.
Be interested in your thoughts on this. Note: The Grenadier ground clearance with their standard rims and tires is noted to be 10.4" or 264mm. DaBull

Cheshire cat · Nov 15, 2023

Caveman said:
Hello everyone, just sharing how i modifed my rock sliders to work as a step. I have extended mine out by 40mm and covered with checkerplate which will be powder coated black in the new year.

They look excellent. A proper ’OEM’ look.

GrenX · Nov 16, 2023

you can see it here, we cut the brackets and welded in some tube to space it out 40mm. Which makes it sit in line with the factory tires. Im going to a 285 tire so they will stick out 10mm wider which will be perfect. They work perfect as a step getting into the car. They are not the best for getting out of the car as they still sit narrow but i did not want to sacrifice clearance off-road. So im happy to jump out.

Wayneos · Nov 16, 2023

Caveman said:
Hello everyone, just sharing how i modifed my rock sliders to work as a step. I have extended mine out by 40mm and covered with checkerplate which will be powder coated black in the new year.

THAT should have been factory!

AnD3rew · Nov 17, 2023

Caveman said:
View attachment 7832883
you can see it here, we cut the brackets and welded in some tube to space it out 40mm. Which makes it sit in line with the factory tires. Im going to a 285 tire so they will stick out 10mm wider which will be perfect. They work perfect as a step getting into the car. They are not the best for getting out of the car as they still sit narrow but i did not want to sacrifice clearance off-road. So im happy to jump out.

I’ll preface this by saying I admire your workmanship and the skills to he able to do this, and I think the end result looks really nice.

But, I think purely from a point of view of it’s functionality as a rock slider you have made it significantly worse. Now its a much better step and a much worse rockslider. Ideally the bar of a rockslider should sit directly under the sill as that is its primary job to prevent sill damage. You have moved it out so now if you drop onto a boulder (as opposed to a ledge) it can come up behind the bar and between the supports and still damage the sill. Also by moving the bar out you have increased the leverage if you do sit on a rock with it and it’s more likely to bend or break mounts, whether or not that’s actually an issue I don’t know, if your welds are good it may still have enough strength but it definitely degrades it’s overal tolerances.

But as I said, kudos for the work and it looks great. And I say this as someone who has side steps and not sliders so there’s that. Your modified sliders are probably still better at protection and less likely to be damaged than my steps.

AnalogueWA · Nov 17, 2023

AnD3rew said:
I’ll preface this by saying I admire your workmanship and the skills to he able to do this, and I think the end result looks really nice.

But, I think purely from a point of view of it’s functionality as a rock slider you have made it significantly worse. Now its a much better step and a much worse rockslider. Ideally the bar of a rockslider should sit directly under the sill as that is its primary job to prevent sill damage. You have moved it out so now if you drop onto a boulder (as opposed to a ledge) it can come up behind the bar and between the supports and still damage the sill. Also by moving the bar out you have increased the leverage if you do sit on a rock with it and it’s more likely to bend or break mounts, whether or not that’s actually an issue I don’t know, if your welds are good it may still have enough strength but it definitely degrades it’s overal tolerances.

But as I said, kudos for the work and it looks great. And I say this as someone who has side steps and not sliders so there’s that. Your modified sliders are probably still better at protection and less likely to be damaged than my steps.

I dont know much about this subject, but I tend to agree with you. However I guess its practicality depends on the level or degree of off-road driving/rock-crawling you'll be doing. I'm not going anywhere too hardcore, so I think his mod would work quite well for me and others. I like the snugness of the position. An acceptable degree of compromise maybe?

DaBull · Nov 17, 2023

AnD3rew said:
I’ll preface this by saying I admire your workmanship and the skills to he able to do this, and I think the end result looks really nice.

But, I think purely from a point of view of it’s functionality as a rock slider you have made it significantly worse. Now its a much better step and a much worse rockslider. Ideally the bar of a rockslider should sit directly under the sill as that is its primary job to prevent sill damage. You have moved it out so now if you drop onto a boulder (as opposed to a ledge) it can come up behind the bar and between the supports and still damage the sill. Also by moving the bar out you have increased the leverage if you do sit on a rock with it and it’s more likely to bend or break mounts, whether or not that’s actually an issue I don’t know, if your welds are good it may still have enough strength but it definitely degrades it’s overal tolerances.

But as I said, kudos for the work and it looks great. And I say this as someone who has side steps and not sliders so there’s that. Your modified sliders are probably still better at protection and less likely to be damaged than my steps.

Caveman said:

View attachment 7832883
you can see it here, we cut the brackets and welded in some tube to space it out 40mm. Which makes it sit in line with the factory tires. Im going to a 285 tire so they will stick out 10mm wider which will be perfect. They work perfect as a step getting into the car. They are not the best for getting out of the car as they still sit narrow but i did not want to sacrifice clearance off-road. So im happy to jump out.

Click to expand...

