Rock sliders

[Wayneos]

Thankfully on the demo day there was a car with the sliders and they are too close to the body to safely use as side-steps, the car is also too high to get into comfortably without side-steps, and you can't have both, so the sliders are gone in favor of the steps.

That's exactly what I did, tried to use the sliders as steps and realised they wouldn't work for that purpose, way too close to the body. You could weld on a step of sorts if you wanted to I suppose.

Steps were better entry/exit. One of the Australian Ineos crew was there in Melbourne the day I saw the cars and I asked what the structural difference was between the sliders and steps apart from the obvious positional difference. He said almost none and they bolted into the same mounting points under the car as the sliders.

 

[Wayneos]

It’s OK we Aussies call them bullbars as well. Roobars is more of a marketing thing I reckon.

Although I’ve hit a few roos but only ever came close to hitting a cow once.

I'm on the look out for a full bonnet/windscreen bar...

 

[Tazzieman]

I'm on the look out for a full bonnet/windscreen bar...

London to Sydney rally

 

[stickshifter]

That's exactly what I did, tried to use the sliders as steps and realised they wouldn't work for that purpose, way too close to the body. You could weld on a step of sorts if you wanted to I suppose.

Steps were better entry/exit. One of the Australian Ineos crew was there in Melbourne the day I saw the cars and I asked what the structural difference was between the sliders and steps apart from the obvious positional difference. He said almost none and they bolted into the same mounting points under the car as the sliders.

Hey Wayneos - I would be a little cautious about that info. I heard some stuff from some of the people working the Grenadier booth when I saw the vehicle at the Overland Expo in Colorado that was flat out wrong. Some of it was pretty basic stuff.

Rock sliders are beefy hunks of steel. They are designed to support the entire weight of the vehicle if you happen to perch the vehicle on top of your slider. As an added bonus, because they are designed to support the vehicle, they can be used as jacking points to change a tire or for a sketchy extraction.

I have never encountered a side step that can do any of the things that the rock slider is designed to do. They are typically just a step to get into the vehicle. I'd be very surprised if the side steps on the Grenadier can support the weight of the vehicle, and I think if you used them for this purpose you would damage the rocker panel and maybe the door as well. They may bolt to the frame in the same location that the rock sliders bolt to the frame, but that does not mean they have the same strength.

One way to check would be to compare the price of the two: if the side steps are significantly cheaper, there is no way they double as a rock slider.

A second way to check would be to compare the weight of the two. I think someone posted that the rock sliders were between 50-55 kg for the pair (110-120 pounds). That is spot on for a set of rock sliders (the sliders on my truck are 115 pounds; the beefiest set I saw for my vehicle were 150 pounds). See if you can find the weight of the side steps - if they are significantly lighter there is no way that they are "structurally similar" to the rock sliders. I'm going to guess that the side steps weigh around 20 kg (plus or minus 5 kg). They will be great as a step, and depending how you use the vehicle, they may be the best solution for your needs. But if you drop down onto a rock and land on the side step, it will bend, and could be forced into the rocker panel, or even into a door.

If you find the weight for the side step could you post it here - thanks!

 

[DaveB]

Hey Wayneos - I would be a little cautious about that info. I heard some stuff from some of the people working the Grenadier booth when I saw the vehicle at the Overland Expo in Colorado that was flat out wrong. Some of it was pretty basic stuff.

Rock sliders are beefy hunks of steel. They are designed to support the entire weight of the vehicle if you happen to perch the vehicle on top of your slider. As an added bonus, because they are designed to support the vehicle, they can be used as jacking points to change a tire or for a sketchy extraction.

I have never encountered a side step that can do any of the things that the rock slider is designed to do. They are typically just a step to get into the vehicle. I'd be very surprised if the side steps on the Grenadier can support the weight of the vehicle, and I think if you used them for this purpose you would damage the rocker panel and maybe the door as well. They may bolt to the frame in the same location that the rock sliders bolt to the frame, but that does not mean they have the same strength.

One way to check would be to compare the price of the two: if the side steps are significantly cheaper, there is no way they double as a rock slider.

