Side Runners or Rock Sliders?

[Parallaxe]

I'm struggling to choose between the Side Runners and the Rock Sliders. 
The Side Runners seem to take away quite some ground clearance. The Rock Sliders seem to sit a bit higher underneath the vehicle.

What are your experiences with both? Which option will you (probably) choose?

 

[ECrider]

Hi Parallaxe,

For me one of the easier decisions, rock sliders all day long. I'm after protection and jacking ability over ease of stepping up/down into vehicle. I don't know the tech specs of the two but having experience of sliders versus runners on Disco4 the runners are aesthetic and the sliders (aftermarket I grant you) are protection. Whether Grenadier have approached their versions differently I'm not sure but would expect so. Hope that makes sense

 

[emax]

There was a video (don't remember where) which showed the rock sliders and the steps to have the same ground clearance. The rock sliders are just a bit bent upside on the outer position, but the lower mounting seems to be the same. Since the entire construction of the rock sliders is more V-shaped, it's profile might have a bit more over all clearance though.

 

[Parallaxe]

That is most helpful, @ECrider and @emax ! Thanks a lot!
Just as ECrider, I need protection, rather than aesthetics. So it'll be Rock Sliders for me.

?

 

[Red pepper]

 

Both options are pretty good and it all depends on the use of the car 

 

[grenadierboy]

My wife (only 5ft 2) is going to use the Grenadier quite regularly and she will need the side runners.

She has difficulty getting up into the G wagon.

 

[emax]

Same here. And 91 yr old grandma will as well like to take a ride in the grenadier from time to time.

 

[stickshifter]

I'm struggling to choose between the Side Runners and the Rock Sliders. 
The Side Runners seem to take away quite some ground clearance. The Rock Sliders seem to sit a bit higher underneath the vehicle.

What are your experiences with both? Which option will you (probably) choose?

Make the decision based on what you need, because the two options are very different.

Side runners or "side steps" are there to provide a step, to help you get into the vehicle or to reach the roof. They offer no protection from rocks, and can actually increase damage to the vehicle if you get hung up in the rocks. This happens because side runners reduce ground clearance, making it more likely that you hit a rock, and the impact to the side runner can damage your rocker panel, and maybe your door. Side runners are a great option if you need a step, and don't need protection on rocky trails.

Rock sliders are much heavier than side runners; they are made from steel that is strong enough to support the entire vehicle. They offer protection to your vehicle when off-roading in technical rocky terrain. You can jack up the vehicle using the rock slider as your point of contact - that's how strong they are. But there are downsides: (1) they are heavy (sliders this length will weigh between 100-150 pounds for the pair - depending on construction; I haven't seen a weight provided by Ineos), and (2) they aren't great as "side steps" due to the angle at which they are mounted (which is intentional, as it maximizes ground clearance and the ability to slide over rocks). So you get reduced convenience as a step, and reduced payload in your vehicle due to the weight of the slider. Rock sliders are a bad option unless you need the protection.

Here are a list of rock sliders that I checked-out for my 2017 Tacoma. The columns are (1) Manufacturer, (2) Material: the main difference is strength. HREW (hot rolled electric welded) metal is milder steel, which is still plenty strong, with a yield strength of 40ksi. DOM (drawn over mandrel) steel is the same material which does not have a welded seam, with a yield strength of roughly 70ksi; and (3) Weight in pounds for the pair.

CompanyMaterialPoundsRCIHREW120CBIHREW110CBIDOM130PelfreybiltDOM / HREW100Metal TechDOM132All Pro?120BAMFHREW?MobtownDOM150

 

[Parallaxe]

That's excellent advice, @stickshifter. It confirms what I already assumed based on the feedback from emax and ECrider: I will order the rock sliders, as we need reliable support for rocky, technical terrain.

Thank you so much!

?

 

[stickshifter]

That's excellent advice, @stickshifter. It confirms what I already assumed based on the feedback from emax and ECrider: I will order the rock sliders, as we need reliable support for rocky, technical terrain.

Thank you so much!

?

Happy to help out! 