AnD3rew said:

Caveman said:

View attachment 7832883
you can see it here, we cut the brackets and welded in some tube to space it out 40mm. Which makes it sit in line with the factory tires. Im going to a 285 tire so they will stick out 10mm wider which will be perfect. They work perfect as a step getting into the car. They are not the best for getting out of the car as they still sit narrow but i did not want to sacrifice clearance off-road. So im happy to jump out.

Click to expand...

Hi Caveman, I get why you modified the rock slider. The step height into the cab is high, especially for anyone shorter or kids, grand parents etc. We all want to have steps that are robust and practical and that give more protection than just standard side steps. Everything is a compromise. If just a side step, you have ease of entry and minimal protection. If just a rock slider, zero ease of entry and maximum protection. Your idea addresses the best of both, as it provides better entry than a rock slider and more protection than a side step. AnD3rew has some good points. To address one of And3rew points, perhaps a skid plate could be attached to the bottom supports to prevent a rock from coming up and damaging the sill. I like AnD3rew have ordered side steps, however I will be looking for a solution that incorporates the best of both. Couple questions if you have the time. 1) What is the height from the ground to the step? 2) Is the diamond plate steel of aluminum? 3) How did you attach the diamond plate. DaBull

Click to expand...

DaBull · Nov 17, 2023

Caveman said:
View attachment 7832883
you can see it here, we cut the brackets and welded in some tube to space it out 40mm. Which makes it sit in line with the factory tires. Im going to a 285 tire so they will stick out 10mm wider which will be perfect. They work perfect as a step getting into the car. They are not the best for getting out of the car as they still sit narrow but i did not want to sacrifice clearance off-road. So im happy to jump out.

Hi Caveman, I get why you modified the rock slider. The step height into the cab is high, especially for anyone shorter or kids, grand parents etc. We all want to have steps that are robust and practical and that give more protection than just standard side steps. Everything is a compromise. If just a side step, you have ease of entry and minimal protection. If just a rock slider, zero ease of entry and maximum protection. Your idea addresses the best of both, as it provides better entry than a rock slider and more protection than a side step. AnD3rew has some good points. To address one of And3rew points, perhaps a skid plate could be attached to the bottom supports to prevent a rock from coming up and damaging the sill. I like AnD3rew have ordered side steps, however I will be looking for a solution that incorporates the best of both. Couple questions if you have the time. 1) What is the height from the ground to the step? 2) Is the diamond plate steel of aluminum? 3) How did you attach the diamond plate. DaBull

Steve.B · Nov 17, 2023

I think what Caveman has done is brilliant I presume the slide in tube for the extension is good grade and thick walled steel, I think in a lot of situations that extra side clearance will save body damage, so six of one and half a dozen for the other.
If it is OK with you Caveman I will copy what you have done.

AnD3rew · Nov 17, 2023

DaBull said:
Hi Caveman, I get why you modified the rock slider. The step height into the cab is high, especially for anyone shorter or kids, grand parents etc. We all want to have steps that are robust and practical and that give more protection than just standard side steps. Everything is a compromise. If just a side step, you have ease of entry and minimal protection. If just a rock slider, zero ease of entry and maximum protection. Your idea addresses the best of both, as it provides better entry than a rock slider and more protection than a side step. AnD3rew has some good points. To address one of And3rew points, perhaps a skid plate could be attached to the bottom supports to prevent a rock from coming up and damaging the sill. I like AnD3rew have ordered side steps, however I will be looking for a solution that incorporates the best of both. Couple questions if you have the time. 1) What is the height from the ground to the step? 2) Is the diamond plate steel of aluminum? 3) How did you attach the diamond plate. DaBull

I have considered whether it would be possible to weld in a bar that sits under the sill to the side runners.

GrenX · Nov 18, 2023

These have been made with thick walled tube. And are strong as hell. The clearance is the same the height has not been modified from stock.

Steve.B · Nov 18, 2023

Caveman said:
These have been made with thick walled tube. And are strong as hell. The clearance is the same the height has not been modified from stock.

Hi Caveman
Thank you for the pictures, I think what you have done is functional and looks great, is it OK with you if I copy what you have done ?
They say imitation is the strongest form of flattery.

GrenX · Nov 18, 2023

Steve.B said:
Hi Caveman
Thank you for the pictures, I think what you have done is functional and looks great, is it OK with you if I copy what you have done ?
They say imitation is the strongest form of flattery.

Of course you can, we all here to help other IG owners. Post up the photos when it done. Mine will be powder coated black in the new year

DaBull · Nov 18, 2023

Caveman said:
These have been made with thick walled tube. And are strong as hell. The clearance is the same the height has not been modified from stock.

Hi Caveman, For my purposes I need a lower step height. Looking at your last photo gave me an idea. Cut off the top higher tube and just keep the lower bottom tube.
Then fabricate a step on top or the lower tube out off aluminum diamond plate and perhaps fab a steel plate to attach to the bottom of lower tube to act as a skid
plate slider and prevent rocks from damaging the sill. This would allow a lower side step height with the robustness of a rock slider and not affect the clearance height.
I would like to get your thoughts on this. If you have the time, can you measure what the height from the ground is to the top of the lower tube,, as that would give me an idea of what the step height would be. Also, if you know the diameter of the lower tube, that would be great too. DaBulll.