A second way to check would be to compare the weight of the two. I think someone posted that the rock sliders were between 50-55 kg for the pair (110-120 pounds). That is spot on for a set of rock sliders (the sliders on my truck are 115 pounds; the beefiest set I saw for my vehicle were 150 pounds). See if you can find the weight of the sliders - if they are significantly lighter there is no way that they are "structurally similar". I'm going to guess that the side steps weigh around 20 kg (plus or minus 5 kg). They will be great as a step, and depending how you use the vehicle, they may be the best solution for your needs. But if you drop down onto a rock and land on the side step, it will bend, and could be forced into the rocker panel, or even into a door.

If you find the weight for the side step could you post it here - thanks!

I am pretty sure he is correct and in one of the Ineos interviews they say you can jack the car up with the side steps, but it is not their intended use.
Pretty sure they are both made from the same material

 

[Wayneos]

London to Sydney rally

View attachment 7801690

Now we're talkin'

 

[Wayneos]

Hey Wayneos - I would be a little cautious about that info. I heard some stuff from some of the people working the Grenadier booth when I saw the vehicle at the Overland Expo in Colorado that was flat out wrong. Some of it was pretty basic stuff.

Rock sliders are beefy hunks of steel. They are designed to support the entire weight of the vehicle if you happen to perch the vehicle on top of your slider. As an added bonus, because they are designed to support the vehicle, they can be used as jacking points to change a tire or for a sketchy extraction.

I have never encountered a side step that can do any of the things that the rock slider is designed to do. They are typically just a step to get into the vehicle. I'd be very surprised if the side steps on the Grenadier can support the weight of the vehicle, and I think if you used them for this purpose you would damage the rocker panel and maybe the door as well. They may bolt to the frame in the same location that the rock sliders bolt to the frame, but that does not mean they have the same strength.

One way to check would be to compare the price of the two: if the side steps are significantly cheaper, there is no way they double as a rock slider.

A second way to check would be to compare the weight of the two. I think someone posted that the rock sliders were between 50-55 kg for the pair (110-120 pounds). That is spot on for a set of rock sliders (the sliders on my truck are 115 pounds; the beefiest set I saw for my vehicle were 150 pounds). See if you can find the weight of the side steps - if they are significantly lighter there is no way that they are "structurally similar" to the rock sliders. I'm going to guess that the side steps weigh around 20 kg (plus or minus 5 kg). They will be great as a step, and depending how you use the vehicle, they may be the best solution for your needs. But if you drop down onto a rock and land on the side step, it will bend, and could be forced into the rocker panel, or even into a door.

If you find the weight for the side step could you post it here - thanks!

Ordinarily I'd agree with you, but if the Ineos guys themselves are saying it, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now. I won't deliberately be using steps as rock sliders but they should work in a pinch if I get caught out. They're not flimsy that's for sure but I don't have weight specs.

 

[stickshifter]

I am pretty sure he is correct and in one of the Ineos interviews they say you can jack the car up with the side steps, but it is not their intended use.
Pretty sure they are both made from the same material

Well damn, they are about the same price. I guess you are right. Do you have the weights for each? I'd still like to see that info. So the functional difference comes down to ground clearance. One is a better step into the vehicle, but robs you of some ground clearance, while the other maximizes ground clearance but can't be used as a step. This is really unusual.

Here is the price info from the UK brochure:

 

[stickshifter]

Ordinarily I'd agree with you, but if the Ineos guys themselves are saying it, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now. I won't deliberately be using steps as rock sliders but they should work in a pinch if I get caught out. They're not flimsy that's for sure but I don't have weight specs.

Yup, looks like they were right (see previous post). I don't know of any manufacturer in North America that is making side steps that double as rock sliders. Learned something new today

 

[Michael H.]

Well damn, they are about the same price. I guess you are right. Do you have the weights for each? I'd still like to see that info. So the functional difference comes down to ground clearance. One is a better step into the vehicle, but robs you of some ground clearance, while the other maximizes ground clearance but can't be used as a step. This is really unusual.

Here is the price info from the UK brochure:
View attachment 7801692

Very different story in the Australian price list.