 

[ADVAW8S]

If you look on the UK price sheet, there is a cost difference between the sliders and runners.  This leads me to believe the sliders will be beefier.  

 

[emax]

Here you have quite a good view on the side runners. If at all, they might reduce the overall ground clearance by maybe 2cm or so. I don't even think they are lower than the cross members. But listen to the comment, "yet to be decided ..."

Starting at about 20:42:

https://youtu.be/-SJxjEH2Mvk?t=1242


And here, some pictures and comments on the side runners, starting at about 10:08 (forward manually if not spot on):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8b1y_OyIUs&t=608s

 

[emax]

If you don't have to carry a grandma or so, I'd anyway go with the rock sliders. "Technical",as you @Parallaxe write, doesn't seem to allow for something else. 

 

[DaveB]

I have two artificial metal knees holding up a 60 year old body so I figure I am going to need the step up provided y the siderunners more and more. No chance of getting hung up on a rock if I can't get in the vehicle

 

[Spjnr]

Sliders for me. Intend on doing some gnarly tracks with the grenadier, and the sliders are looking very well built.

Edit: 

A little story behind my decision! Was in the Spanish Pyrenees in 2017 with a couple of mates doing an all off-road trip from Andorra to Girona. We were in 2 jeeps (my JK 2 door sahara on 34s, and my mates JKU rubicon on 37s) and a discovery 4 on 32" KO2s. We were a few days into a long route that snaked in an out some tiny Spanish villages, very early in the season so first people on a lot of the tracks.

We'd been on one track all day, as it wound its way down a mountain towards our camp spot, when we rounded a corner and came upon a big (almost a meter high) boulder that'd slipped down onto the middle of the track. This was a mountain pass, so no way around, and sheer tree lined slope flanked us on both sides. Being so far along, we didn't even consider turning back, and started packing some rocks to get the vehicles over it. The 2 Jeeps crawled it no problem, with sway bars disconnected and great clearance, only casualty was a number plate bracket (my fault as i gave it too much mayo and cracked it on a tree on the way down!).

Then came the disco. He had some beefy rock sliders that he'd fitted just before the trip, and damn did they pay for themselves! We had packed some extra rocks either side to decrease the ramp angle from what the jeeps had climbed, but once up on top, the disco spun some of them out and slipped, coming crashing down onto the slider. There was nothing else we could do, but let that 3 ton vehicle drag itself off the rock, taking a hunk of powder coat off in the process. Had he not had those sliders, I cant imagine how bad the sills and door would have been damaged. For peace of mind, theres not an easier mod that will save soooo much money. 

 

[stickshifter]

Sliders for me. Intend on doing some gnarly tracks with the grenadier, and the sliders are looking very well built.

Edit: 

A little story behind my decision! Was in the Spanish Pyrenees in 2017 with a couple of mates doing an all off-road trip from Andorra to Girona. We were in 2 jeeps (my JK 2 door sahara on 34s, and my mates JKU rubicon on 37s) and a discovery 4 on 32" KO2s. We were a few days into a long route that snaked in an out some tiny Spanish villages, very early in the season so first people on a lot of the tracks.

We'd been on one track all day, as it wound its way down a mountain towards our camp spot, when we rounded a corner and came upon a big (almost a meter high) boulder that'd slipped down onto the middle of the track. This was a mountain pass, so no way around, and sheer tree lined slope flanked us on both sides. Being so far along, we didn't even consider turning back, and started packing some rocks to get the vehicles over it. The 2 Jeeps crawled it no problem, with sway bars disconnected and great clearance, only casualty was a number plate bracket (my fault as i gave it too much mayo and cracked it on a tree on the way down!).

Then came the disco. He had some beefy rock sliders that he'd fitted just before the trip, and damn did they pay for themselves! We had packed some extra rocks either side to decrease the ramp angle from what the jeeps had climbed, but once up on top, the disco spun some of them out and slipped, coming crashing down onto the slider. There was nothing else we could do, but let that 3 ton vehicle drag itself off the rock, taking a hunk of powder coat off in the process. Had he not had those sliders, I cant imagine how bad the sills and door would have been damaged. For peace of mind, theres not an easier mod that will save soooo much money. 