GrenX · Nov 18, 2023

DaBull said:
Hi Caveman, For my purposes I need a lower step height. Looking at your last photo gave me an idea. Cut off the top higher tube and just keep the lower bottom tube.
Then fabricate a step on top or the lower tube out off aluminum diamond plate and perhaps fab a steel plate to attach to the bottom of lower tube to act as a skid
plate slider and prevent rocks from damaging the sill. This would allow a lower side step height with the robustness of a rock slider and not affect the clearance height.
I would like to get your thoughts on this. If you have the time, can you measure what the height from the ground is to the top of the lower tube,, as that would give me an idea of what the step height would be. Also, if you know the diameter of the lower tube, that would be great too. DaBulll.

DaBull, I wouldnt make that many changes to the sliders, you would be better to just get the factory steps or some other aftermarket set that meet your requirements. My version is a very small change that helps a great deal to enter the vehicle but retains the offroad capability

33” Tyres now fitted 295/70R17

DaBull · Nov 18, 2023

Caveman said:
DaBull, I wouldnt make that many changes to the sliders, you would be better to just get the factory steps or some other aftermarket set that meet your requirements. My version is a very small change that helps a great deal to enter the vehicle but retains the offroad capability

33” Tyres now fitted 295/70R17

Hi Caveman, The problem is that no one, and I mean no one is offering rock sliders with a reasonable step height. From your modification you created a rock slider with a higher step height that suited your needs. For my needs I need a rock slider step with a lower step height, without sacrificing clearance. I think my twist on your idea would work. If you have the time, grab me the measurement from the ground to the top of the bottom horizontal bar. That way I would know what the step height could be and see if my twist on your idea my actually work out. Thanks again. DaBull

Cheshire cat · Nov 18, 2023

DaBull said:
Hi Caveman, The problem is that no one, and I mean no one is offering rock sliders with a reasonable step height. From your modification you created a rock slider with a higher step height that suited your needs. For my needs I need a rock slider step with a lower step height, without sacrificing clearance. I think my twist on your idea would work. If you have the time, grab me the measurement from the ground to the top of the bottom horizontal bar. That way I would know what the step height could be and see if my twist on your idea my actually work out. Thanks again. DaBull

DaBull
What you are saying doesn’t make too much sense really. A rock slider has to be high or it won’t be effective. Side steps serve a different purpose. The Buzz product is a reasonable compromise but not perfect. My daughter at 5’2” has found them to be a good compromise but your wife at 4’11” might still find the climb a bit of a challenge.

DaBull · Nov 18, 2023

Cheshire cat said:
DaBull
What you are saying doesn’t make too much sense really. A rock slider has to be high or it won’t be effective. Side steps serve a different purpose. The Buzz product is a reasonable compromise but not perfect. My daughter at 5’2” has found them to be a good compromise but your wife at 4’11” might still find the climb a bit of a challenge.

Hi Cheshire Cat, The modification that Caveman did to his Grenadier rock sliders still maintained the original clearance height of them. The ground clearance of the Grenadier rock sliders is determined by the bottom of the lowest of the two horizontal tubes. My twist on his modification would also maintain that same exact clearance, by simply removing the upper tube and keeping the lower tube and then placing a step on top of the lower tube instead of the upper tube and thereby maintain the exact same clearance and yet having an a lower step height. Seems to be a win win, although would require a bit of time and $$.

At this time no one is producing a rock slider with a lower step height. The only options currently available have a much higher step height. I know there is a company producing rock sliders with electric deployable steps, however they have no plans to support the Grenadier.
Your choice of the Buzz Overland Rock Sliders is a good choice from everything I have seen out there and I am glad to see they are working out for you and your family. Good Choice!

Thank you for your input. I always appreciate feedback. DaBull

Rubicon Maybe · Nov 18, 2023

DaBull said:
Hi Cheshire Cat, The modification that Caveman did to his Grenadier rock sliders still maintained the original clearance height of them. The ground clearance of the Grenadier rock sliders is determined by the bottom of the lowest of the two horizontal tubes. My twist on his modification would also maintain that same exact clearance, by simply removing the upper tube and keeping the lower tube and then placing a step on top of the lower tube instead of the upper tube and thereby maintain the exact same clearance and yet having an a lower step height. Seems to be a win win, although would require a bit of time and $$.

At this time no one is producing a rock slider with a lower step height. The only options currently available have a much higher step height. I know there is a company producing rock sliders with electric deployable steps, however they have no plans to support the Grenadier.
Your choice of the Buzz Overland Rock Sliders is a good choice from everything I have seen out there and I am glad to see they are working out for you and your family. Good Choice!

Thank you for your input. I always appreciate feedback. DaBull

You might want to contact RockSlide Engineering to discuss with them about producing a set of their rock rails that also have integrated steps. I have these on my lifted Jeep and my wife (5'2") says they are the best upgrade I have made to the Jeep. It is literally a non-issue for her to get into the Jeep. My biggest concern is that RSE may be unaware of IG and not realize the potential market for their product.

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GrenX Factory rock slider modified into side step

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