 

[stickshifter]

Very different story In the Australian price list. View attachment 7801694

Well now I'm just confused - but this is what I was expecting originally (until I pulled up the UK price list). I'd blame the price confusion on the Brits drinking too much beer, but in a previous thread I got into trouble for talking about beer, and Stu scolded me. https://www.theineosforum.com/threads/the-beer-thread.12410920/page-2#post-1333146500

I'd like to see the weight of each. That should be more informative than the price (though I'd think they would correlate).

 

[Wayneos]

Yup, looks like they were right (see previous post). I don't know of any manufacturer in North America that is making side steps that double as rock sliders. Learned something new today

I still won't rock crawling with them!

 

[AnD3rew]

That's exactly what I did, tried to use the sliders as steps and realised they wouldn't work for that purpose, way too close to the body. You could weld on a step of sorts if you wanted to I suppose.

Steps were better entry/exit. One of the Australian Ineos crew was there in Melbourne the day I saw the cars and I asked what the structural difference was between the sliders and steps apart from the obvious positional difference. He said almost none and they bolted into the same mounting points under the car as the sliders.

The side runners are solid as and would probably give decent protection over a fallen tree trunk for example, they will also be good as stand off bars to pivot you around a rock if you got too close and keep sticks and trees etc away from the body. The only real problem with them as opposed to sliders is that if you drop a tyre off a boulder say, there isn’t a bar that runs lengthways under the sill and so it could still impact the sill. I may see if I can get an additional bar welded along between the mounting bars lengthwise under the sill.

 

[DaveB]

Well damn, they are about the same price. I guess you are right. Do you have the weights for each? I'd still like to see that info. So the functional difference comes down to ground clearance. One is a better step into the vehicle, but robs you of some ground clearance, while the other maximizes ground clearance but can't be used as a step. This is really unusual.

Here is the price info from the UK brochure:
View attachment 7801692

Comparing the lowest point on both I don't think there is a lot of difference in ground clearance
They both mount to exactly the same points and the step goes straight out and the rock slider bends upwards
Just comparing against the front mudflap they look pretty similar

 

[Wayneos]

I may see if I can get an additional bar welded along between the mounting bars lengthwise under the sill.

Good idea!

 

[Wayneos]

Comparing the lowest point on both I don't think there is a lot of difference in ground clearance
They both mount to exactly the same points and the step goes straight out and the rock slider bends upwards
Just comparing against the front mudflap they look pretty similar
View attachment 7801700View attachment 7801701

I'm sure the steps could be modified a bit, angled up a tad for a little extra clearance yet maintaining their functionality as steps and as @AnD3rew said, weld a second bar closer to the sill. Best of both worlds.

 

[grenadierguy]

Thankfully on the demo day there was a car with the sliders and they are too close to the body to safely use as side-steps, the car is also too high to get into comfortably without side-steps, and you can't have both, so the sliders are gone in favor of the steps.

I will do the same for the kids, then once they are older... Aftermarket rock sliders.

 

[DaveB]

I'm sure the steps could be modified a bit, angled up a tad for a little extra clearance yet maintaining their functionality as steps and as @AnD3rew said, weld a second bar closer to the sill. Best of both worlds.

I was looking at getting some black checker plate welded in the gap to stop mud and rocks coming up and also act as a better step

 

[DCPU]

Hey Wayneos - I would be a little cautious about that info. I heard some stuff from some of the people working the Grenadier booth when I saw the vehicle at the Overland Expo in Colorado that was flat out wrong. Some of it was pretty basic stuff.

I don't think your approach is wrong.

I think at this stage of the project, we should know for certain a lot more than we actually do.

And some of the things being said by Ineos people has to be questioned/sense checked.

 

[DesertGecko]

Comparing the lowest point on both I don't think there is a lot of difference in ground clearance
They both mount to exactly the same points and the step goes straight out and the rock slider bends upwards
Just comparing against the front mudflap they look pretty similar
View attachment 7801700View attachment 7801701

If you took the steps through the desert I'd be surprised if they lasted more than a few days before getting bent.