Yup - couldn't agree more. Rock sliders - if you need them - are invaluable. I have them on my current rig. But I also do not think they are a "slam dunk" in terms of an option one should buy. If you are setting up your rig for overlanding, and you are carrying a lot of gear, then you have to be careful about the equipment you strap on your vehicle, because payload isn't infinite, and a heavy rig is a huge disadvantage at times. Many overlanders do not get into technical terrain, and are more interested in carrying a fridge, and lots of other gear. So it comes down to end use.

 

[stickshifter]

If you look on the UK price sheet, there is a cost difference between the sliders and runners.  This leads me to believe the sliders will be beefier.  

Yup. By definition, a rock slider is beefy (capable of supporting the full-weight of a vehicle), while a "side runner" or "side-step" is just a step to help you get into your vehicle or reach the roof. Some side steps are just plastic and weigh 20 pounds (for a pair), while rock sliders weigh ~125 pounds per pair.

I have a longer post with more detail just two posts above yours ?

 

[Spjnr]

Yup - couldn't agree more. Rock sliders - if you need them - are invaluable. I have them on my current rig. But I also do not think they are a "slam dunk" in terms of an option one should buy. If you are setting up your rig for overlanding, and you are carrying a lot of gear, then you have to be careful about the equipment you strap on your vehicle, because payload isn't infinite, and a heavy rig is a huge disadvantage at times. Many overlanders do not get into technical terrain, and are more interested in carrying a fridge, and lots of other gear. So it comes down to end use.

Oh yeah totally.  If your not gonna need them, then they're a hideous waste of weight. But if your going to be doing any rock crawling at all, worthy investment. I also use my vehicle in the forest at work, and stumps/hidden logs can ping up and damage sills when driving around a work site. Sliders will also provide extra protection for that eventuality. 

To be fair though, the ineos side steps seem far beefier than the plastic ones found on most pickups these days. They'll probably handle the my second scenario rather well

 

[stickshifter]

Oh yeah totally.  If your not gonna need them, then they're a hideous waste of weight. But if your going to be doing any rock crawling at all, worthy investment. I also use my vehicle in the forest at work, and stumps/hidden logs can ping up and damage sills when driving around a work site. Sliders will also provide extra protection for that eventuality. 

To be fair though, the ineos side steps seem far beefier than the plastic ones found on most pickups these days. They'll probably handle the my second scenario rather well

Oh for sure! Stumps can shred an undercarriage. Some cooling equipment hangs very low just behind the front bumper, etc. We had a beetle outbreak in the Rockies a few years back, and lots of trees were cut down, opening up some new areas for camping. Pulling into one of those areas in the winter is always sketchy, as the stumps lurk beneath the snow, waiting for an innocent victim... ?

Yeah, side-steps can range from the ultra-light weight plastic "nerf bars" to a step like you find on the Ford Raptor, which is quite burly for not being a true rock slider. I just worry about side steps off-road, as they reduce ground clearance without offering protection. Its not just about height off the ground - as emax mentioned on here earlier; they stick out and really reduce clearance between an obstacle and your vehicle. So we are talking lateral clearance, as well as vertical clearance. Imagine taking a tight turn, and there is an 18-inch high rock around which you are turning: (1) Without steps or sliders you might clear the rock. (2) With a rock slider, you can rub up against that rock, and even use the slider to pivot around the rock. (3) With a side-step, you clip that rock, and damage your vehicle. When hit hard, they can damage mounting points (if mounted to body and not frame), or they can bend up and damage your rocker panels and/or doors.

As with all mods, it comes down to how you use your vehicle. Side-steps are awesome if someone needs a step to get in comfortably, or if you regularly access a rocket box on the roof - as long as you aren't bashing around in the rocks/stumps.

 

[renli3d]

According to the video that was referenced above, the side steps are super beefy and bolted to the frame. The narrator states you could jack it up by the side step. Is the sidestep in the video a side step or rock slider?